WELCOME TO KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
"True African Wilderness"
About Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with south Sudan in the north west and only 5km from the eastern border of Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species.
The park contains two rivers – Kidepo and Narus – which disappear in the dry season, leaving just pools for the wildlife.
The local communities around the park include pastoral Karamojong people, similar to the Maasai of Kenya, and the IK, a hunter-gatherer tribe whose survival is threatened.
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Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges.
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During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location especially with its dense populations of Lion,Buffalos,Elephant and many similar angulates.
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Kidepo’s elephant population has surged from around 200 in the mid 1990’s to between 650 and 1000 today. The African Buffalo population is now estimated at 10,000-15,000.The Rothschild Giraffe is very notable ,breeding more than 50 individuals from the bottleneck of the mid 1990’s population of three and supplemented several from translocation.
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The bird checklist of over 476 species with the common Ostrich, secretary bird, northern carmine bee eater, little green bee eater, Abyssinian scimitar bill and many more colorful and visible species.
Activities In Kidepo Valley National Park
Safari Game Drives
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Game viewing at Kidepo Valley National Park may not one of the most rewarding safari drives on the African continent. The park’s slow pace and vast size make for a highly rewarding private safari game drive. The park is vast enough for a game drive to find some of the common African safari animals among the 77 mammal species present in the park, including zebras, giraffes, elephants, elands, cheetahs, buffaloes, warthogs, leopard, hyena, lions and jackals. Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the three parks in Uganda hosting the Rothschild giraffes and the only park you can find the worlds fastest animal the Cheetah and the fastest bird the Ostriches
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Birding Watching Safaris
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If you’re an ardent birder, Kidepo Valley National Park is an excellent birding spots .With a bird checklist of over 476 species with the common Ostrich, secretary bird, northern carmine bee eater, little green bee eater, Abyssinian scimitar bill and many more colorful and visible species, you can explore the park’s avian diversity in the comfort of your vehicle, biking, or on foot.
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Cultural Encounter Adventures
Kidepo Valley National Park is an excellent African cultural encounter destination .The local communities around the park include pastoral Karamojong people, similar to the Maasai of Kenya with the dress codes, values, cultures and dances you will definitely want to join the dance when the vibe is turned on. Additionally, the IK people a hunter-gatherer tribe whose survival is threatened also reside around the Kidepo valley National park and a hike to their home steads and engaging with there cultural practices is a mind blowing experience.
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Guided Walking Safari around the park
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Guided walks are a major highlight of visiting Kidepo Valley National Park and a great addition to your game drives and cultural adventures. A walking safari in the Park allows you to surprisingly get very close to wild life, like the zebra herds beautiful sceneries and many others on foot.
An armed expert ranger leads you off the beaten path through amazing savannah landscapes till you find yourself among a herd of calm ungulates. If you’re a sucker for breathtaking landscape views, take the walking trail to the viewing platforms with an excellent place to view the vastness of the park and a wide variety of animals.
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Cycling Safaris
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You can burn off some calories on the savannah game tracks and into the park’s surrounding communities on a mountain bike. Our partner service providers around the park maintains a good fleet of mountain bikes and offers excellent guided rides through the park’s savanna plains and surrounding communities. Biking through the local communities will introduce you to the local lifestyle and culture and allow you to get off the beaten path into the Kidepo wilderness.
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