Kidepo Valley National Park is in Kaabong district in North Eastern Uganda. It lies in the semi-arid regions between Uganda’s border with South Sudan and Kenya. The park was put up as a protected area in 1962 to protect the wildlife in the area. Kidepo is the most isolated national park in Uganda and the few who have made it there would confess that it is the most spectacular. Kidepo national park ranks among one of Africa’s great wildernesses. From the heart of the park (Apoka), a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. The savannah plains with scattered trees offer beautiful scenery of the park and the sunset in the evenings is so magnificent.
The park has 2 major valleys; Kidepo and Narus valley. The Narus valley has wetlands and remnant pools and is the only permanent water source even during the dry season. These valleys attract a lot of animals that visit the pools to quench their thirst, which makes good game viewing spot.
The park is home to a great variety of animal species as compared to other Uganda parks. Some of the carnivore species include; the Hunting dog, Bat-eared Fox, Cheetah, Striped Hyena, Caracal, lion, leopard, black-backed jackals. Other animals include; the Greater & Lesser Kudu, Roan Antelope, Chandler’s Mountain Reedbuck, Beisa Oryx, Klipspringer And Bright’s Gazelle, Elephants, Oribi, Burchell’s Zebras, Jackson’s Hartebeests, Bush Pigs, Bohor Reedbuck, Warthogs, Rothschild Giraffes, Defassa Waterbucks, Cape Buffaloes, Elands, Bush Duikers and Bushbucks. only 5 primate species have been recorded in the park; Kavirondo Bush baby, Vervet monkeys, Baboons among others.
The park is also home to about 465 bird species and some of them include; Ostrich, Kori Bustard, the pygmy Falcon, Varreaux’s Eagle, Egyptian Vulture. Also, be aware are Four Hornbills species: Jackson’s hornbill, Yellow-billed hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill, and Giant Abyssinian ground Hornbill, African jacana, Yellow-billed stork, Marabou stork, Sacred hadada among others.
THINGS TO DO IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Game viewing: this is the major activity done in the park and there are various trails that tourists follow as they look for these animals. The activity usually takes between 2-4 hours or sometimes a full day and expect to spot animals like; the Hunting dog, Bat-eared Fox, Cheetah, Striped Hyena, Caracal, the aard Wolf, elephants, oribi, Burchell’s zebras, Jackson’s hartebeests, bush pigs, bohor reedbuck, warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, defassa waterbucks, cape buffaloes, elands, bush duskier, bushbucks, lions, side-striped jackals, leopards, black-backed jackals, various small cats as well as spotted hyenas. Various savannah bird species living in the park can also be spotted.
Hiking and Sightseeing: this activity can be done in or around the park. Hiking can be done on Lamoj mountains which is a few kilometres from the park headquarters or in the Morungole mountains which is home to the Ik people. Tourists can also visit Kanangorok Hot Springs that are situated just 11 km from the Kidepo river valley.
Bird Watching: with the great number of bird species living in the park, Kidepo is surely a great birding place. Of the 14 prey birds living in the park, 14 are thought to be endemic to Karamoja region. Some of these include; the pygmy Falcon, Varreaux’s Eagle plus the Egyptian Vulture, in addition to many other species.
Community visits: Before the area was gazetted, the Karimajong people used to stay there. There are still are few Karimajong villages within the park, they have been sensitized about tourism and its benefits. Tourists to the park usually spare some time to visit these communities and learn about their great culture that is so unique and interesting to learn about. Visitors may support these communities by donating some things like clothes, shoes, or support the community by buying their locally made handcrafts.
Getting there
The park can be accessed by either road or air.
By air: Tourists can as well fly from Entebbe/Kajjansi to the park and this takes around 2 hours.
By road: Travelling to Kidepo valley national park by road requires a 4×4 safari vehicle. Some of the routes are;
Kampala-Karuma-Gulu-Kitgum-Kidepo (10 hours)
Kampala-Karuma-Lira-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo (12 hours)
Kampala-Mbale-Sironko-Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo (12hours)
Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo (13hours)
