Located in Uganda's remote north-eastern corner, some 700km from Kampala and tucked between the borders with Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley is Uganda's most isolated park. However, the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja to visit it, would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wilderness. Kidepo is an area of rich cultural interest for the plains around the park are dotted with the manyattas (homesteads) of Karamoja's fiercely traditional pastoralists.
Game drives: Perhaps surprisingly, given the harsh climate, Kidepo's savanna, bush and forests habitats support a wide diversity of mammals with 86 species. Indeed it is the only Ugandan refuge for number of species, including cheetah, bat-eared fox, striped hyaena and caracal while eland only occurs in Kidepo and Lake Mburo. Though buffalo are far from rare in Uganda, their huge seasonal congregations in the swamps of Kidepo's Narus Valley cannot fail to impress. Elephant, Rothschild's giraffe, bushpig, Burchell's zebra, bushbuck, oribi, Jackson's hartebeest, Bohor reedbuck, greater and lesser kudu, warthog, aardwolf, lion, leopard, spotted hyaena and black backed and side-striped jackal are also present.
Birding: Kidepo boasts over 475 bird species. The distinctive birdlist includes over 100 'dry country' residents of northern Uganda and Kenya including a number that are endemic to the Kidepo region e.g. rose ringed parakeets, Clapperton's francolin and Karamoja apalis. Other highlights include the ostrich, secretary bird, kori bustard, red-throated bee-eaters, the Abyssinian roller and the Abyssinian ground hornbill. Kidepo is also notable for 56 raptor species including the rare lappet-faced vulture, lesser kestrel and Denham's bustard.
Community walks: Community walks outside the park provide the opportunity to learn about the life in the local Karamojong manyattas (homesteads).