Best Tourist Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Far from the busy safari circuits, Kidepo Valley National Park offers travellers a raw and exclusive wilderness experience in the heart of northeastern Uganda, bordering Kenya and South Sudan. It is one of the least visited national parks in the country, yet it offers rewarding safari experiences far from the crowds. This article will talk about the best tourist activities in Kidepo Valley National Park that travellers can enjoy in the park. It’s one of the biggest national parks in the country, spanning an area of approximately 1,442 square kilometres, and it was established as a national park in 1962 to protect the big mammals that existed at that time. It’s the only place in Uganda where bird lovers can find Ostriches, and it has the highest number of buffaloes, up to 11,000 individuals.
Kidepo Valley National Park is famous for its stunning views of savannah grasslands and rugged hills, which contribute to its beauty. The park has a rich biodiversity, it’s a haven for bird watching with over 490 bird species, including birds of prey, savannah birds, migratory birds and the park’s endemic species. It’s also home to up to 80 mammal species, including the 28 species which are only endemic to the park, like caracals, cheetahs, dik diks, striped hyenas, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, greater kudus and more. The park’s rich biodiversity contributes to its diverse activities that nature lovers can enjoy on their safari in the park, like bird watching, cultural encounters, game drives, and nature walks.
Best Tourist Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Bird Watching.
Bird watching is one of the most awesome activities that bird enthusiasts can enjoy on their safari in Kidepo National Park. It’s one of the best bird watching spots in East Africa with unique bird species up to 490 species, including savannah birds, migratory birds and the park’s residents. Birding is best done in the morning and late afternoon when birds are most active, and it’s a guided activity led by a local birder who is knowledgeable about the birds found in the park. Visitors will watch hundreds of birds, including Great Blue Turaco, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Common Ostrich, African Pygmy-Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Spur-winged Goose, Helmeted Guineafowl, Western Crested Guineafowl, Stone Partridge, Crested Francolin, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Olive Bee-eater, Common Reed Warbler, White-throated Bee-eater, White-faced Whistling-Duck. Secretary Birds, Northern Camine bee-eaters, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Purple Heron, Clapperton’s Francolin, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Egyptian Goose, Garganey, Ring-necked Francolin, Orange River Francolin, Blue Quail, Harlequin Quail, Common Quail, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Pigeon, Mourning Collared-Dove, Lemon Dove, Dusky Turtle-Dove, Osprey, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Denham’s Bustard, White-bellied Bustard.
Game Drives.
Game drives are one of the best tourist activities in Kidepo Valley National Park that allow nature lovers to explore the park’s uniqueness. These are best done in the morning, late afternoon and at night. Depending on what you choose, you will have equal opportunities to explore the park’s stunning views and its rich biodiversity. These are guided activities led by a knowledgeable guide who gives important information about the park’s inhabitants that you might encounter. Game drives can either be done in Kidepo Valley or Narus Valley, and this is the best place to enjoy watching various birds and mammal species in the dry season, since it has permanent water sources. While on the drives, visitors will have a chance to see animals like elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, caracals, zebras, elands, giraffes, Uganda Kobs, bat-eared foxes, and more. Bird lovers will enjoy watching various birds like Stone Partridge, Crested Francolin, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Olive Bee-eater, Common Reed Warbler and more.
Nature Walks.
Nature walks in Kidepo are one of the most thrilling activities that allow nature lovers to indulge themselves in nature and celebrate the park’s wonders. These are guided activities led by an armed park guide who protects the participants from wild animals, and a park guide who assists travellers by identifying various plants, trees, and animals that you might encounter and gives more in-depth information about them. Nature walks are best enjoyed in the morning or late afternoon hours when temperatures are cool. The park has various areas used for nature walks, like areas around Apoka Rest Camp, Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley, all of which provide equal chances of enjoying the park’s scenic views and its rich biodiversity. Visitors will see animals like elephants, giraffes, elands, zebras, Uganda kobs, and more.
Cultural Experiences.
Cultural experiences are among the best tourist activities in Kidepo Valley National Park, which gives travellers a chance to explore the unique tribes near the park. The park is surrounded by two unique tribes, the Ik people, which is a small hunter-gatherer tribe living in the mountains bordering Kenya, whose traditions are under threat and the Karamojong, a semi- nomadic pastoralist group and their tribe, the Maasai, in Kenya, known for their cattle keeping traditions. Visiting these communities gives travellers a chance to learn more about their traditions through storytelling, how they use traditional herbs to cure diseases, traditional dances and more.
