Activities (What to To Do) in Kidepo Valley National Park

The top activities to do in Kidepo Valley National Park include:Game drives, Guided Nature walks, Bird-Watching, Hiking, and thrilling cultural encounter.

Activities in Kidepo valley National Park: Nestled at Uganda’s Border with Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley National Park, which is strategically placed in the North Eastern Part of Uganda in Kabong district became a Uganda’s national Park in 1962. The park has a total area of 1442 km², with savannah grasslands, woodlands, mountain forests and acacia forest.

Kidepo Valley National Park now hosts more than 86 mammal among which are Buffaloes, lions, Elephants, Rothschild Giraffes, Zebras, Bush Pigs, bush bucks Caracal, Jackals, African hunting dogs, Leopards, Zebras, cheetahs, Water bucks among others. The park is also home to over 475 species of birds like; Ostriches, Kori bustard, Karamoja Apalis and many more.

#highliights Of Activities/Things (What) To Do

Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park

Nature Walks

Bird Watching in Kidepo Valley National Park

Cultural Encounters In Kidepo

Best Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park

Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park: Kidepo Valley national Park offers both Morning, afternoon and night game drives, which are all conducted in the comfort of 4×4  safari car, under the guidance of a professional, and  experienced driver guide or ranger guide, who will direct and help you  locate and find animals.

Morning game drives usually start early around 0600hrs, which offers great opportunities to spot numerous wild game like Elephants, Zebras, the Uganda Kob, giraffes, Buffaloes, Oribis, Jacksons hartebeest, reedbucks, greater & lesser Kudus, elands, Oribis, guenthers dik dik, klipspringer among others, and  which will be grazing  in the open plains. While predators to be spotted include among others lions, Leopards, bat eared Fox, Cheetah, side stripped Jackals, and not forgetting some bird species that you might also spot within the Park. Apart from game drives in the morning, You can also proceed to the Kanangorok hotsprings, where you will enjoy beautiful Mountain views.

The Evening game drives, begins at 0200 hrs, whereby you will proceed with your drive to Narus valley which contains the permanent water hole where most of the animals converge, especially during dry seasons. Wild game to look out for include reedbucks, giraffes, buffaloes, Oribis, Hartebeests and some species of birds. Whereas big cats  are hardly encountered, because they are always in hiding due to the hot sun, these include, Lions, Leopards, cheetahs.

Night game drives are done after dinner. With the help of ranger guide, you will be able to see nocturnal animals like, Caracal, hyenas, wild Dogs, side striped jackals, aardwolf, cheetah, Leopards and many more.

Nature Walks: Nature walks are an important part of any kidepo safari because, it offers chances for each client to richly explore the park on foot. With the help of an experienced guide and armed park ranger, you will be led through Park trails such as the Narus Valley, Namukweny Valley, lomej Mountains, and the Morungole Mountain  (to visit the Unique ethnic group called “Ik people”). All these Nature walks, from Apoka Tourism Office, at exactly 0700hrs. Animals to look out for during these walks include; reedbucks, Rothschild giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, Warthogs, waterbucks, as well as bird species which includes Ostriches. Apart from these creatures, you will also enjoy the beautiful scenery, landscapes, beautiful sounds from birds among others.

Bird Watching in Kidepo Valley National Park. Kidepo Valley National Park  hosts over 475 species of birds, which are recorded. These birds are all characterized under Migratory birds, Savanna birds, endemic birds,  among others which makes the Park one among the top listed destinations for bird watching in Uganda. Bird Watching can be done during game drives  and nature walks.  The different species  to look out for  include Karamoja, Yellow apalis , Yellow rumped seed eater, superb starling, yellow necked spurfowl, Ostrich,  White bellied bustard, White bellied bustard, four banded sand  grouse, black breasted barbet, pygmy falcon, kori bustard, greater kestrel, slate colored boubou, Scarlet chested sunbird, African Swallow tailed kite, Longer tailed nightjar, Abyssinian ground hornbill, rufous crowned roller, red billed oxpecker, Jacksons hornbill, White billed buffalo, Speckle fronted weaver, black breasted barbet, brown backed woodpecker, singing bush bark, grey capped social weaver, purple heron.

Cultural encounters. Kidepo valley National Park  offers aa great chance to the hospitable IK people, so that you can learn more about their lifestyle, history and day today way of living on Mount Morungole. You can also extend your further visits into their Manyata homesteads, and learn how to make local traditional instruments such as the beads, stools, spears.  You can also get extra knowledge about how they pay their bride price during their marriage. You can also opt to be entertained with their music, dance and drama cultural performances and remember to buy a souvenir from the gift shop, so as to support their handwork.

In a nut shell, although the many people have not discovered much about this National Park in Uganda, Those who step in, leave with everlasting memories that can never be forgotten