Kidepo Valley National Park Uganda
Kidepo Valley National Park Uganda is one the 10 major game parks in Uganda and is one of the most exciting parks to visit. This park located northeast of Uganda in the Karamoja region is about 562.1 kms from Kampala approximately 10 hours drive to the park. Usually, people who travel to this park will break the journey into two making a sleepover stop in gulu before proceeding to the park the next day. Others will opt to fly to the park from Entebbe/Kajjansi to Kidepo National Park Uganda; the quickest way to get there.
This park has a reach history of not just the Karamong but the Stone Age too. The park has archaeological sites that are evidenced with stone art and different features that show human habitation from back then. The park is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that’s why its has beautiful flora.
This picturesque park is 1,442 square kilometers big and is home to over 100 mammal species, numerous bird species over 400 species, butterfly species and flora species. It has animals like the lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, elands, impalas, topis, antelopes and many more.
This remote, secluded and pristine wildlife hub has some of the most spectacular landscape that has open savannah grasslands, rocky and mountainous trails, acacia outcrops and many more unique landscape features.
Among the many unique features are the Narus Valley the gives its visitors the most scenic views in the park. Then river Kidepo that runs through the park is beauty to watch especially when its in season. It’s a shallow river so some seasons its water levels are really low and all you see are the rocks which are also beautiful. But when in season the river water levels are high and the water waves are simply beautiful. On top of that the park has the Kanangorok Hot Springs; also, beautiful to see and experience.
When you visit this park, you will experience the animals and birds on game drives on activities such as game viewing and bird watching. You will also have nature walks to just take in the vegetation like the lesser kudu among other vegetation types. You can do community visits and visit the ike people who are a community that is close knit with the park. You can also take hikes on the mountainous trails for adventure. Then also the Apoka Tourism Centre is in close proxy to Kidepo; you can always visit it for more scenic views and other game viewing activities.
A unique thing about game viewing at this park is that you can have morning game drives, afternoon game drives, whole day game drives, night game drives and arieal game viewing. The various options on how to view animals is very enticing to the tourists who visit this park. Also in this park you can choose to go on a self-adventure tour or you can choose to have a guided tour of the park.
As stated above, you can get to this park by road or by air. Whatever you prefer or whatever is in your budget. This is the same for the accommodation. There is both accommodation inside the park and outside the park that is budget, mid-range and luxury – you choose whatever you prefer or whatever you are willing to pay for.
Kidepo Valley National Park Uganda is open to the public all year round; but as we all know; summers are the best times to visit game parks it’s the same for Kidepo. But don’t be fooled even outside the summer a visit to this park is just as fulfilling.