Top attractions in kidepo valley national park
Top attractions in kidepo valley national park: Kidepo valley national park is one of the best destination in east Africa which is located in north eastern part of Uganda in the region of karamoja in kaabong district. Kidepo valley park is bordered with South Sudan in the northwest and Kenya in the northeast. It covers a distance of 461.8 kilometers and takes approximately 8-9-hour drive from Kampala city.
Kidepo valley park has the best wilderness in east Africa which contain dry and hot seasons, it has got different mammal species, different bird 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 mountain morungole and its transected by the great narus river which is on the open savannah and hilltops that are captured by rocks.
Kidepo valley park is surrounded by Karamojong community who are often being called the wild west of Uganda ad were warrior during the time Uganda was colonized by the British empire. 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 Karamojong people displaced from their land hence resulting into national park and this is how kidepo valley park come into existence.
Kidepo valley national park has number of visitors for the past few years of over 2000-2003 visitors per year and being the best national park for wildlife it has also enriched in cultural experience by the karamoja people who live near the park where tourist can find good interesting insight into authentic Africa and are related to masai people of Kenya, they can also enjoy the new rock painting near Moroto town.
Kidepo valley national park is mountainous area which is surrounded by one of the smallest ethnic group in Uganda called the ike people who leave in the morungole mountain where tourists do hiking and climbing on the top of it to view the beautiful scenery of kidepo valley and since the national park is under the Uganda wildlife authority it is guided by the armed game rangers for your safety of your life from the wild animal in the forest.
Kidepo valley national park since it is a game reserve and gazette area for wild life especially birds, it is managed under the protection of wild life authority to impact on the tourism of Uganda and kidepo valley has got attractive activities that enable the tourists engage in during their holidays.
Top attractions in kidepo valley national park
Nature walk safaris: Nature walk safaris 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, orbis. 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. Nature walk safaris help tourist to deeply explore the park thus creating memorable safari
The national park has got options of accommodation where visitors can spend their nights such as Apoka safari lodge. Buffalo base kidepo, Namur wilderness camp and Uganda wildlife authority bandas, we can always book accommodation in one of those depending on your budgets
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 2 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 month of January, March, June, august, September and December.
Game drive safaris: Game drive safaris is one of the activity carried out along narus valley in the park’s wildlife area where tourist can encounter the best of kidepo’s wildlife such as lions, leopards, buffaloes, Chita elands, giraffe, zebras, Jackson hartebeest, oribs and many more other wildlife species. Game drive safaris is a great opportunity for tourists to get close to nature
Community walks in Kidepo; Community walks in Kidepo are done on foot to have a true experience of African wilderness with the park as you reach out to communities. Community walks in Kidepo takes you karamoja people to learn their culture, dressing style, dancing and tools used. The karamoja people are traditional cattle raider and hunters where tourists will get to know the ways they raise their cattle.
Mountain hiking safaris; 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 ranger’s guides.
