Top 5 activities to do in Kidepo National Park : Kidepo valley national park is among the best safari destinations to visit in the north Eastern part of Uganda and the top 5 activities to do there include the following;
- Game drives
Game drives around Kidepo valley national park are a popular activity which can be done during the morning, afternoon or evening.
When visiting Kidepo national park, game drives are carried out between 07:00 am and 07:00 pm as part of the rules to be followed during wildlife safaris at the destination. This activity can be done with a vehicle of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), as part of a self drive experience or with an experienced tour guide as part of a tour package.
Wildlife species which can be seen during game drives in Kidepo national park include elephants, zebras, buffalos, lions, giraffes, bushbucks, leopards, hartebeests, klipspringers, reedbucks, cheetahs, kudu, elands, oribi, dik dik, impalas among others.
Tourists can also enjoy full day game drives during safaris in Kidepo national park and spend the whole day exploring the wilderness in search for the various wildlife species. During the dry season, wildlife species are easy to spot during the game drives because of the thin vegetation and they also gather around water sources making them easy to find when exploring the destination on safari.
Different routes are used during the search for the wildlife species in the remote area of Kidepo national park during the game drives.
- Guided nature walks
Tourists visiting Kidepo national park can also engage in guided nature walks around the savannah plains at the destination.
Guided nature walks in Kidepo national park are done on foot and tourists are accompanied by ranger guides who lead the way during the activity and provide information about the national park, its attractions and also about the flora and fauna.
This activity is an off the beaten path experience in Kidepo national park which is an ideal destination to visit for the guided nature walks since it is known for its remote nature and diverse habitat and surroundings consisting of savannah plains, scattered woodlands, hills and valleys.
Wildlife species can also be encountered during the nature walks in Kidepo national park and they include buffalos, zebras, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, waterbucks, dik dik, and elephants among others as they roam around the savannah plains.
Some of the areas where these guided nature walks can be done during safaris in Kidepo national park include around the Naurus valley where wildlife species are known to gather. These walks can also be done around the Apoka area and in the open savannah plains.
Guided nature walks in Kidepo national park take place in the morning and in the afternoon as tourists enjoy exploring the park on foot which is an exciting and unique safari activity.
- Hiking
Safaris in Kidepo national park also involve hiking which is done in different parts of the park and in areas such as Mount Moroto, Mount Morugole, around the Lomej mountains among other areas.
Hiking can be done for a full day during tours around Kidepo national park and tourists can also engage in half day hiking experiences around the national park. Different routes are used during the hikes which are done with local guides.
When hiking around Mount Moroto, tourists can enjoy a 3 day hiking adventure to the highest peak of the mountain at 3083meters from where they can view the surrounding areas such as Kidepo national park and its valleys.
On Mount Morugole, tourists during their hikes with a local guide can enjoy a 2 day hike and spend 1 night on the mountain. During the time spent hiking, tourists can visit the Ik tribe which lives on the mountain and interact with them and get to know more about their culture and way of life and visit the homesteads and kraals and enjoy traditional dance performances by the locals.
Another location for hiking around Kidepo national park is the Lomej hills which are located a short distance from the park headquarters. These hikes take about 4 hours and tourists can encounter different wildlife species such as kudu, zebras, buffalos among others along the way.
- Bird watching
Bird watching is another activity which is done around Kidepo national park where over 475 bird species can be seen during safaris.
Kidepo national park is among the best savannah parks visited for bird watching and different bird pieces can be seen around the destination including Ostriches, Secretarybirds, Kori bustard, Yellow necked Spurfowl, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Karamoja Apalis, Brown Backjed Woodpecker, White Bellied Bustard, Grey Crowned cranes among others.
The birds can be seen around the savannah pains and woodland areas in Kidepo national park and the bet time to see these birds is during the rainy season form Mach to May and in November when migratory bird species can also be spotted at the destination.
- Community tours
Community tours can also be done during safaris in Kidepo valley national park and this activity can be combined with a wildlife safari experience at the destination.
These tours are also popular among tourists visiting Kidepo national park due to the unique cultures of the tribes that live in the areas surrounding the national park such as the Karamojong, Ik people, Dodoth, Tepeth among others.
Tourists enjoy an experience of interacting with the locals during the community tours in Kidepo National Park and they get to know more about their way of life and culture by visiting the homesteads, listening to local folktales among other experiences.
These tribes living around Kidepo national park are known for their nomadic way of life and how they depend on their livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep for survival. Tourists can visit the local kraals and experience the traditions such as drinking the blood mixed with milk which is common practice among the Karamojong.
The locals also make colorful jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, anklets which can be sold to the tourists are an affordable price to support the local community.
