Game Drives in Kidepo valley national park

Game Drives in Kidepo valley national park

Game drives in Kidepo valley national park; Kidepo valley national park is Uganda’s isolated and most spectacular destination located in northeastern part of Uganda bordering with Kenya and Sudan. The national park was gazetted in 1962 and covers a total area of 1,442 square kilometers. Kidepo valley national park  is a home of over 77 mammal species including elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, elands, warthogs, waterbucks, Uganda kobs and over 475 bird species including ostriches, Karamoja apalis, purple heron, Abyssinian ground hornbill among others.

Game drive is the major activity in Kidepo valley national park where tourists get an opportunity to explore the park in a comfortable 4 WD pop up safari vehicle with a professional guide who is well conversant with different game tracks. Game drives in Kidepo valley national park can either be done very early in the morning at around 6:00am where you will be able to view animals when they are still active or in the afternoon at around 2:00pm.

Game drive in Narus valley

 Narus valley is occupied with savannah grasslands and its one of the best areas for game drives in Kidepo valley national park in that it harbors a high concentration of wildlife species which gather around the valley to drink water especially during the dry season. During the game drive in Narus valley you will be able to spot animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, hippos, giraffes, zebras, view carnivores like lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs among others which will be looking for a morning hunt, view different bird species among others.

Game drive in Kidepo valley area

Kidepo valley is another game drive area in Kidepo valley national park. Kidepo valley section is supplied by Kidepo River a seasonal river that dries up during the dry season and floods during the wet/ rainy season. During the game drive in Kidepo valley section you will be able to view animals like kudus, elands, bat eared fox, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, oribis, Jacksons hartebeest, bohor reedbucks, view bird species like ostriches among others.

Night game drives

Kidepo valley national park also offers a night game drive where tourists will be able to explore the park at night with spot light torches for clear viewing nocturnal animals like leopards, lions, hyenas, wild dogs among others which become active at night.

Best time to go for game drives in Kidepo valley national park

Game drives in KSidepo valley national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin which allows you to enjoy clear views of different wildlife species and visitors will be able to view large concentrations of animals which gather around the Narus valley to drink water.

Where to stay during your safari in Kidepo valley national park

There are several accommodation facilities in Kidepo valley Nations Park where you can stay during your safari. the accommodations are categorized into three types for example luxury, midrange and budget including Apoka Safari lodge, Kidepo Savannah lodge, Adere Safari lodge, Nga-Moru wilderness camp, Apoka rest camp among others.

Other activities in Kidepo valley national park

Apart from gamed rives, there are other activities that you can engage in during your safari in Kidepo valley national park including

Bird watching where you will be able to view different bird species such as yellow billed shrike, broad tailed warbler, black coucal, crimson rumped waxbillood, ostriches, yellow billed shrike, karamoja apalis, yellow rumped seedeater among others.

Nature walks where you will get out of the comfort of a safari vehicle and explore the open savannah plains on foot accompanied by armed park rangers and experienced park guides. During the guided nature walks you will be able to view animals like waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes among others at a close range, listen to sweet sounds of bird species singling in trees, relax your mind, enjoy a cool breeze among others.

Cultural tours where you will be able to interact with the Karamajong and IK people who like in the neighboring communities, learn about their culture, history, visit their Manyatta homesteads, taste their local dishes, enjoy their traditional songs, dances among others.

How to get to Kidepo valley national park

Kidepo valley national park is located in northeastern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means using different routes including the route from Kampala through Mbale, Sironko, Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong and then Kidepo valley national park which takes about 12 hours drive, route from Kampala through Mbale, Soroti, Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong and then Kidepo valley national park which takes about 13 hours drive, route from Kampala through Karuma, Gulu, Kitgum and then Kidepo national park which takes about 10 hours and the route from Kampala through Karuma, Lira, Kotido, Kaabong and then Kidepo valley national park which takes about 12 hours drive.

Kidepo valley national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book domestic charter or scheduled flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Apoka airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.