Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the north eastern part of Uganda also known as Karamoja region. This is a semi-arid region as it comprises of the beautiful dry and rugged Savannah grass lands, scrubs and tall hills and mesmerizing valleys not forgetting the Narus river with the most gorgeous sun sets and sun rises. Kidepo valley national park is found in Kaabong district and is approximately 561.7km from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. It is known for its abundant wildlife of about 86 mammal species including; Lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, leopards, ostriches, wild dog, eland, hyena, jackals, zebra, cheetah Jacksons hartebeest, oribi, klipspringer, antelopes, spotted hyena, warthogs, Guenther’s dik dik, caracal among others
Kidepo valley national park is also birders haven as it is filled with a diverse bird species at the count of over 450 species some of which are migrating birds that come from others countries and continents such as Europe .The following are bird species one can meet at Kidepo national park; Kori bustard, karamoja apalis, Red and yellow barbet, dark chanting goshawki, ostrich, Abyssinian ground hornbill, clapper tons’ francolin, pygmy falcon, Red billed oxpecker, black breasted barbet, white bellied go away bird, black coucal, verraauxs eagle, Egyptian vulture, Little green bee eater, Ethiopian swallow, superb starling among others.
Tourist activities at Kidepo valley national park;
Game drives; Kidepo valley national park is one of Uganda’s best game drive destinations where one can satisfy their Uganda wild life viewing safaris experience. Kidepo national park national has with numerous wildlife such as; Lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, leopards, ostriches, wild dog, eland, hyena, jackals, zebra, cheetah Jacksons hartebeest, oribi, klipspringer, antelopes, spotted hyena, warthogs, Guenther’s dik dik, caracal among others.
Bird Watching; Kidepo valley national park is a UNESCO accredited birding site and is home to diverse bird species of approximately 450 species with those that migrate from other countries and continents which makes Kidepo among Africa’s best birding safari destination these incredible bird species include; Kori bustard, karamoja apalis, Red and yellow barbet, dark chanting goshawki, ostrich, Abyssinian ground hornbill, clapper tons’ francolin, pygmy falcon, Red billed oxpecker, black breasted barbet, white bellied go away bird, black coucal, verraauxs eagle, Egyptian vulture, Little green bee eater, Ethiopian swallow, superb starling among others.
Boat cruise; On waters of Narus river one can have the opportunity to have a beautiful boat cruise with the aid of a tour guide and view the numerous wild life species such as hippos, crocodiles among other while on water. This is a fun filled and thrilling experience which a tourist can enjoy while on their Uganda wildlife tour on Kidepo valley national park.
Community encounter; Kidepo valley national park is surrounded with a diverse community rich culture. The people in this region are known as the Karamojongs and these group of people speak Nga Karimojong. For example, the Karamojong woman and man must fight before getting married and if the woman defeats the man the marriage would not be acceptable whereas if the man defeats the woman they would be happily married off. While on a Uganda wildlife safari at Kidepo valley national park one can visit these communities and learn about their ways of life, their traditional crafts, traditional dances and songs to mention but a few.
Nature walks; Walking through the trails that pass around kidepo valley and the hills around can be a nice source of exercise and can be therapeutic as well as one can listen to the various birds singing sweetly in the trees in Kidepo valley. These trails can also enable one to spot the beautiful savannah grass lands and also view wildlife species such as Lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, leopards, ostriches, wild dog, eland, hyena, jackals, zebra, cheetah to mention but a few.
Exploring river Narus; River Narus is the only permanent source of water in Kidepo valley national park and therefore a source of drinking water for the wildlife in Kidepo national park. Narus river is also filled with a large species of fish such as cat fish, Tilapia, Tiger fish to mention but a few. Boat cruises can also be launched on River Narus and one can view wildlife while on a boat cruise and look at animals such as Zebras, lions, giraffes, elephants among others.
The best time to visit Kidepo valley national park is during the dry seasons of the year that are mainly January, February, December, June, July, august, September to mention but a few. However, one can visit Kidepo national park throughout the year it has one of the best game drives in the country and definitely a birders number one choice as its filled with numerous bird species and a scenic surrounding filled with beautiful the beautiful savannah grasslands.