Kidepo Valley National Park
The most remote national park in northeastern Uganda, where lions and buffalo roam the Narus Valley, surrounded by mountains. It is often ranked among Africa's most beautiful wildernesses.
Kidepo Valley National Park is in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda, covering about 1,442 square km. It borders South Sudan to the north and lies close to Kenya to the east, surrounded by mountains including the Morungole Mountains. It is Uganda's most remote and least-visited national park. CNN and other media have named it one of Africa's most beautiful wilderness parks.
The park has two seasonal river valleys. The southern Narus Valley has water year-round and is the park's main game-viewing area. Lions, African buffalo, elephants, giraffes, zebras and several antelope species are common here. It is also one of the few places in Uganda where you can see cheetahs, striped hyenas, ostriches and bat-eared foxes, which are species of arid regions. The northern Kidepo Valley is mostly dry sandy riverbeds and doum palm forest, extending as far as the Kanangorok hot springs near the border.
Most visitors use Apoka, where the park headquarters is, as a base. Activities include morning and evening game drives, hikes up the small hills near Apoka, and visits to Karamojong traditional villages outside the park. Fit visitors can trek into the Morungole Mountains to visit the Ik people, who live in isolation.
The best season is September to March, the dry season, when animals gather around the waterholes of the Narus Valley and the roads are better. April to August is the rainy season, when the grass is tall and some roads are muddy.
Getting there: it's about 10-12 hours' drive from Kampala (about 700 km via Gulu or Mbale/Moroto). The roads are rough, so a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, and it's best to split the journey over two days. A faster option is a domestic charter or scheduled small plane from Entebbe or Kampala, which flies directly to Apoka Airstrip in about 2 hours. Accommodation includes UWA camp cottages and the upscale Apoka Safari Lodge. Plan 3 nights. Security in Karamoja has improved considerably, but still follow park arrangements and ranger instructions.
Top sights
- Narus Valley – Kidepo's core safari area. A valley with year-round water draws lion prides, buffalo herds, elephants and giraffes, and lions basking on th…
- Kidepo Valley (Kidepo River) – A seasonal sandy riverbed in the north of the park, with borassus palms lining both banks. The dry white sandy riverbed is the park’s most…
- Kanangorok Hot Springs – Natural hot springs at the park’s northernmost point, close to the South Sudan border. Water wells up between the rocks, surrounded by vast…
- Mount Morungole – The main peak of the park's southeastern mountains, about 2,750 m high, where you can hike with a guide to visit the remote Ik mountain vil…
- Lorukul Cultural Village – A cultural village run by the Karamojong community just outside the park's southern gate, offering visits to traditional enclosures, the ju…
- Apoka – The park headquarters and main accommodation hub, overlooking the Narus River valley. Animals often come to the waterhole, and it is the st…
- Namamukweny Valley – A wooded valley in the park's northwest, a birdwatching hotspot where you can see ostriches, dryland bird species characteristic of Karamoj…
Where to eat
- Apoka Safari Lodge Restaurant – The only upscale wilderness lodge restaurant in the park, where you can eat a three-course dinner while watching animal…
- Kidepo Savannah Lodge Restaurant – A tented lodge restaurant on the western edge of the park, with a hillside bar overlooking the savanna. Its four-course…