Kidepo Valley National Park Uganda

Kidepo Valley National Park – Just like we at Jewel Safaris Limited, have you also ever wondered how beautiful, magnificent, mind blowing and wowing this country was in the African traditional society set up or era or before the explorers publicly explored this cradle land of beauty? Well you still have a very big chance to see it at Kidepo Valley National Park, just have your travel bags packed and don’t delay plans as early as today, visit the Pearl of Africa and see the old set up of Africa in its original, authentic, unspoilt and still intact in the north eastern part of Uganda that is also less exploited by many tourists. The north eastern part of the pearl of Africa- Uganda is where you find divergence of the great Karamojong culture leaving in their home steads, the great true African wilderness Kidepo valley national park, the Ik Ik tribe that lives at the Uganda Kenyan border at the top of the hills and the only community that embraced agriculture in this region thus supplying food to the fellow neighbors for sale.

Insight into Kidepo Valley National Park.

Kidepo Valley national park located in the North Eastern part of Uganda covering a land area of 1,442 sq. km. is best described as the true African wilderness. Kidepo valley national park is surrounded by several hills and it sits on a depression where its name come in from as kidepo valley while in the local dialect kidepo means to pick since they used to go an pick water from the valley swamps thus making Kidepo valley mother of Life to the semi-arid desert areas of the north eastern Uganda. Kidepo valley national park is situated in the semi-arid desert area hence the kind of weather here is so characterized by hot and dry during most months of the year yet still receives moderate amounts of rainfall that makes some incomplete roads in passable by any other ordinary car except 4WD drive car hence we at Jewel safaris recommend you to always drive 4WD cars to this park with 2-3 spare tyres because its stones are too sharp that tyres can be spoilt as you drive through different routes.

Away from climate and weather,Kidepo Valley National Park is the home to several bird species like the endemic ostrich the giant bird, the wildlife Safaris (big 5) that is leopard, lions are easily spotted here, elephants, buffaloes and others. There are several big cats also spotted here. The beauty here is too much to ascertain its explanation in writing and in speech rather it’s just a moment between the soul, mind and the eyes which cannot easily be erased off anyone who visits this land. The topography of this area is also so impressive and has much to admire about being near it. It is characterized by being mountainous with mountains like Mt Murongole, lomej Hills and several others. The Narus Valley that located right in the heart of Game Park. This has an Equatorial Climate cover due to the heavy loam soils not to mention the sandy clay soils these that boost enormous green cover growth this region.  These tribes offering a stunning memorable cultural tour experience to the all travelers of the uniqueness of the Ik and Karamojong tribes living amongst one another harmoniously.

Kidepo Valley National Park can be best accessed by road and air transport. Air is for the time limited tourists and flights can be arranged with few companies that provide the service in the country like Fly Eagle.

The best attractions in this park include:

Wild animals:

Amongst many like big 5, the big cats, they include; the African Bush Elephants, the great Desert Ostrich, lions, Buffaloes, Hippos leopards, zebras, stripped Hyenas and cheetahs amongst others. These that roam the great open plain lands. All the big fives and at least 86 species of mammals are pleasantly found here in Kidepo Valley National Park. You can also stand a high chance of watching a hunting action by any of the big cats trying to get a meal for themselves. Imagine you being in position to watch and capture with your good camera the best hunt action of either lion or leopard. Amazing. Book your trip now and let the arrangements kick off.

Flora/ plants:

The large Acacia forests, the open Savannah grass lands, dry thickets and short trees, shrubs, perennial grasses making at least 629 plant species with in Kidepo valley national park. The game park is full of grass and shrubs since it’s a semiarid areas thus giving it the best view ever only found in Uganda and this park in particular.

Cultural tours:

The visit to Ike and Karamojong tribe communities and learn on how they dance jumping up, how they really do it by getting fresh just milked milk and mix with blood to feature in the lunch menu for the day. You can also do enter inside their manayatas and the best moments will be represented.

Birds:

Kidepo Valley National Park has 475 bird species, of which 58 species of these are birds of prey which include pygmy falcon, Egyptian vulture, African Eagle, fourteen raptors and Horn bill amongst others are found in Kidepo valley.

Reptiles:

There are numerous reptiles found in Kidepo Valley National Park which include the Nile river crocodiles, Monitor lizards, Rock pythons many others.

Mountains:

Mt Morungole and Mt lonyili where interesting mountain hiking can be done by tourists.

Hot springs:

These here include; Kanagorok hot springs to experience the great hydro heating from the earth’s core. It’s such a great scenery watching the water boil out of the ground.

The Game drive grounds

Narus valley and Kidepo valley whereby, Wildlife is most active in the Narus Valley during early mornings and late afternoon. 6am and 4pm are optimum times to set off on game drives. The southerly Narus Valley contains the park’s only permanent water points and wildlife congregates in this area for much of the year. Look for buffalo and elephant in the swamps along the valley floor, giraffe and eland on the drier slopes above and scan the rock outcrops for lions.

Kidepo valley the dry Kidepo Valley is short on big game but massive on scenery. The hour-long drive to Kanagorok Hot Springs passes some magnificent landscapes. 30 kilometers north of the park’s tourism hub at Apoka, the road crosses the dry, sandy bed of the Kidepo River to enter an expansive plain lined to the east by the Morungole mountain range and to the north by the looming, 2975m high Jebel Lotuke in South Sudan. Mammals are rare in this area but ostriches and secretary birds are often seen.

Activities to be done in Kidepo Valley National Park

Game drives these can be done throughout the valley lands of Kidepo and Narus respectively. In that the Big five animals predominately  found within the Narus valley due to its swampy environments. As for the relatively smaller game will be spotted in Kidepo valley for then the plains are much more open and grass lands straight to allow grazing and lots of mountainous land form provide shelter to the small game hiding from prey. Its highly advisable to each tourist planning for a game drive to opt for early morning hours alongside evening times as to then the game is out to graze or hunt.

Bird watching the great vast Kidepo valley is habitat to about 475 bird species. Of whom can be easy spotted by the tourists basically at any hour of the day. These will be nesting in Acacia forests or else scar venturing for animal crocus since 58 species of the birds are birds of prey. The great African desert Ostrich yet a common bird while in Kidepo valley the ostrich is a nature’s marvel to watch its beautiful magnificent structure.

Nature walks, the game offers guided nature walks whereas the tourist move through the great African bushes as the view numerous games and taking numerous nature photographs of games especially those that tend to hide in thickets and shrub for then will be able to be up close to them.

Hiking to the top of Mt lomej and Mt Morungole is yet another experience that tourists can engage in more so after from having a better view of Kidepo valley National Game Park plains, it offers the tourist an opportunity to visit the different Ik communities who are situated on top of Mt Morungole.  And so many more other activities that can be best done in this still intact Virgin Park.

With the authenticity of African continent still intact in this park, Jewel Safaris Limited is always expectant to welcome you to the Pearl of Africa and help quench your travel thirst. We are ready to travel with you.