The Remote Kidepo Valley Park – Uganda – Top Things to do and See
Kidepo Valley Park Tourist Activities in and near the Park
The Top Things to Do and See in Kidepo Valley Park. According to CNN, Africa’s Hidden Gem – No other park like it in all of Africa – Africa like it was 50 some years ago – called a “Long-Forgotten Eden” – a place you might imagine Africa would be like, but only better.
Kidepo Valley National Park is one of those Out of Ordinary places in East Africa. It is not all of Africa. As you dreamed about, read about Africa in an Ernest Hemingway account or one of the Safari tales by Karen Blixen in her “Out of Africa.” Kidepo Valley Park is an unspoiled, remote, untouched, unvisited Africa without the crowds – a park with less than ten new visitors daily, Authentic Africa at its best.
Getting to Kidepo Valley Park is challenging or expensive if you fly in; however, what awaits you far outweighs the cost of a flight or the long journey to the Long-Forgotten Eden.
Kidepo Valley Park is a Tapestry of rugged scenery, vibrant wildlife, Karamojong Warrior Herdsmen, and the Ik people on remote Mount Morungole.
If you love the African Wilderness, this Park is for you and a must for you to do and see. Kidepo Valley Park is a one-of-a-kind park in Uganda and all of Africa.
Why do Tourists and Visitors to Uganda choose to visit Kidepo Valley Park?
The Star Attraction is the Remoteness of Kidepo Valley Park that takes you back to Africa as it used to be.
Kidepo Valley National Park – is a must-visit for those that want to see Authentic, Raw, Untouched Africa without the
crowds – there is no other Park like it in all of Africa.
It is hard to get to – You either fly in, which is expensive, or drive to the Park. The drive (12 hours) takes a lot of time due to the distance from Kampala. The more scenic route from Sipi Falls to Kidepo Parks breaks up the journey, and you are driving through Karamoja, which is quite impressive.
The lodging facilities are few. However, more are coming online as the Park’s popularity is increasing. The Apoka Rest Camp has significantly improved to the delight of Budget Travelers.
Presently there are 2000-3000 visitors per year, less than ten per day, despite is the best Park for wildlife viewing in Uganda, plus unique and enriching cultural experiences with the Karamojong and the Ik People who live near the Park.
Kidepo Valley Park is where the stunning scenery takes your breath away. It is just you and a stillness only broken by the cry from the Wild. With the sounds of the winds sweeping through the valley, you are amazed that such a 
place as Kidepo Valley Park exists. It is an abundance of wildlife, rough-hewn scenery, and an absence of people. There are no caravans of vehicles meandering down the game tracks. It is merely a scene from Karen Blixen or Ernest Hemingway’s Africa – it is Africa as you imagined it but rarely found in the 21st Century.
There are Lions in, abundance-especially during the dry season of the year (even some tree-climbing ones) – Elephant and Buffalo herds roaming – Giraffe – leopards – cheetahs – wild dogs – ostriches-pangolins –the bat-eared fox, striped hyenas, aardwolf, caracal, and hunting dog – antelopes such as eland, bushbuck, bush duskier, Defassa Waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, and Oribi.
Birds are abundant, including many raptors – Kidepo Valley National Park has much to offer to the visitor who flies in or has the stamina to drive in – but what awaits the visitor here is well worth the flight or drive here.
This remote, out-of-the-ordinary Park in Uganda offers the best of the Wild of Africa – beyond Kodak moments. It is an authentic experience of the African Wild, and Kidepo Valley Park is worth your time and effort.
Getting to Kidepo Valley Park:
Fly to Kidepo Valley Park with AeroLink Safari Airline:
The easiest way to get to Kidepo Valley Park is to fly there with AaeroLink Safari Airline on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flights depart from Entebbe at 12:30 and arrive at the Apoka Airstrip in Kidepo Valley Park at 14:45.
Drive to Kidepo Valley Park:
The drive from Kampala to Kidepo Valley Park is 12 hours long. On our drive-in at Kidepo Valley Safaris, we break that long drive overnight at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you track Rhinos on foot and stay overnight at Amuka Lodge. The following day we continue to Kidepo Valley Park through Gulu, where we have lunch and Kitgum.
The Top Things to Do and See in Kidepo Valley Park
Game Drives:
Kidepo Valley National Park Game Drives are tracks where you can encounter the Wild of Africa without the crowds. This remote – unvisited Park allows you to see the best of Africa while on a game drive.
Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park depend on where you stay – if you stay at Apoka Lodge, you will find that two activities a day, such as game drives, are included in the price of the room per night,
Other lodges such as Nga Moru Wildlife Camp or the Uganda Wildlife Authority Bandas mean that we take you in our safari vehicle on game drives like in other wildlife parks. We always use an Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger, 0who comes on board to give you added insight into the wildlife in the Park.
Kidepo Valley Park offers some of the best game drives in Uganda. The best thing is that you feel alone; Africa is without the Crowds.
Nature – Bush Walks – Hikes:
Kidepo Valley Park has some great places for Nature and Bush Walks. There is nothing like taking in the African Wild on foot, and there are not many better places than Kidepo Valley Park.
There are also places outside the parking area where you can go for a hike, such as an all-day hike up the Morungole Mountains to visit the Ik People, one of Uganda’s most minor ethnic groups.
There are many places within the Park where you can hike and climb, including Idi Amin’s dream lodge, which was never completed while he was president of Uganda – maybe in the future, as more visitors come to the Park, it will be.
Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers will guide all Nature Walks and Hikes within the Park. You cannot wander off on your own in this remote Park.
New Hiking Trails were developed in 2019 for you to enjoy in the Park.
Birding – Kidepo Valley Park:
Kidepo Valley Park is an excellent place for birders who enjoy wildlife in the remote Kidepo Valley Park.
Karamojong Village (Manyatta) Visit:
The Karamojong people are Warrior – Nomads – the Karamoja region has often been called the Wild West of Uganda. When Uganda was a British Protectorate – they left this area alone. Their pride is their cattle, and in the past, cattle raids were the rule of the day.
Things have calmed down in recent years, and the Karamojong have been disarmed and have become a lot more passive in nature. Cattle is still king. However, subsistence farming has become a lot more common.
This is an arid region; people must walk miles to find water. On the other hand, floods have sometimes wreaked havoc on the people here.
It is a cultural visit that you will find most interesting and give you insights into Authentic Africa and, in particular, the Karamojong People who live and are related to the Maasai.
Support services from the government and aid agencies have become more prevalent in recent years. Read more here.
A Visit with the indigenous Ik People:
You will need an early morning start to climb up into the Morungole Mountains for a visit with the Ik Tribe. One of the original tribes in the Northeast Uganda area.
They were here long until the Karamojong entered their land; today, they number around 10,000. The first University Student from the Ik Community is enrolled at Kampala International University. And she’s doing well.
Colin Turnbull wrote a somewhat negative book entitled “The Mountain People” about the Ik, which has been disproved – he had tried to prove that the Ik people were incapable of loving.
It will be one of the highlights of your time in Uganda – learn the ways and culture of the Ik People. This activity will add one day to your safari to Kidepo Valley Park.
The Hike up Mount Morungole is not for the faint of heart, and it is an 8-hour round trip. And the limb is steep, part of the adventure of the day. You also bring some gifts for a visit, as is the cultural norm when visiting someone here. Read more here.
Wildlife Safaris in Kidepo Valley Park:
Here are Safaris that take you to Kidepo Valley Park if you do not see what you want to do and see in Uganda. Kidepo Valley National Park.
Kidepo Valley Park is not just another safari park in Africa but an experience of the African Wilderness like no other. Past clients have been amazed at what awaited them while they took a safari.
If you do not find a safari that meets your needs – we would love to tailor-make a safari that is just right for you.
Kidepo Valley National Park, unvisited and remote – but not for much longer – is not to be missed, and more and more choose to visit the Park.
Safaris to Kidepo Valley Park can be adjusted to include other parks such as Murchison Falls Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Sipi Falls, and Mount Elgon, plus a time on the Nile in Jinja, which is famous for its wild water rafting. Read more here.
Enjoy a Safari in Africa as it used to be – wildlife without the crowds in Kidepo Valley Park.
More Kidepo Valley Park Information:
Safety and Security Kidepo Valley Park
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