Kidepo – The park with everything you are looking for in Africa

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Once the most attractive destinations in Uganda with rugged mountainous scenery, a strong wilderness atmosphere, and unique game and birdlife, Kidepo Valley National Park is located in northeastern Uganda. Ranging from 914m to 2,750m above sea level, Kidepo’s highest peak is Mount Murungole (2,750m), which rises freely on the southeastern edge of the park. It has dormant vegetation that is open or lightly wooded savannah, mixed with patches of montane forest, riparian forest, borassus palms, thick miombo forest, and rocky koppies. The park receives a severe dry period of more than six months and scant rains in March or April that quickly dry up in the Narus Valley, where the animals converge until the rain returns. Although overlooked by tourists, Kidepo is home to unique fauna and flora that cannot be found in any park in Uganda. Tourists ignore the area due to insecurities attributed to Karamajong cattle raiders. However, the area is regaining peace and you no longer have to worry about anyone. If you still have a phobia of the area but still want to go see the uniqueness that Kidepo has to offer, you can take talk flights to the park. The park also has hot springs such as Kanangarok, which is worth visiting during your Kidepo tour.

The fauna of Kidepo:

Known to have the most exciting faunas in Uganda, Kidepo has more than 86 species of mammals ranking third in Uganda, of which the 28 species are big malls found nowhere else in Uganda making that tourists yearn to reach this park in spite of everything. Second only to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the park has over 450 recorded bird species. Primates, butterflies and other small creatures inhabit Kidepo. The most common animals in the park include; Patas monkey, long-eared fox, striped hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, lions, African hunting dogs, genets, anteater mustelids, caracal and mongoose. The park also has antelope, 7 of which are unique to Kidepo and these include: Greater Kudu, Biera Oryx, Guenther’s Dik-dik, Mountain Reedbuck, and Roan Antelope. The other antelope in the park include Defassa waterbuck, klipspringer, Jackson’s hartebeest, topi, and Bohor reedbuck. The park is also home to giraffes, buffalo, Burchell’s zebras, and warthogs, to mention. If we are going to mention animals one by one we can’t finish, we can spend the whole day mentioning the different and unique wonders of the park.

Pride of bird watchers;

As stated earlier, the park is home to more than 460 species of birds, of which the park has eastern species found nowhere else in Uganda and are the majority of East African birds. These include Black-breasted Barbet and Karamoja Apalis to mention. Bird watching is most exciting at Apoka Rest Camp in Narus Valley, which is the park’s headquarters. In the camp you can locate many birds in the immediate vicinity of these, some include; The attractive silver bird, the mosque swallow, the scarlet-breasted sunbird, the wine pigeon, the yellow-rumped seedeater, and the Nubian woodpecker, to mention. Throughout the Apoka Lodge, you may be able to see African Moustached and Broad-tailed Warblers, Brown Parrots, and Crimson-rumped Waxbills. Species such as Flappet Larks, Black-headed Plover, Common Buttonquail and Songing Bushlark can be spotted on the airstrip. For bird watchers I think this is another haven.

It can be along the road, although it’s cheaper that way, but it’s really rewarding as the park has it all. Chatter flights aren’t expensive either, under $500 roundtrip. So while you are in Uganda you can schedule a 3 day tour to Kidepo and you will not regret your decision.

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