Kidepo Valley National Park is a world virgin wild game park where adventurers wouldn’t miss to visit on their next safari in the pearl of Africa –Uganda safaris. The park is also one of best location for wildlife viewer while on a Uganda Tours, still its undoubtedly among the best wilderness areas in Africa boosting with diversity of wild species that can’t be found elsewhere in other national parks in Uganda. Fact Kidepo is untouched core savannah landscape right next to a few mountainous bodies, located in the remote areas of semi rid regions in north eastern. Besides the exceptional wildlife safari experience, Kidepo Valley National Park has another astonishing activity for a cultural trail especially to those who would like to see the Karamojong people, Acholi’s, IK and other great tribes. Kidepo harbors with quite a number of activity to participate in while on visit just worth it as you enjoy the true African wilderness, they include nature walk, birding and hiking. It also boosts with comfortable accommodation options of Apoka safari lodge, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Nga’ Moru Wilderness camp coupled along with the cool climate exceptional views of the Savannah grasslands among more tourist attractions, Kidepo Valley National Park was truly gifted by nature.
The park is a true game park with bio-diversity in wildlife at the same time it remains a true rendition of tourism in Uganda though seems to be unknown to many! Kidepo Valley national park was gazette as a national park in 1962 and currently was put on the list of UNESCO heritage site. Moreover, Kidepo is a true safari destination that hosts with more than 77 mammals ,470 bird species including;
In fact, Kidepo Valley national park lies in remotes areas of Kaabong district in Northeastern Uganda, estimating 510 kilometers by road from Kampala Uganda’s capital and Moroto as the largest town in the sub region. Above all, it was ranked to be 3rd best national park in the entire Africa, this could be part of your tour package while on safari to Uganda, Uganda Wildlife safari.
Climate and Weather –Kidepo Valley national park
Climate and weather; First of all, the park is located in semi-arid region with average annual temperature of 290 C, then the day temperature get to 400c. Since its located in the semi rid region, it experiences one season of rains per year that tend to occur from April to September. The rain season may seem to take long time but is erratic and the volume low on average 700millimeters per annum. The soil part of it are sandy with low plant nutrients and cannot hold the rainwater for long period. The climatic condition and the type of the soil influences the vegetation pattern in the whole Kidepo Valley national park. In the rainy season, vegetation is all green, grasslands, shrubs sprout and the wilderness is stunning with abundance of wildlife presence. Vegetation stuns and withers at times to sand and bare ground during long periods to drought. The wide open vegetation cover is an ideal for adventuring a huge range of game on safari on Uganda safari.
Activities and Attractions to See on Safari to Uganda Kidepo Valley National Park as highlighted below;
Kidepo Valley
Kidepo valley national park derives its name from Kidepo Valley that have been existing for years and kidepo loosely means to pick from under’’. The Kidepo communities are beautifully scattered all through the valley, possibly the name was coined from the many communities who visit the valley to pick fallen ripened borassus palm fruits for domestic purposes during the dry seasons. Within the park there is a seasonal Kidepo river that flows north into South Sudan where Narus River supplements it before pouring its water into the White Nile. When its rainy season, the valley floods and Kidepo river is threatening thus making stone hearted creature to dare cross. The vegetation is lush and number of mammals can be seen around. To the adventures travelers on safari to Uganda, this quite humbling time for you to do nature walk safari in the Kidepo valley to explore the wilderness and discover the hidden treasures of the park as well as the beauty of Uganda wilderness within your hands. This is an ideal time for walking safaris in the valley to adventure the wilderness and discover what truly makes Uganda to be called the Pearl of Africa with your eyes.
Narus Valley
Narus is in the local language of Karamojong which means ‘’muddy’’ or Soggy ground. Karamoja is a semi-arid region with high temperatures, receiving low rainfall and semi -arid vegetation that gets bare ground after prolonged drought. The soil texture in the valley is soggy and holds water for longer periods after the rain season gazette temporary swamps, oases and bushes. The Narus valley river floods with water during rainy season and flows to the northwest of Kidepo valley national park through the valley. This valley can keep oases even during the long drought of the dry season when most of the regions around gets semi deserts. The valley is very supportive to the indigenous Karamojong nomads who roam the Karamoja region in search of watering holes and green pastures for their herds of live stork.
Game Drive
Game drive in Kidepo Valley national park is astonishing since the park is a home to bio diversity of wildlife species that can be viewed on your life time adventure on Uganda safari, the park boosts with over 77 mammals and 28 of them are only endemic to karamoja region in Uganda which can be seen on safari here. Travelers have high chances of sight seeing them, since the vegetation caver givens eye catching grassland and the savannah part of is favorable for your adventure. Such species to be encountered along your visit include; striped hyenas, jackals, zebras, reedbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, Nile crocodiles, duikers, roan antelopes, eland, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, leopards, man less zebras, kudus, buffaloes, Oryx, gazelles, elephants, among others.
Guided Nature Walk
This is a beautiful activity with interesting natures which can be done on foot with a guide who leads you to park’s trails to nature around the beauty of the park on foot. While on nature walks, tourist get chances to access the flat plains in scenic landscape and land features where beautiful wildlife species spread around into all the corners of the park. Kidepo valley national park wonders with a lot to see where travelers get to explore the nature and make personal discoveries. And a nature walks done into the beautiful Lamoj hills have chances to spot wildlife with in adjacent valley.
Visit Mount Morungole
Mount Morungole is found within the park where you can do hiking from towards the Kidepo River and the Narus River the blood vessel of wildlife species in the park. For the love adventures, you can visit Kidepo valley for the hiking into Morungole Mountain ranges something impressive. The Morungole mountain range is sacred home for the IK people. The hike to Morungole gives opportunity for photography and filming safari to capture wonderful images of whole Kidepo National Park. During hiking experience ,you will be provided with a ranger escort for your safety.
Ik people
The Ik people is an indigenous community that made Mountain Morungole their permanent residents. These are people who migrated all away from Kenya and have traverse to the karamoja plains in search of game to hunt, gathering edible fruits, leaves roots and flowers. They also love harvesting honey and participating in individual skills to detect colonies of bees and honey harvesting. A visit to Ik People will introduce you to their stunning home steads in the Morungole mountains range to interact with their community in different activity like their thrilling traditional lifestyles, have chances to discover the IK manyatta that gives opportunity to venture into the wilderness under cover darkness to enjoy the process of harvesting honey. You need to visit them with an armed guide remember this is a home of wildlife species.
Bird Watching
Kidepo Valley national park have impressing landscape and the land feature of karamoja region are quite rewarding for birding .Since the park is home paradise for bird species with over 450 birds are recorded yet 50 species are prey which are endemic in the Karamoja regions .The birding safari to Kidepo valley national park is not a disappointing activity since the park is famously renown as a home for birders and such bird species to sight see here include ;Duck chatting goshawk ,Kori bustard ,Little bee-eater ,Ostriches ,Red and Yellow barbet ,Rose- ringed parakeet ,Rufous chatterer ,Northern carmine bee- eater ,Jackson’s hornbill ,Golden pipit ,Fox Kestrel ,Chestnut weaver ,Black breasted barbet , Abyssinian scimitar bill ,among others.
