Kidepo Valley national park is located in north eastern part of Uganda in the Karamoja region and it covers an area of 1,442 km2. It accommodates 75 mammal species and over 475 bird species which makes this park a perfect destination for game drives where you will encounter a variety of fascinating wild residents like elephants, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes.
The Park was gazetted in 1962 and is dominated by the 2750 meter high Mountain Morungole and is traversed by two rivers namely Kidepo river and Narus river.
This Park is also a premium destination for bird watchers as it home to very rare bird species including cardinal wood pecker, African harrier hawk, Eastern Green Tinker bird among many others
DAY 1
TRANSFER FROM KAMPALA TO KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Early Morning
Our tour guide/ driver will pick you up from the collection point as agreed upon by the guest and tour manager (this could be from Entebbe airport or your Hotel or any other location agreed upon).
The tour guide/driver will give you brief highlights of the trip and also ensure that you have the necessary documentation and any other items that you may require during the safari. After this briefing, we will say goodbye to the city as we embark into the 4×4 tourist vehicle and start our 10-hour adventurous road trip to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Get your Cameras ready since there shall be many great photo opportunities as we travel through the beautiful Ugandan country side where we shall encounter spectacular views of several African Fruit markets, Vast banana plantations, wonderfully Cultivated hills, traditional African craft markets, road side “nyama choma” vendors, iconic physical features among many others
We shall have a stopover at the source of the Nile river in Jinja for snacks, refreshments and photo sessions of the longest river in the world. The Nile is composed of two main tributaries namely the White Nile (flowing from Uganda to South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt) and The Blue Nile (flowing from Ethiopia to Sudan where it joins the White Nile up to Egypt). Jinja City is located in Eastern Uganda and it was of strategic importance to the British Colonial Administration which ruled over the entire Nile Basin. Many monuments were erected in this city in remembrance of Early Explorers including Sir. John Speke and Henry Murton Stanley who were sent by Queen Victoria to locate the source of the Nile and the city remains popular among European tourists to this day.
After our stopover in jinja city, we return to our road trip to Kidepo Valley National park as we pass through Mbale City. Mbale city is our next stop after Jinja city and is located in the eastern part of Uganda and is the main administrative center for Mbale District.
The city was initially a commercial center for Arab slave traders and later on it attracted Indian traders many of whom had come to East Africa to build the
Uganda Railway that stretched from the port of Mombasa on the Kenyan coast to Kilembe Copper mines in Kasese district in western Uganda.
Mbale city is located on the foot of “Wanale”, a ridge of Mt. Elgon which is 8,000 feet above sea level and covers a geographical area of 2,435 hectares. Mbale’s central location makes it attractive, competitive and a business hub in the region.
After passing through Mbale city, our next stop is Nakapiripirit District as we head northwards towards our target destination that is Kidepo Valley National Park.
Nakapiripirit is located in Northern Uganda and according to a population census done in 2012 it has a population of 161,600 people of whom the majority are Pastoralists by way of life and Karamojong by ethnicity. These people live a nomadic way of life that includes finding green pasture for their cattle and protecting their herds from wild animals.
We say our goodbyes to Nakapiripirit district as we head further north to Moroto District edging even closer to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Moroto district borders Nakapiripirit district in the South, Katakwi district in the Southwest, Kotido district to the north and The Republic of Kenya in the east.
Moroto has a population of 170,506 people who Identify as Karamojong by ethnicity and speak Kiswahili language alongside their native tongue.
The Karamojong are mainly cattle keepers but also practice subsistence agriculture with emphasis on food crops such as sorghum and maize.
The people of Moroto are very in touch with their culture and traditional way of life that is similar to that of the Turkana of Northwestern Kenya, The Masai, Samburu and Pokot people of Kenya. The similarities are evident in their lifestyle and traditional wear.
We exit Moroto as we enter Kaabong district that borders South Sudan to the northwest and is home to Kidepo Valley National Park near an area known as Karenga. The district has a rocky landscape with hills and valleys. The Vegetation in the district is primarily bushes and shrubs although some areas contain savannah grasslands.
Most of the district is semi-arid with thorny shrubs with only one annual season of cultivation.
ARRIVAL AT KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Our entry into Kaabong district is proceeded with a 65-kilometer drive from the district headquarters to Kidepo Valley National Park.
We shall be welcomed on arrival by the friendly staff of the park who will provide some refreshments and later lead you to your accommodation facilities for some rest in preparation for the next day’s activities.
DAY 2
MORNING GAME DRIVE, CULTURAL VISIT AND NATURE WALK
Early Morning
Wake up to the beautiful sounds of birds and the amazing view of the African sunrise and have an early breakfast as you start your adventurous day. Have your cameras ready since there will be so many photo opportunities while on the fascinating and rewarding game drive. The game drives are led by a park ranger who is aware of the best places to get close observation of cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, lions, zebras and wild birds like ostriches. These wonderful creatures shall be a common sighting during the entire game drive which takes a time frame of 3 to 5 hours. The vegetation in the park enables easy spotting of the wild animals during these thrilling game drives.
The Park is also home to over 480 bird species including 28 species from the Somali- Maasai biome, several savannah birds and forest birds making it the perfect place to do bird watching.
Bird species like red billed oxpecker, greater kestrel, golden pipit, Evreux’s eagle, scarlet chested sunbird and ostriches can be spotted within the park.
Mid-Morning to Afternoon
You will have an early lunch, after which we shall visit a local homestead where you will be immersed into the traditional way of life of the Karamojong people. These indigenous people have a way of life that has remained unchanged for thousands of years, they live in beautiful traditional huts built using traditional Karamojong architectural styles, these huts are known as “manyatta” and are identical to homes of other warrior tribes like the Maasai and Samburu of Kenya. The Karamojong are also a warrior tribe and the men always carry traditional weapons to protect their cattle from wild animals. These people are used to seeing tourists and are very welcoming to visitors. The women engage in making beautiful traditional jewelry that they usually sell to tourists for a few dollars. The visit to these people will surely be a memorable one so be sure to carry your cameras or smart phones for “selfies” with the locals.
Late Afternoon to Early Evening After mixing with the locals, our next activity shall be a nature walk along the kakine circuit towards the namamukweny valley where you will view animals like zebra, elephants, reedbucks and buffalo in their natural habitat, we shall however be in the company of armed rangers for protection purposes.
The nature walk is a perfect way to explore the wilderness and experience nature in its raw form. We return to the lodge for a camp fire set up as we watch the African sunset and recollect our day’s experiences while we are entertained by Karamojong cultural dances by local tribesmen. We kick back and relax for the rest of the evening since this shall be the last night we spend in Kidepo Valley National Park.
DAY 3
TRANSFER FROM KIDEPO TO KAMPALA
You will start your day with an early morning breakfast. After checking out of the lodge and saying your good byes to the park staff, we shall transfer you back to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport or any other location that you may want to be transferred to. “We wish you a Safe Journey”
END OF THE TRIP.
