Kidepo Valley National Park is located at the border of Sudan and Kenya in the Northeast corner of Uganda, covering an area of 1,442 sq km. It is one of the most spectacular parks, with scenery that is undoubtedly the most eye-catching in all the protected areas in Africa.
It has a variety of 80 mammal species, and some of these are only found here, like the Bat-eared Fox, Caracal, hunting Dog, both the Greater and Lesser Kudu, among others.
It is home to 465 bird species, 58 of these being raptors, and among the 58, 14 are only found in Kidepo Valley National Park, e.g, African Swallow-tailed Kite, Lammergeier, Verreaux’s Eagle, Fox Kestrel, Pygmy Falcon, and Eleonora’s Falcon, among others. Other specials include Stone Partridge, Clapperton’s Francolin, Quail-plover, White-bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards, Black-faced and Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Eastern Yellow-billed, Red-billed and Jackson’s Hornbills, Black-breasted Barbet, Pink-breasted Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Golden Pipit, Red-pate and Rock-loving Cisticola, the globally vulnarable and RARE Karamoja Apalis, Amethyst Sunbird, Taita Fiscal, Emin’s Shrike, Three-streaked Tchagra, Grey-capped Social-Weaver, White-headed and White-billed Buffalo-Weavers, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Eastern Paradise-Whydah and Yellow-rumped Seedeater among others.
If you know the Masai, Karamoja area where Kidepo Valley National Park is found, is inhabited by their clans, the Karamajong. Their lives centred on cattle, just like the Masai; they still live a very simple lifestyle.
For your eyes only: Whether a cow is in the US or Australia, it belongs to a Karamajong. Just like their Masai cousins, the Karamajong also have a love for colorful clothing.
The magnificent scenery makes one lose a heartbeat. When you get into the valley, you will be surrounded by the Morongole Mts, Napore ranges, Kitenga and Kidi Rwot rocks.
A visit to the manyattas (Karamajong homestead) will give you a big lesson about the Karamajongs’ traditional ways, like every man carrying his one-legged stool everywhere he goes, the dancing, jewelry, among others.
There are only two accommodation places, the new Apoka Lodge and Apoka Rest Camp. Apoka Rest Camp offers 14 cottages known as bandas here, but you need to take your food to last you the duration you are there and pay someone to cook for you.
Kidepo Valley National Park is accessible both by road and by air. By road, you can use the Gulu-Kitgum road. You can use the Mbale-Soroti-Kotido-Kabong route. However, a 4WD is recommended because the road conditions are sometimes terrible.