Kidepo Valley – Uganda’s Most Isolating But worth Visiting Park: There are ten national parks in Uganda, and each one is home to a wide range of wildlife and bird species. Uganda offers a variety of unique attractions, from the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains to the Savannah grasslands of Murchison Falls National Park. The number of visitors to each attraction varies depending on a number of factors, including accessibility, tourist preferences, and proximity to the capital city.
Kidepo Valley National Park, which spans approximately 1,442 square kilometers and is situated in Kaabong District in the northeastern region of the country, is the most remote of all national parks in Uganda. The park is located about 700 kilometers from Kampala, Uganda’s capital, in the rocky, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya. A genuinely thrilling adventure is exploring Uganda’s Most Isolated National Park.
The British Colonial Government gazzeted the Kidepo region as a game reserve in 1958 to protect the animals from shooting and to stop further clearing of the bush. In the 1800s, the area was formerly home to farmers and hunters known as Ketebo. The reserve was turned into a national park in 1962 by Milton Obote’s newly independent government of Uganda.
The Kidepo and Narus rivers combine to create two valley networks with floors between 3,000 and 4,000 feet in elevation. The Kanangorok hot spring, which is situated in Kidepo’s northern region on the border with South Sudan, is the park’s only reliable supply of water.
Between the Narus Valley and the Kidepo basin, there are differences in the vegetation cover and animal communities. Due to the variations in rainfall, the majority of Kidepo Valley National Park is covered in open forest Savannah, Kidepo Valley – Uganda’s Most Isolating But worth Visiting Park
WILDLIFE IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Visits to Kidepo Valley National Park are a surefire way to see these and many other uncommon animal species that are seen on most Uganda safaris. More than 80 different animal species can be found in the park, some of which are unique to this particular national park in Uganda.
The cheetah, bat-eared fox, hunting dogs, striped hyena, roan antelopes, klipspringer, and Beisa Oryx are just a few of the rare animal types found in Kidepo. Lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, elands, bush duskier, elephants, bush pigs, bohor reed bucks, Rothschild giraffes, Defassa water bucks, warthogs, Oribi, Burchell’s zebras, and Jackson’s hartebeests are just a few of the other animal types found in Kidepo Valley National Park.
BIRD WATCHING IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Over 460 different bird species can be found in Kidepo Valley National Park, including the ostrich and the Kori bustard. The Egyptian vulture, pygmy falcon, Verreaux’s eagle, Abyssinian ground hornbill, yellow-billed hornbill, and many other avian species can be found in Kidepo.
WHERE TO STAY IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp, Apoka Rest Camp, and Apoka Safari Lodge are among the lodging options in Kidepo Valley National Park. Luxurious lodging is also available at Apoka Safari Lodge. Due to Kidepo Valley National Park’s secrecy, there is a very high probability of locating lodging in any of the park’s lodges. However, it is recommended to reserve lodging in advance when organizing a Uganda safari to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Despite being the most remote Uganda National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park is still one of the best national parks in all of Africa battling/rivaling the Tanzania’s Serengeti national park, Kenya’s Maasai Mara national Reserve and South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
BEST TIME TO TOUR UGANDA
Many visitors enquire as to when would be the ideal time to visit Uganda. Due to its location near the equator, Uganda enjoys a more moderate climate with few extreme weather events. The usual temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius, although it can be as low as 12 degrees.
You can travel to Uganda at any time of the year. However, because the wet and dry seasons differ depending on where you are visiting, the months of June through August and December through February are the best times of the year to go on a Uganda safari.
Why travel to Uganda during the dry season? Less rain means the parks’ trails are drier and less slick, making driving and hiking much simpler. The grass is relatively short, making for clearer photos and greater sightings.
However, Kidepo Valley National Park only experiences one rainy season, which lasts from April to August, unlike any other Uganda safari destination. While Kidepo is not in its best season, other parks are. Although December through February occasionally get too hot, the other months of the year are good for visiting the park.
Many people will tell you that the best time to visit Uganda is during the dry season or all year, but now you can see why. The country and its tour destinations are open all year and thus accessible to tourists, though the experience may vary slightly.
The peak season is always referred to as the best time, and as a result, parks and lodging facilities become congested. This makes it more appealing to visit during the rainy season. Accommodation facilities may also offer discounts during the rainy season.
