Kipedo valley national park is located in northeastern, Kaabong district at Uganda’s border with Kenya and Sudan. The park was gazetted in 1962, and covers a total area of 1,442 square kilometers which is composed of savannah grasslands, woodlands, mountain forest and as well the acacia forest, the park is a wildlife safari which is a home to over 86 mammals and 480 bird species and many more. Its rivers, including the Kidepo River, are in generally dry, the park adjoins the frontiers of Kenya and South Sudan. The landscape is dominated by Mount Morungole on the east and by the Lotuku Ridge, which rises in South Sudan, to the north.
Attractions in Kidepo valley national park.
Wildlife.
Kidepo valley national park supports a wider diversity, with a far greater biomass of animals, of 80 mammal species in the 29 cannot be found in any other park in Uganda including Caracal, Stripped Hyena, Aardwolf, Cheetah, Bat-eared Fox, Hunting dog. The park harbors 5 species of primate like Kavirondo Bush Baby which is unique in the area, the park also contains rare ungulates like the Greater and Lesser Kudu, Chandlers Mountain Reedbuck, Klipspringers, Dik-dik, Bright Gazelle, Beisa Oryx, Roan Antelope. Other animal species in the park includes the lion, elephants, zebra, Bush pigs, Rothschild Giraffes, Eland, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Buffalo, Oribi, Leopard, Spotted hyena, Black-backed and Side-backed Jackal, Crocodiles and many others. Kidepo valley national park is the best park in Africa for great buffalo herds.
Bird species.
Kidepo valley national park is a birding safari destination, with over 480 bird species with some of the Africa’s rarest and most sought-after birds occur in the park like Black-breasted Barbet, Karamoja Apalis, the park is good for semi-arid species which cannot be found in other parts of Uganda such as Ostrich, it’s also outstanding for its birds prey with 58 species recorded in the area. The bird species in the park includes Abyssinian roller, Black-breasted barbet, Fox kestrel, Golden pipit, Greater kestrel, Jackson’s hornbill, Purple grenadier, Pygmy falcon, Rode-ringed parakeet, Rufous chatterer and many more.
Apoka Tourism center.
Apoka tourism center is the park’s tourism hub. The ranger guides are stationed at Apoka to escort tourists on the game drives and walks, for those without their transport, park trucks can be hired, there is also a craft shop with books and souvenirs as well as the sodas, drinking water, alcoholic beverages can also be purchased from here, and food is cooked on request and cooking gas and utensils can be hired by individual who would wish to cook for themselves.
Narus valley.
Narus valley, consists of the rolling grassland plains which are surrounded by the distant mountains and Narus River which is situated down at the valley. Narus valley has permanent water which attracts abundant wildlife species which gather to drink water especially during the dry season, thus the area is well provided with the game tracks, with four loop circuits exploring the valley around Apoka. The tourists can spot various creatures from there that is buffaloes, giraffes, oribis, reedbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest and many others.
Namamukweny valley.
Namamukweny valley is a Napore word meaning a great birding spot in Kidepo valley national park hosting many bird species such as Eastern Paradise Whydah, White-crested Turaco, Common Bulbul, Abyssinian Roller, Green Wood Hoopoe and many others. Namamukweny valley is located in the north-west of the park and can be accessed by car or on foot.
Lomej Hills.
Lomej Hills are the attraction in Kidepo Valley national park, these hills are the haven of birding paradise in the park and whenever travelers who visit the park on their bird watching, this is the perfect place for them to do birding safari and good viewing for animal species like mountain reedbuck.
Lonyili Mountain.
Lonyili Mountain lies between Kitgum and the Sudan border, the Lonyili Mountain is largely covered in montane forest and home to primates such as colobus monkeys and many others.
Mount Morungole.
Mount Morungole is found in Kidepo valley national park and is raised about 2750 meters above the sea level and the mountain is crossed by the Narus and Kidepo rivers, it offers the best destination for hiking safaris and it is where the IK people stay at the mountain slopes thus a good cultural experience.
Kidepo valley and Kanangorok Hot Springs.
The Kanangorok hot springs are located in Kidepo valley national park in the far north eastern part of Uganda, the hot springs lie 11 km beyond the Kidepo River on the Sudan border, the springs are located in the northern part of the park beyond Kidepo River bordering South Sudan border it’s one of the best places to sit and relax in Kidepo national park while viewing the wilderness.
Activities done in Kidepo valley national park.
Game drives.
Game drives in Kidepo Valley national park are the main activities done in the park, the game drives in the park are done in the morning or late in the evenings they are named the day game drive and night game drives. During the day game drive, the tourists can be able to spot various animals like the zebras, hyenas, cape buffalo, lion, Jacksons hartebeest, Klipspringer, reedbucks, leopards, elephants, warthog, bush duiker and many more while getting closer to those animal species in your 4×4 wheel vehicle or safari van, while the night game drives are usually the highlights for a safari trip and a sun set a way of ending your day in Kidepo national park in a 4×4 safari van, the night game drive is the only game viewing that exposes you to the nocturnal animas such the caracal, aardwolf, hyenas, side striped jackals, wild dogs and many more.
Bird watching.
Bird watching in Kidepo valley national park is a home to over than 480 bird species including the endemic, savannah, migratory birds and bird watching safari is best done during the low season in the months of March to May and November that’s when the bird lovers during their birding safari will be able to view the migratory and the most colourful birds like the Karamoja Apalis, Pygmy falcon, Purple grenadier, Black-breasted barbet, Golden pipit, Jacksons hornbill, white billed buffalo, speckle fronted weaver, brown backed woodpecker, Greater kestrel and many more, during the bird watching activity a birder is reminded to come along with a pair of binoculars.
Nature walks.
Nature walks in Kidepo valley national park especially around Apoka are done at any time of the day and visitors with accompanied by an experienced guide who is well conversant with walking trails in the park ranger to protect you from danger, the visitors are able to view various animals such as zebra, elephant, Reedbuck, Buffalo, ostriches, waterbucks, lion, there also trails and circuits which visitors can walk in the early morning to observe species at close range and enjoy the beautiful wilderness, here the guests are given the opportunity to explore the park on foot. Nature walks in the park can also be conducted in Narus valley, Namamukweny valley, and many other more areas.
Climbing Mount Morungole and visit IK tribe.
The safari of the climbing Mount Morungole leds you to meet the IK people, during the climbing Mount Morungole which involves a day’s hike through varying vegetation and rocky terrain commanding spectacular views of Kidepo valley national park also the tourists will get exposed to dances from IK, their history and many others.
Cultural encounters.
Kidepo Valley national park gives tourists an opportunity to interact with the local people like the Karamojong who live in the nearby villages and also the IK people, who live on the top of Morungole Mountain. The cultural encounter safari will encounter you to learn about their culture, history, lifestyle, way of living, visit their locally built manyatta homesteads how to make their traditions items like the beads, stools, spears, learning how pride price is determined in their culture, enjoy the cultural entertainments like music, dance and drama.
Where to stay in Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo valley national park has got different accommodation facilities for the tourists during their visit in the park, as they are ranged into Budget, Mid-range and Luxury accommodations like Apoka Rest camp, Apoka safari lodge, Kidepo savannah lodge, Nga Moru Wilderness Camp and many more.
Entrance fees of Kidepo valley national park.
Category Foreign Non Residents(US) Foreign Residents(USD) East Africa Citizens(UGX)
Adults 40USD 30USD 20,000 UGX
Children 20 USD 10 USD 5,000 UGX
Ugandan Students(Groups) 3,000 UGX
Tertiary, Institutions, Universities 5,000 UGX
Uganda Wildlife Clubs 2,000 UGX
Best time to visit Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo valley national park can be visited throughout the year though the best time is during the dry or peak season during the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February, the dry season is the best time for various activities like game viewing, in that the vegetation in the park can be thin that helps the tourists to have clear views of animals, during the same season the animals gather around the water bodies to drink water thus making wildlife viewing much easier.
Kidepo valley national park can as well be visited during the wet/dry season during the months of March to May and November, during the wet season the bird lovers can be having the great opportunity to spot a variety of bird species including the migratory bird species.
How to get to Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo valley national park can be accessed in two different ways that is the road and air means of transport from Kampala to the park.
By Road transport.
Kidepo valley national park can be approximately reached in 12 hours from Kampala to the park.
By Flight transport.
The regularly scheduled flights by the Aero Link takes about 2 hours and fry into Kidepo from Entebbe airport, the charter can also be easily got if you contact any of the fight operators or through your tour operator.
