Activities in Kidepo valley national Park
Game Drives in Kidepo Valley National Park
The game drives are commonly done at Narus valley and Kidepo valley. So at Narus valley, wildlife is most active very early in the morning (6:00am) and evening times (4:00pm). Kidepo Valley is short on big game but massive on scenery and the drive to Kanangorok Hot Springs passes some magnificent landscapes
The Park is a completely different world of vast plains, in spring view from every vantage point, with a lot of wildlife as you drive into the park. Kidepo offers breathtaking open savannah which is surrounded by spectacular mountain landscape nowhere to be seen in Africa! Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s second biggest National Park and one of the Africa’s finest wilderness areas.
Bird watching
Kidepo Valley National Park is undeniably one of Uganda’s birding paradises that shouldn’t miss out on your bucket list. The park offers birders with lifetime experiences especially with its countless rarest avian species that are readily available for visitors to explore. The Apoka Rest Camp and the park headquarters that over view the shallow, southern Narus valley feature as the best birding sites for bird lovers to achieve their dreams while on safari in Uganda.
The notable bird species for you to spot out at the park include silver birds, yellow billed shrikes, broad tailed warblers, Clapperton’s francolin, black coucal, marsh tchagra, crimson rumped waxbillood, African moustched, vinaceous dove, long tailed and standard winged nightjars, mosque swallow, scarlet chested sunbird, Rupell’s and super starlings, little weaver and red cheeked cordon bleu, white bellied and hartlaub’s bustards, eastern pale chanting go shawk, Nubian woodpecker, pygmy falcon, black headed plover, Abyssinian and Rufous crowned rollers, Abyssinian ground, four banded sand grouse, ostrich, red winged lark, African grey flycatcher, little green bee-eater, white faced scoops owl, slate colored boubou, fan tailed raven, mouse colored penduline and many more. The park can be visited all the year round but for birding safaris, you can pay a visit from March to April.
Picnicking
Kidepo Valley National Park is also an incredible area for picnic tours especially its river site that is situated along the sand and the sound of palm leaves that come in constant motion as blown by the wind reward visitors with the most thrilling experiences.
Hiking and Nature walk at Kidepo Valley National Park
You will be joined by an expert ranger guide for a nature walk to explore the park on foot away from the steel clad of safari vehicles sharing his knowledge of the eco-system and also bring you closer to the animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, cheetah, Leopards and lions. For birds, look out for Fox Kestrel, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Montague’s Harrier, Fan Tailed Raven and the very rare Stone Partridge. During hiking, you will be taken to hike the Lomej Mountains and guided nature walks at Narus valley are superb with a variety of animal sightings and you will also meet the Ik tribes while on this guided nature walk. Lomej mountain hike takes 4 hours while on foot starting from 7:00am in the morning and guided walks take around 2 hours through the Narus valley starting from Apoka Tourism centre on a 5km on foot.
Cultural encounters
Travelers can also pay a visit to one of the nearby local communities to enjoy the exciting and interesting cultural and traditional dances, music of the Karamojong people and explore more about the traditional practices of the local residents, you will visit one of the manyatta villages, to learn more about the Karamojong customs and traditions.
