Why Visit Kidepo Valley National Park
Why Visit Kidepo Valley National Park
Why visit Kidepo? Kidepo national park is fast opening up as the new frontier in safari tourism and rightly so because it has been regarded as Africa’s true wilderness – and that’s no mean feat! A visit to Kidepo will be a journey of discovery and will give you a feel of what Africa was 100 years ago. Why visit Kidepo? There are many reasons as to why you should visit Kidepo but we will pick out the highlights.
Kidepo for Nature
Why visit Kidepo for nature? Kidepo is Africa’s true wilderness, is insightful enough to tell you about the beauty of Kidepo. The park lies between verdant valleys giving you expansive landscape views while taking in crisp – fresh air breaths! Kidepo’s nature is nothing less than captivating.
The Wildlife
Why visit Kidepo for Game Viewing? The game viewing experience in Kidepo national park can only be compared to that of Masai Mara in Kenya and even better considering Kidepo is still intact. The two parks boarder each other and animals understand no boundaries so they cross over and back at will.
Why visit Kidepo for Lions? For many visitors, lions rank high on the wish list but there is more interesting and rare wildlife in Kidepo including Cheetahs and the African Wild dog. The more common animals in the park include predators, including lion, leopard, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox. Twelve antelope species occur in the park, including Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, eland and klipspringer.
Bird Watching / Birding
Why visit Kidepo for Bird Watching? Kidepo is a great birding destination for its birds of prey with 58 species recorded including lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), Verreaux’s eagle (Aquila verreauxii), the pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus), and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Fourteen raptors are unique to this park in Uganda. Of the hornbills (Bucerotidae) which are characteristic of the savannah habitat, five species are represented. Some of Africa’s rarest and most sought after birds occur in KVNP, including the the Karamoja apalis (Apalis karamojae) and black-breasted barbet (Lybius rolleti).
Kidepo for Culture
Why visit Kidepo for Culture? There are two unique and intact tribes in and around Kidepo national park who have co-existed with the park’s wildlife for a long time and that is the IK and the Karimojong. These two tribes have unique cultures and have grossly rejected civilization. They still live communally and practice their ancient traditions. A visit to Kidepo therefore, will expose you to these unique cultures, especially the IK who have lived within the park for a very long time and are believed to have come to Uganda from Ethiopia.
Why visit Kidepo? With all the above reasons combined, you can tell Kidepo is surely a must visit destination for a safari in Uganda.