Kidepo Valley National Park

Amazing landscape, all yours to enjoy in splendid solitude.

Kidepo valley is a fascinating place, there´s a real adventure feel to it. There´s hardly any tourist, so you can enjoy the place pretty much to yourself and your group. The trip to get there is also an amazing route across barely visited areas of the country. The wildlife is not so abundant as in some other parks of East Africa, but in the three days we spent there we got to see at close-up lions, giraffes, giant herds of buffalo and zebras everywhere, among several others. And an elephant who was seating in front of the car , over the only road, and refused to leave, for hours. Great experience, Kidepo.

Wildlife and safari at its best!

Plenty of animals, beautiful sceneries, and the few people we met were very nice and friendly. A campsite on a hilltop was our choice: plenty of stars at night, romantic campfire, wonderful sunset and sunrise, but also very basic facilities, and lions might be around. If you want the more relaxed option, try the mid-range bandas or the upmarket lodge, both at Apoka. Self-drive from Kampala is doable (in dry season, at least), but it's a long, long drive. There are some tour operators from Kampala. Staff at the park is very helpful, you can find a driver, guard or cook if you like.

If you want to see cats in Uganda - Kidepo is your park. Getting to Kidepo can be a logistical nightmare, most people fly into the park, others brave the drive. The roads, depending on the time of year, can be tricky. It's important to call the park ahead of time to get information on the roads to determine if they are passable. I drove there in a 4x4 and had zero problems. The scenery is astounding, the wildlife - even better. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a pride of lions eating an elephant, we were a mere 7 feet away from them.

An alternative, adventurous safari.

Many different animals to see, and a very unspoilt view because almost no tourists go there. Besides the rides in our car, we also did a walking trip, which was nice, because it's very different. Our ranger was very professional and a nice and interesting person. We camped in the park and cooked our own food on a fire, which adds to the 'bush vibe', but if you want a lot of comfort it's probably not the best place. Also the (long) journey through the country to get to the park was very interesting in my opinion. If you have time, it's a very good choice.

A vast park in a corner of the country with a huge herd of cape buffalo. Few tourist are going there still so when camping in the middle of the park one can expect lions to inspect your camp.

Off into the raw nature of the vast landscape of Kidepo Valley National Park

Not being a huge fan of wildlife safaris, I asked around which safari park in Uganda was a must-visit during my stay. Although the travel took me quite some time, I didn't regret the trip up north (with a stop in Moroto, Karamojong district) for a second. I had seen beautiful photos of Kidepo Valley NP, but driving towards the entrance of the park along the different villages of Kotido and Kaabong, I was already surprised by the breathtaking scenery. Once we got to the park, I was startled by the beautiful hills on which every now and then groups of animals (e.g., giraffes, antilopes, zebras) could be spotted and the massive mountain range (in South Sudan) could be seen on the background. Since the park, at the time when I visited the Kidepo Valley NP, was not that often visited by tourists, it felt as if my driver, guide and I were dropped into undiscovered land as I only saw other vehicles twice - somewhat magical, I have to admit.

Whereas you might not find a heap of animals on one spot given the huge area Kidepo Valley NP, the scenery of the park makes up for that. Next to that, I would strongly advise to stay for a night at Kidepo Valley NP. The sunset is a-ma-zing, there are so many stars at night you cannot count them, and it's nice to sit with the guides around the campfire (if you're on your own).

Also, my guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and the staff at the Apoka Rest Camp was extremely helpful when I had to arrange my transport for the next morning.

Although maybe not the best park to spot the Big Five in one day - over multiple days that's definitely possible - Kidepo Valley NP is definitely worth the travel regarding the unique nature and scenery of the park. You don't feel like a plain tourist stacked in a safari bus, but you more likely feel like an adventurer exploring new lands. It's simply stunning!

Simply amazing- there is no other way to say it.

This is is certainly the best park in Uganda, with the most wildlife and the elusive wild dog, cheetah and ostrich. Other animals include hyena, lion, leopard, zebra, water buck, buffalo, giraffe, jackals and many more. You learn so much about the tribes here, and the birding was terrific.

True Encounter with Uganda's Virgin Destination

Kidepo Valley National Park is one of Uganda's most beautiful conservation areas that has not been touched so much hence not suffered much natural alteration. The Karimojong people are the only tribe in Uganda that have not been so much influenced by modern life style to change their Culture and cultural practice.
The national park has most of the animal species with vast open savanna and some bird species that are endemic to the region.

The landscape is really nice and people there were more authentic. Unique NP to see wild ostriches.

From vast mountains to dry savannahs

A natural beauty that I have visited numerous time, though remote it is extremely rewarding wildlife is excellent large buffaloes herds roam the savannah in the thousands and lions sit on rocks for an advantage over prey. my favorite African park.