Reasons to Visit Kidepo Valley National Park : The 442-square-kilometer Kidepo Valley National Park is located in Uganda’s far north-eastern corner. It is Uganda’s most remote national park, located approximately 600 kilometers from Kampala (Uganda largest and Capital city). The park has a truly wilderness aspect to it and is ideal for adventurous travelers. During the dry season, it offers superb animal watching, with some species rarely found anyplace else in the country. Kidepo is a birdwatcher’s dream, especially for those who are fascinated by Africa’s raptors.
With over 450 bird species, Kidepo Valley National Park is an important birding safari area in Uganda and a dream Uganda tour site for bird watching expeditions. Kidepo has a semi-arid climate, which can lead to drought during the dry season. Except in the park’s higher-altitude parts, where it is colder, average midday temperatures are around 29 °C (84 °F). April to June is the rainy season.
The dry season is the greatest time to go wildlife viewing in Kidepo because of the sunny days and sparse vegetation. This is also the time of year when animals look for a reliable source of water. When the rains arrive, it’s a good time to visit Kidepo since the dust and heat are washed away, and the birding is excellent. The following are the reasons of why you should visit Kidepo Valley National Park
Unique People, Culture of Kidepo and Karamoja
The Kidepo Valley National park is located in the Karamoja region, which is home to two ethnic groups: the Ik People and the Karamojong. Exploring their beliefs, seeking to comprehend their culture, eating their traditional meals, observing their folklore, or participating in their dance is an unforgettable experience worth traveling thousands of miles for.
A visit to the Lorokul Cultural Group, located just outside of Kidepo Valley National Park, is a must if you wish to learn about the Karamojong tribe. The distant Karamojong tribe, known for their cattle herding, has established a welcoming environment to share their history and traditions with tourists to the region. This is one of Kidepo Valley National Park’s most unique tourist attractions and also one of the reason why you should visit Kidepo national park.
The Beautiful Landscape
The scenery/landscape of Kidepo Valley National Park covers 1,442 square kilometers. The valley floor is 914 meters above sea level, and the 2,750-meter peak of Mount Morungole dominates the horizon. In the wet season, the Kidepo and Narus rivers glide through the savannah terrain, and in the dry season, they vanish. The Kidepo valley landscape is unique and one of must see during your safari tour to East Africa more especially for adventure tourists. In your Kidepo valley national park safari you can opt to take in game drive or walking safari if you real want to experience and appreciate the beautiful scenery of this hidden national park in Uganda.
Mount Morungole, which rises above the lowlands, and the vast, rough Savannah that fills the park’s topography are two vistas your camera should not miss in your safari visit to Uganda’s Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo’s wildlife
This is another reason of why you should never miss visit Kidepo national park when planning your safari holiday to Africa. Only Queen Elizabeth National Park has more biodiversity than Kidepo, Uganda’s third largest national park. Kidepo is home to 77 mammal species and provides excellent game viewing opportunities. There are 20 predator species on the island, including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas.
Kidepo is home to endemic species such as the black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, cheetah, and caracal in Uganda. The elephant population is over 650, the buffalo population is projected to be over 10,000, and the Rothschild’s giraffe population is over 50, making it a globally important population. On the grasslands, zebra graze, and greater and smaller kudu prowl the dense undergrowth. If you’re lucky, you might spot a white-eared kob, which is more common in South Sudan and Ethiopia, Reasons to Visit Kidepo Valley National Park.
Birding paradise
Kidepo national park is one of the best place never miss visit especially for birding safaris, There are now 470 species of birds on the list making it one of the best spot in Uganda and East Africa for bird watching. Kidepo national park is home to over 60 bird spices that are endemic in Uganda (found only in Uganda).
Again, Kidepo national park is the only place in East Africa where you can see Clapperton’s francolins and rose-ringed parakeets. There are 56 raptor species in the park, and the vultures are thriving. In addition, Kidepo is the only spot in Uganda where bird enthusiasts can see the majestic Common Ostrich, Reasons to Visit Kidepo Valley National Park.
Spectacular, unique vegetation
The park’s vegetation is diverse, with grey-haired acacia (acacia gerardii) in the north, savannah woodland in the south that transitions to a fire-climate grassland in the south, and trees and shrubs on the mountain slopes that progressively convert to bush areas with forest. Borassus palms abound along the Kidepo, Lopirpir, and Kulao rivers while Acacia and other perennial grass species such as (Themeda, Chloris, Panicum, and Setaria) occupy much of the park’s open grassland.
Dry thickets made up of a variety of small trees and plants are also common. This vegetation is normally dry for more than half of the year, and antelopes like Guenther’s dik-dik which are only found in Uganda can be seen in this area. Kidepo Valley national park has a unique and diverse range of vegetation and habitats, making it a must-visit safari park in Uganda, especially if you want to experience and appreciate the African bush.
Kanangorok Hot Springs
The park’s great beauty is shaped by the Kanangorok hot springs and their extraordinary qualities. Because the springs are shallow, you can see the pristine rocks beneath them. The water is hot enough to keep food warm for a long time. Because the water of these hot springs is thought to have healing properties, you may occasionally see some locals swimming in the area as a sort of ‘spiritual cleansing’ and ‘healing.’
The water is heated deep under the soil and emerges as crystal clear carbonated water with renowned therapeutic properties. Kanangorok is one of nature’s greatest gifts, making Kidepo Valley National Park a must-see safari park for tourist planning a visit to Africa. Tourists and locals alike flock to the hot springs to soak in the warm water, which is said to cure a variety of skin ailments.
Additional information about Kidepo Valley National Park: Kidepo Valley National Park is home to many kinds of attractions, making it one of the best safari parks in Uganda and East Africa, and also one of the must-visit places. On your Kidepo Valley national park tour, you will be able to participate in different activities such as game drives, walking safaris, cultural visits, birding, etc. Game viewing and birding at the park are more exciting and best enjoyed by all tourists who visit the park.
The park can be reached by a variety of modes of transportation, including air and road. Because the park is so far from Kampala, Uganda’s largest city, the best method to get there is by scheduled or chartered flight. The Park is also accessible by public transportation, with buses running all hours of the day and night. You can take a bus from Kampala to Kotido, which takes around 14 hours and passes through Jinja, Mbale, Soroti, Moroto, and Kotido town, and then hire a private vehicle from Kotido to the park.
