Safari Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Safari Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park: Kidepo Valley National Park is one of Africa’s last true wildernesses, located in the northeastern corner of Uganda, bordering Kenya to the east and South Sudan to the northeast. It covers an area of about 1,442 square kilometers. The park is about 700 kilometers from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and was gazetted as a national park in 1962 after Uganda gained its independence. Kidepo Valley National Park is known for its rich biodiversity and beautiful scenic views of rolling hills and mountains. It’s home to over 77 mammal species, and 28 mammals can’t be found anywhere else in Uganda. The mammals include cheetahs, caracals, lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, aardwolves, bat-eared fox, Guenther’s dik-dik, kudus, hyenas, zebras, giraffes and more.
It’s the only park in Uganda with the highest number of buffaloes, up to 10,000 buffaloes. Kidepo Valley National Park has a rich avian life, with over 480 bird species calling this scenic park home. Birds found in the park include migratory birds, savannah birds, water birds and the park’s residents. It’s the only place in Uganda host ostriches, and this attracts thousands of visitors to the park. Kidepo is home to two fascinating indigenous communities, the karamojong a semi- nomadic pastoralist group, and the Ik people, a small hunter gatherer tribe living in the mountains bordering Kenya, whose traditional way of life is under threat. The park has a variety of safari tourist activities that travellers can enjoy, such as birding, nature walks, cultural encounters, game drives and walking safaris.
Safari Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Bird Watching.
Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the best bird watching destinations in Uganda, with unique birdlife. It’s home to over 480 bird species, including the water birds, migratory birds, savannah birds, and the park’s endemic species. This is a guided activity led by an experienced park birder who helps visitors identify various bird species by their calls and sounds. The park has various spots suitable for birding, like areas around Apoka camp, Narus Valley and Kidepo River. Some of the unique bird species to encounter while in the park include Common Quail, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Pigeon, Mourning Collared-Dove, Lemon Dove, Dusky Turtle-Dove, Purple Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, Hamerkop, Pink-backed Pelican, Osprey, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Denham’s Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Black-bellied Bustard, Buff-crested Bustard, Great Blue Turaco, Northern Camine bee-eaters, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Purple Heron, Clapperton’s Francolin, among more.
Game Drives.
Game drives are among the top safari activities in Kidepo Valley National Park, which allow travellers to explore the vast savannah grasslands and woodlands. This is a guided activity done in a 4×4 pop-up vehicle led by an experienced park guide who gives more information about the park’s wildlife and bird species that visitors might encounter. Visitors can do morning game drives, evening game drives or night game drives, which give them a chance to see nocturnal animals like leopards, hyenas and more. All game drives provide equal opportunities to travellers to explore the park’s wilderness and its stunning views of rolling hills and mountains. Game drives are best done in Narus Valley, which has a high concentration of animals throughout the year due to its permanent water sources. Visitors will have an opportunity to see various animals and birds like caracals, zebras, leopards, lions, hyenas, buffalo, kudus, cheetahs, aardwolves, bat-eared foxes, giraffes, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Jackson’s Hornbill, Spotted Thick-knee, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Long-toed Lapwing, and more.
Nature Walks.
This is one of the most rewarding safari activities in the park, that allow visitors to explore the park on foot as they enjoy the breathtaking views of the park. This is a guided activity led by an armed ranger who ensures participants’ protection and an experienced park guide who gives more insights about the park’s inhabitants that you might encounter. Nature walks are mainly done in Narus Valley, Apoka Rest Camp, Lonyilli Mountain and Morungole Mountain. Visitors will have a chance to see various plants and tree species, butterflies, animals and birds like giraffes, Uganda Kobs, elephants, Grey Crowned-Crane, Black Crowned-Crane, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, White-winged Tern and more.
Cultural Encounters.
Cultural encounters are one of the interesting safari activities in Kidepo Valley National Park that offer visitors a chance to connect with the indigenous communities living around this remote wilderness, like the IK and Karamojong people. These experiences allow guests to learn about the traditional lifestyles of these tribes, like hunting, traditional dances, music and storytelling.
