Visit Kidepo Valley National Park for Wildlife Safaris
The Park is found in Kaabong district in Karamoja and is one of Africa’s finest Parks for wildlife safaris due to a variety of Wildlife species it resides. The Park is considered as the ‘’True African Wilderness’’ because it consists of very many wildlife species and its landscape is so exceptional to any other African national park.
The Park has the most photogenic and picturesque landscape which thus being the moost ideal destination in Africa especially to those tourists who enjoy photography safaris.
The Park consists of two seasonal Rivers (Narus River and Kidepo River) which become erased in dry season but leaving ponds where the Park’s wildlife will quench water when thirsty.
The Park is situated 520km from Uganda’s capital city (Kampala) bordering South Sudan and Kenya and the whole area is 1442 square kilometers boosting over 475 bird species and 77 mammal species. The Park is also dominated by Mountain Morungole which has a height of 2750 meters.
Kanangarok hot spring is also inhabited in the Park and visitors can cook eggs and various plantains from it and get ready to be eaten thus getting a great experience from the Park due to its interesting and surprising inhabitants and features.
Residents in the Park;
The Park’s most ideal vantage points for viewing wildlife are Narus and Kidepo Rivers plus at Katurum Kopje which provides superb views north across the valley towards Morungole mountain range.
The Park resides a variety of animal species such as; Lions, African elephants, Leopards, Buffaloes, Cheetahs, Rothschild’s giraffes, Zebras, Oribis, Kirk’s dik dik, Reedbucks, Hippos, Bushbucks, Bulbul, Impalas, Jackson’s hartebeests, gazelles, Kudus, Bat-eared foxes, spotted hyenas, Nile Crocodiles, Wild dogs, bush babies, Klipspringers, Caracals, Jackals, Oryx, Warthogs, Bush pigs, Defassa waterbucks, Elands, Mongooses, and many others all which make it the ‘’True Africa wilderness’’ indeed.
Notable bird species in the Park include; Superb Starling, Vinaceous Dove, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Hoopoe, Little Green Bee-eater, Long-tailed & Standard-winged Nightjars, White-bellied Tit , Mosque Swallow, Karamoja Apalis, Nubian Woodpecker, Red-fronted & Black-breasted Barbets, Pygmy Falcon, African Grey Flycatcher, Ruppell’s & Superb Starlings, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Ostrich, Eastern Yellow & Jackson’s Hornbills, Red-winged Lark, Little Weaver & Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Fan-tailed Raven, White-bellied & Hartlaub’s Bustards, Abyssinian & Rufous-crowned Rollers, Eastern Pale Chanting Go-shawk, Slate-coloured Boubou, Green-winged, White-faced Scoops Owl, Orange-winged & Red-winged Pytilias Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Four-banded Sand Grouse, Red billed Oxpecker, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Abyssinian Ground, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Rufous & Chestnut Sparrow, Black-headed Plover, Kori, Pygmy & Beautiful Sunbirds, Violet-tipped Courser, Ethiopian Swallow, Foxy & Red pate Cisticolas, Brown-rumped Bunting , Yellow-spotted Petronia, Northern White-crowned and Yellow-billed Shrikes Eastern Violet backed, White-browed & Chestnut- crowned Sparrow Weavers,Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Steel-blue & Strawtailed Whydahs, Pied, African Swallow-tailed Kite, Isabelline & Heuglin’s Whea-ters, Black-bellied & Black-faded Waxbill, Fox Kestrel, Grey-capped Social & Speckle-fronted Weavers, Clapperton’s & Heuglin’s Francolins, White-headed and White-billed Buffalo Weavers, Singing Bush lark, Stone Partridge.
A tourist to the Park will get an experience of a lifetime because he will view almost each African wildlife species resided here except the Rhinos and some few.
A variety of activities can be offered in the Park such as game viewing, nature walks, bird watching, photographing, hiking, cultural encounters where you will enjoy the culture of the Karamajongs which is slightly similar to that of the Masai in Kenya.
Accommodations in the Park include; Apoka lodge, Nga’moru wilderness camp, Apoka rest camp, Kakine self-catering campsite and Kidepo savannah lodge.
