Kidepo Valley National Park is in northeast Uganda. It covers 1436 km² and borders onto South Sudan.
Understand
The park contains unusual, not often sighted predators such as the aardwolf, bat-eared fox, caracal, cheetah, hunting dog and striped hyena. the park also contains the usual plains animals such as lions, leopards, giraffe and other common herbivores. Small cats are also found within the park.
History
Landscape
Open tree savannah.
Flora and fauna
Herbivores include elephant, rothschild giraffe, nile buffalo, burchell's zebra, oribi, klipspringer, uganda kob, greater and lesser kudu, warthog, bush pig, topi, grant's gazelle, eland, bushbuck, common duiker, bush duskier, roan antelope, beisa oryx, dik dik, Defassa Waterbuck, jackson's hartbeest, Chandlers Mountain reedbuck and Bohor reedbuck. Carnivores include lion, cheetah, leopard, carcal, serval, spotted hyena, stripped hyena, aardwolf, african hunting dogs, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal and bat eared foxes. Primates found in the park include the endemic (found nowhere else) Kavirondo bush baby. 465 species of bird have been recorded in the park and 58 of these are birds of prey and 14 of these are endemic to the region.
Climate
Get in
By car
Approx 700 km from Kampala.
By plane
- 1 Kidepo Airport. An airfield near the old park headquarters is served by several charter companies, including Eagle Air and Ndege[formerly dead link] from Entebbe and Kajjansi Airport.
Fees and permits
All visitors must pay entrance fees. The fees are assessed per 24-hour period. The rates valid until the end of 2013 are:
| Age | Foreign Non- Resident | Foreign Residents | East African Citizens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | US$35 | US$25 | USh 10,000 |
| Child age 5-15 | US$20 | US$10 | USh 5,000 |
| Student in school group | NA | USh 2,500 | USh 2,500 |
Additional fees are due for all vehicles entering the park. Ugandan-registered vehicles are charged USh 10,000 to 30,000 and foreign-registered vehicles US$50 to 150.Details and updates are available from UWA's website[formerly dead link]
Get around
Kidepo is remote area with little infrastructure and many hazards. Roads are poor - many routes may have sand, mud, washboards, stream crossings and deep ruts that require vehicles with 4-wheel drive and or significant ground clearance. During the rainy season expert off-road driving skills are required to navigate the deep, slick "black cotton" mud of all but the main tracks. Localized heavy tsetse infestations make closed vehicles with sealable windows preferable.
Driving off-track is prohibited and hazardous. Driving anywhere North of the reintroduction boma, including into the Kidepo valley, requires a ranger escort.
The presence of dangerous game dictates that most travel within the park is by vehicle. Walking tours are possible with an armed ranger escort. Escorts can be arranged through the lodges or UWA offices.
See
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Camping
Two campsites can be booked through UWA. A ranger escort is required. A water tank, pit latrine and two open rondavels are provided at each site.
Budget
- UWA Bandas. Government-run rustic huts. A shared kitchen is available for self-catering.
Mid-range
- 1 NgaMoru Wilderness Camp (Afrimax), ☏ 256 785 551 911, ✉[email protected]. Private cabanas; full restaurant and bar. $95.
Splurge
- Apoka Lodge. Pre-booking required.
Stay safe
Go next
Crossing directly into South Sudan is prohibited. The nearest official border post is at Nimule. The nearest crossing into Kenya is via Moroto to Lodwar.