The name Kidepo comes from a Dodoth verb ‘akidep’, meaning ‘to pick up’. The park was inhabited by Dodoth pastoralists and the Ik farmers before it was gazetted as a national park by the British colonial government. The intention was both to protect the animals from hunting and prevent further clearing of bush for tsetse fly control. The game reserve was later converted into the Kidepo Valley National Park in 1962 the year Uganda acquired its sovereignty. As a result of the eviction, terrible famine struck the area especially among the IK and the calamity is cited in contemporary protected areas management as an example of the unacceptable consequences that result in failure to account for the community interests when designating reserves.
Kidepo valley is a remote national park located in the northeast of Uganda in the districts of kaabong bordering moroto and southSudan. But it is one destination you can never miss out while on a Uganda Safari It covers about 1442km2 in the arid lands of karamoja region. Kidepo gives a wilderness atmosphere, rugged mountain scenery and exceptional game viewing and bird watching. Kidepo has about 77 mammal species with it being the main harbor of cheetahs in Uganda, 475 bird species (more than 60 bird species have been found nowhere else in Uganda.), including ostriches.
Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, but the few who make the long journey to the north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location. Most of the park is open tree savannah. Because of differences in rainfall with annual averages of 89 centimetres in Narus and 64 centimeters in the Kidepo basin vegetation and animal populations vary between the two valleys.
Activities done in kidepo valley national park.
Game driving; Game viewing is possible by vehicle on dirt roads that crisscross the southern and western parts of the park. A few trunk roads are improved with marram and are passable in all weather. Wildlife is most active in the Narus Valley during early mornings and late afternoon that is 6am and 4pm are optimum times to set off on both morning and evening game drives respectively. Other wildlife includes elephants, leopard, bush duiker, jackal, bushbuck, bush pig, Kavirondo bush baby, buffalo and much more. Kidepo Valley Scenic Drive Though wildlife is scarce in the arid Kidepo Valley, the hour-long drive to Kanangorok Hot Springs passes some magnificent landscapes North of Apoka, beyond the river crossing, the road passes between rock outcrops and hills before descending into the Kidepo Valley, crossing the Kidepo Sand River and traversing open plains that extend past Kanangorok Hot Springs towards mountains across the Sudanese border. This is the part of the park where ostriches are most commonly seen.
Birding; While in kidepo national park, Apoka Rest Camp has a great spot to begin your Kidepo birding experience. Birding can also be done on the fringes of the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys. Among the birds seen are the Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is found only in Kidepo. The activity can be arranged both in the morning and evening.
Hiking and nature walk; The Lomej Mountains can be reached on foot in four hours, the hike starts at 7am. Shorter guided walks of around two hours can be taken through the Narus Valley extending over a 5km radius from Apoka Tourism Centre. Visitors can also wander along the splendid Kidepo River Valley between banks of attractive borassus palm forest. Namamkweny Valley can be reached in one hour from Apoka. Visitors can also meet members of the IK tribe during prearranged hikes to the Morungole Mountains outside the park.
Cultural encounters; Lorokul Cultural Group The notorious, cattle-herding Karamojong occupy northeastern Uganda, in an area covering one tenth of the country. Discover the unique culture of this remote tribe with the Lorokul Cultural Group, located just outside Kidepo Valley National Park. Their main livelihood is herding livestock, and the social and cultural importance will be explained as you walk with the guides to the traditional Karamojong manyattas (homesteads), granaries and cattle enclosures. Learn how the villagers make their distinctive beads, sample the local cuisine, and even meet the Karamojong King, who will narrate the tribe’s folklore and beliefs.
Karamojong encounter; The Karamojong People are warrior – Nomads living in the Karamoja region which has often been called the Wild West of Uganda. 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 regions and people have to walk miles in order to find water, on the other hand at times they have been floods here wreaking havoc among the people who live here. This is a cultural visit that you will find most interesting and give you insights into Authentic Africa and in particular insights into the Karamojong People who live and who are related to the Maasai.
Visit to the IK people; You will need an early morning start to climb up into the Monrungole Mountains for a visit with the Ik Tribe. One of the original tribes in the in the Northeast Uganda area. They were here long the Karamojong entered their land. The Ik people live in several small villages arranged in clusters, which comprise the total “community”. Each village is surrounded by an outer wall, then sectioned off into familial (or friend-based) “neighborhoods” called Odoks, each surrounded by a wall. Each Odok is sectioned into walled-off households called asaks, with front yards (for lack of a better term) and in some cases, granaries.
Accommodation; Kidepo Valley National Park is East-Africa’s more remote park and unlike other Wildlife Parks in Uganda – the lodging choices are more. limited and new lodges are being built just outside of the park which will improve things for visitors to the park. A reason that Lodging Choices in Kidepo Valley National Park tend to be higher here is because of its remoteness – everything has to be brought in from afar. Apoka Lodge may even have some of its supplies flown in from Kampala, other things are trucked into the lodges, resulting in higher costs. Whatever bucket list destination, Adventure Uganda Safaris is here to take you places