If there are a few splendid tourist destinations that you shouldn’t miss a visit to while on safari in Uganda, then Kidepo National Park is one of them. This park lies in the extreme northeastern Uganda, just at the border with South Sudan and Kenya. It is popular as a true wilderness paradise and offers largely the big game and several savanna grassland wildlife species. Recently, it featured as Africa’s 3rd best national park, and it offers refuge mainly to more than 77 mammal species and 460 bird species. Its wildlife species mainly comprise lions, leopards, bat-eared foxes, side-striped jackals, giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, and many more. It is visited mainly for game drives, nature-guided walks that take you through the spectacular Mount Morungole, hiking, cultural encounters at the Karamojong manyatta, exploring amazing hot springs at this park, especially Kanangorok.
It is very isolated around the Karamoja region, and if you are planning to spend your vacation in this park, then you will spend at least an entire day while on a road trip in Uganda, and you will need 3 or 4 days if you are to explore this park fully. Kidepo Valley National Park is a 700-kilometer drive away from Kampala. It can be reached both by road and by air. Once you land at Entebbe International Airport, about 46 kilometers drive from Kampala, you will choose from the many routes that lead up to this park. If you are driving, you will take the Kampala via Mbale route, and the other takes you from Kampala via Karuma.
If you are driving, expect to catch a glimpse at the spectacular surrounding areas, and don’t forget to pay a visit to Ziwa rhino sanctuary, where you can track rhinos that make up a complete list of the big five game in Uganda, and then proceed to Gulu and Kitgum up to Kidepo Valley National Park, about 571 kilometers. Around Mbale, don’t miss visiting the Sipi waterfalls for an amazing hiking adventure, or make a stopover at Jinja and engage in most of the adrenaline adventures like white water rafting, bungee jumping, and others.
Lion in Kidepo Valley National Park
The other routes include the Kampala-Karuma to Lira to Kotido to Kaabong and then to Kidepo, which covers around 705 kilometers. If you are coming from east of Lake Kyoga via Karamoja, the possible routes include the Kampala to Mbale to Sironko to Moroto to Kotido to Kaabong and then to Kidepo Valley National Park, and this route covers about 740 kilometers. There is also Kampala to Mbale to Soroti to Moroto to Kotido and then to Kaabong, and you connect to the park, which is over 792 kilometers. However, the commonly used routes include those that take you via Gulu and Kitgum, and a four-wheel drive safari vehicle is ideal for your road trip to this park.
Alternatively, you can take a flight from Entebbe Airport using Eagle Aviation or from Kajjansi Airfield and land on a nearby airstrip in Kidepo National Park at Apoka. Interestingly, there are plans to make Lomeja an international airport to ease visitors’ connectivity. Equally, for you to access this park, you will need a passport and visa, as well as any relevant travel documents from your tour agent.
In conclusion, if you are looking for the best safari destinations that reward visitors with true African experiences, then count Kidepo Valley National Park as a must-visit during your next vacation in Uganda. You can get to this park using the listed options, and you will achieve your dreams.