Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the best destinations in East Africa which is located in North Eastern part of Uganda in Karamoja region in Kaabong district. Kidepo Valley National Park is bordered with South Sudan in the northwest and Kenya in the northeast. It covers a distance of 461.8 kilometers and takes 8-9 hours drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda.
Kidepo Valley National Park has the best wilderness in East Africa which contains dry and hot seasons. It has got different mammal species, different birds species including the endemic Common Ostrich, butterflies, animals including Zebras, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Lions, Giraffes, different spices of antelopes and many more. The Park is wilderness and dominated of 2750 meters of mount morungole and its transected by the great Narus River which is on the open Savannah and hilltops that are captured by rock kopjes.
Kidepo Valley National Park is surrounded by Karamojong community who are often being called the “wild west of Uganda “and were warrior – Nomads. By the time Uganda was governed by the British Administrators they had to tell them to leave that area and go for their pride where they had to raid their cattle by those days, and half of the land become for wilderness thus resulting into Kidepo Valley National Park.
Kidepo Valley National Park has number of visitors for the past few years of over 2000-3000 visitors per year, and being the best National Park for wild life, it has also enriched in cultural experience by the Karamoja people who live near the Park where tourist can find good interesting insights into Authentic Africa and are related to Masai people of Kenya, they can also enjoy the new Rock painting near Moroto town.
Kidepo Valley is a mountainous area which is surrounded by one of the smallest ethnic group in Uganda, known as the ike people who leave in the morungole mountain where tourists can do hiking and climbing on top of it to view the scenery and it is guided by the Uganda Wild Life Authority rangers who are armed just for your safety and protection.
Kidepo Valley National Park since it is a game reserve and a gazetted area for birds it is managed under the protection of Uganda Wild Life Authority to impact on the tourism of Uganda.
Game drive
Enjoy the scenery as you drive for a game drive along Narus Valley in the Park’s wildlife area where tourist can encounter the best of African Wildlife such as Lions, Buffalo, Leopards, Chita, Elands, Giraffes, Jackson hartebeest, Oribs, Zebras and many more other Wildlife species.
Mountain hiking
Mountain hiking which is mostly done in early morning where visitors will start with climbing up the mountain murongole and also to visit the neighboring tribes the ethnic people, it can also be explored on foot with rangers guides.
Community Walk
Community walk can be done on foot to experience the lifestyle of Karamoja people, their culture, dressing style, dancing and tools used. The Karamoja people are traditionally cattle raider and hunters where tourist will get know the way they raise their cattle.
Nature Walk
Nature walk can be done at any time of the day around Apoka Safari Lodge. Visitors will be able to view different species of animals like Reed buck, Bush duskier, Oribs. At eastern direction visitors can see wildlife at close range up to 50-70 meters. Nature walk can also be done in the hills where one can view the lower side of the Narus Valley.
The National Park has got options of accommodation where visitors can spend their nights such as Apoka Safari Lodge, Buffalo base Kidepo, Ngamoru Wilderness Camp and Uganda Wildlife Authority Bandas, we can always book accommodation in one of those depending on your budget.
Kidepo Valley National Park can be accessed by flight from Entebbe International Airport to Lomej Airstrip near the headquarters of Apoka Tourism center which takes two hours and it was made to enable tourist to fly in direct to the National Park.
Kidepo Valley National Park can be visited in the months of January, March, June, August, September and December.