Kidepo Valley National Park

What to do or Attractions in the Park?

The equatorial climate in Kidepo National Park has blessed it with quite a number of attractions from wildlife to waterfalls that are all found in one place.

• Wildlife highlights

The park has volumes of the Giraffes, zebras, lions, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda Kobs, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Oribi, duikers, waterbucks, crocodiles & Hippos.

The park also is home to two rare nocturnal that is Pottos and Bushbabies.

Game drives offer tourists incredible sights for wildlife and they start at 6:30 am (morning), 3 pm (Afternoon) and 6:30 pm (Night drive) every day.

The game drive is done using the 4×4 vehicles which you can hire in the nearby towns or use a tour operator to organize the activity for you.

The other option is through hiring a Uganda Wildlife open car that ranges from $30-$150

• Birdwatching

Kidepo Valley N. P is an amazing bird watching site with 450 recorded bird species and 60 spiece of those not recorded anywhere in Uganda.

These include; Ostrich, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Scimitar Bill, D’ Arnaud’s Barbet, Golden Pipit, Pygmy Falcon, Norther Carmine Bee-Eater, Karamoja Apalis, Kori Bustard and Dark Chanting Goshawk

Other bird species include; Grey Crowned Crane, Black Billed Bustard, Brown Chested Lapwing, Ross Turaco, Red-Faced Barbet, Bateleur, White Winged Tit and Finfoot

• Kidepo Valley

This offers tourists a chance to roam in the park during dry spells spotting the different gem which resides in the park.

Exploring the wilderness as you discover and hold the beauty of Uganda within your hands.

The Borassus palm trees is a delicacy for the local people as well as elephants and the trees are scattered all through the valley.

• Narus Valley

This is the centre of tourism in Kidepo valley and thousands of wildlife gather to drink up at the river as well as cool off.

This is also a water point for the Karamoja people as they roam in the region for water and pasture for their livestock.

It also makes wildlife sighting very easy since it takes you to sacred spots that make wildlife.

You will sight lions, buffaloes, zebras, cheetah, leopard, hartebeests, waterbucks and the birdlife

Best Time to visit?

The time of visit varies depending on the season that’s wet or dry, however, Kidepo Valley National Park is open all year long.

The best months to see volumes of wildlife is the dry seasons of December- February and June- September.

The best time for birdwatching is March- September and Migratory bird watching in November-April.

The wet seasons are March, April, May and November with higher rains that cause delays due to passable roads and wildlife encounters.

However, due to global warming, there has been a change in the rainfall patterns therefore this can change year after year.

Activities or Things to do in Kidepo Valley National Park

GAME DRIVES

The game drives are divided into two is days and night drives.

They start early in the morning at 06:00 am to 6:00 pm East African time for a day game drives in the park.

The night game drives in search of nocturnal start at 6:30 pm- 11 pm with the view of the sunset and accompanied by an armed ranger guide.

They are conducted in open rooftop vehicles of 4×4 and open-sided vehicles to enable you to take great pictures during your safari.

You will see animals ranging from the big five to African hunting Dog, leopard, Bat Eared Fox, large herds of antelopes and Zebras.

Other animals like bush babies, civets, Aardvarks, leopards, dik-diks, bat-eared fox, scrub hare, jackals and mongoose.

Night game drives are always booked in advance since you should be assigned a ranger and you will be required to pay an extra fee which ranges from $30- $100 for a trip.

During the night game drives, be rest assured to sights of White-Tailed Mongoose, Leopard, Hippos Gazing, bush babies, Birds Like Owls, Nightjars and Dikkops

BIRD WATCHING

Kidepo Valley N. P has a beautiful ecosystem that attracts a variety of bird species.

The park offers huge numbers of birds with over 470 species which are sighted along with the forests as well as the lake shores of the park.

For bird lovers, the bird watching activity is done in the Kidepo and Narus valleys and the salt lick and forest.

The endemic bird species include; Ostrich, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Scimitar Bill, D’ Arnaud’s Barbet, Golden Pipit, Pygmy Falcon, Norther Carmine Bee-Eater, Karamoja Apalis, Kori Bustard and Dark Chanting Goshawk

The best months for bird watching is during November to July although you can see them throughout the year

WALKING SAFARI

Kidepo Valley N. P offers you a chance to move out of your vehicle and stretch your legs for either a short or long walk during your safari.

These walks are conducted by the park rangers either inside or outside the park during the daytime.

The walks inside the park will aim at tracking and getting closer to animals as your guide takes you through the different animal behaviours on the Apoka trail, Kidepo trail as well as Narus trail.

The walks outside the park take you to experience the cultural encounters with the Ik community and the Karamojong’s.

These walks take approximately 2 hours and offer you sights of different wildlife and bird watching.

Where to stay in Kidepo Park?

There are a few places to stay while on your Kidepo Valley National Park trip and the common type is camping.

The prices range from Budget, Midrange to Luxury accommodation. Budget accommodation ranges from $30-$150, Midrange from $200- $250 and Luxury from $300-$1000.

Luxury

• Apoka Safari Lodge

Midrange

• Kidepo Savannah Lodge
• Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp
• Adere Safari Lodge

Budget

• Apoka Rest Inn
• Kakine self-catering campsite

For your planning purposes, you can visit the park for three (3) or multiple days depending on your budget.

We recommend that you combine this tour with other classical places in Uganda like Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi for gorilla trekking, Kibale forest N.P, Jinja tour, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Sipi falls, Sezibwa falls.

Furthermore, cross border safaris can be added in Rwanda like Akagera, Nyungwe, Kivu and Volcanoes N.P. In Kenya don’t forget to add on the Masai Mara for the wildebeest and Amboseli for the big five.

These combinations will just add a slice to your safari as you touch each of the EastAfrican countries.

In conclusion, Kidepo Valley National Park will offer you a chance to see plenty of all wildlife found in Uganda’s Parks.

Forever Africa Safari offers a variety of gorilla trekking safari options at unbeatable rates. Contact us for the best rates at info@foreverafricasafari.com or call us /WhatsApp us +256 772 221 880 to start planning your safari/tour today!