Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park
Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park- Uganda’s Most Isolated National Park.
Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park. Uganda has got 10 national parks all teeming with diverse wildlife and a variety of bird species. From the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains to the Savannah grasslands of Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda presents unique attractions. The number of visitors visiting these attractions varies due to several factors. These include; accessibility, tourist preferences, and proximity to the Capital City among others. The most isolated of all national parks in Uganda is Kidepo Valley National Park. The park is in Kaabong District, in the Northeastern part of the country. It covers about 1,442 square kilometers. The park lies in the rough, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya.m. It is about 630km from Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park is a truly exciting adventure.
The farmers and hunters, popular as Ketebo once inhabited the Kidepo area in the 1800s. The British Government later gazetted it as a game reserve in 1958. The major aim was to protect the animals from hunting and to prevent further clearing of the bush. In 1962, the newly independent government of Uganda under Milton Obote converted the reserve into a national park.
The two rivers of Kidepo and Narus form two valley systems whose floors lie between 3,000 feet and 4,000 feet. The permanent source of water in Kidepo Valley National Park is the Kanangorok hot spring. The spring is in the northern part of Kidepo on the boundary with South Sudan.
The vegetation cover and animal populations vary between the Narus Valley and the Kidepo basin. The vegetation in most parts of Kidepo Valley National Park is open tree Savannah due to the differences in rainfall.
Wildlife in Kidepo Valley National Park
Most Uganda Safaris present sightings of rare animal species. Visiting Kidepo Valley National Park is a sure way of encountering these and much more. The park is home to over eighty animal species. Some of these animals do not exist in any other Uganda national park. Some of the rare animal species in Kidepo include; cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, hunting dogs, striped hyenas, roan antelopes, klipspringer, and beisa oryx among others. Other animal species include; lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, elands, bush duskier, elephants, bush pigs, bohor reedbuck, Rothschild giraffes, defassa water bucks, warthogs, oribi, burchell’s zebras, Jackson’s hartebeests among many others.
Bird Watching in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is home to over 460 species of birds. Notable among these are the ostriches and the kori bustards. Some of the bird species in Kidepo include; the Egyptian vulture, the pygmy falcon, the varreaux’s eagle, the Abyssinian ground hornbill, yellow-billed hornbill among many others.
Where to stay in Kidepo Valley National Park
Accommodation facilities in Kidepo Valley National Park are both luxury, midrange, and budget. Therefore, there are enough facilities to cater to you whatever your travel style is. For example, Adere Safari Lodge, Apoka Safari Lodge, and Kidepo Savannah Lodge offer luxury accommodation services. Meanwhile, Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp and Mara Safari Lodge offer mid-range accommodation. Additionally, Apoka Rest Camp, Zebra Safari Lodge, UWA Bandas and Cottages, and Kidepo Savannah Lodge offer budget accommodation. The hidden nature of Kidepo Valley National Park is why the chances of finding accommodation in any of the lodges in the park are very high. It is advisable nonetheless to book accommodation in advance while planning a Ugandan Safari to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Although Kidepo Valley National Park is the most isolated Uganda Wildlife Park, it still remains one of the most outstanding national parks in the whole of Africa. Contact Safari Vacations and Travel Services for any more information about Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park- Uganda’s most isolated wildlife reserve.
