4 Day Kidepo Valley National Park

4 days kidepo valley national park safari package takes you on a visit to kidepo national park, kidepo national park is an enchanting tourist destination situated in the north east region of Uganda. Kidepo national park covers an area of 1442 square kilometers and it is dominated by mountain Morungule, kidepo valley, Narus valley and intersected by kidepo and Narus Rivers which create a beautiful panoramic terrain. 

The park is a great habitat for wildlife species and bird life, animals in the park include zebras, lion, cheetah, buffalo, elephants, spotted hyena, wild dog, bat eared foxes, Rothschild giraffe and many more. Bird species in the park include fox kestrel, golden pipit, greater kestrel, Jackson’s hornbill, Abyssinian scimitar bill, Abyssinian roller, chestnut weaver and many more.

safari highlights

• Day 1: Transfer to Murchison and Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

• Day 2: Cultural tour karamoja villages

• Day 3: Game drive and hike kidepo national park

• Day 4: Nyero Rock Paintings and white water raftin

Getting There

This tour starts and ends in Kampala or Entebbe

• Book your own international flights - Fly to/from Entebbe International Airport

• A transfer from and back to the airport can also be arranged

• Additional accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost.

Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Zziwa (or Ziwa) Rhino Sanctuary is home to Uganda’s wild endangered rhinos. Located in Nakasongola District, near Nakitoma Village, Ziwa covers around 70 square kilometers. Uganda used to have a large number of both black and white rhinoceroses, but the civil wars of 1970’s and early 80’s diminished their numbers close to extinction. In 2005 the sanctuary was established and rhinos were re-introduced by the Rhino Fund Uganda for purposes of breeding rhinos back for reintroduction into the wild.  

This Rhino Sanctuary is the foundation of the restoration of rhino population for all of Uganda, and so they are protected 24 hours a day from poachers by an electrical fence and security personnel. The sanctuary started with 6 rhinos but currently the number has grown to about 19 animals.

A trip to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary gives you a rare opportunity to track rhinos on foot, have an up-close experience and some great and unusual photo opportunities. The white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary are gentle giants – and approaching them on foot poses no danger to you. You will have the guidance and company of a sanctuary ranger who is knowledgeable about the behavior of the rhinos.

Apart from the rhinos, Ziwa is also home to a number of bird species, reptiles, and 40 other mammal species including antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, monkeys, among others. The sanctuary has become increasingly popular during Uganda safaris with tourists for rhino trekking, boat riding, bird watching, night walks and nature walks. The accommodation units offer fine foods ranging from local to international cuisines.

Guru Guru Caves

The Guru Guru caves are located some 25 kilometers from Gulu, the biggest city in Northern Uganda. The caves have an interesting history, and are said to have been used as a hiding place during the 1911 Lamogi rebellion against the British rule.  The rebellion was begun by the Acholi people, the largest ethnic group in the region, and they were protesting against the taxes and exploitation by the British, but their resistance was violently put down. What evidence is left of the rebellion are the drops of blood that are said to be visible on the large boulders that have survived the weather for more than a century.  The rather arid landscape around the site is home to a variety of reptiles and on a sunny day, there are butterflies, birds and monkeys in abundance.

Nyero Rock Paintings

The Nyero Rock Paintings are located in eastern Uganda in Kumi District, some 8 kilometers from Kumi town. They are among the most important rock art in East Africa dating before 13th century, but were first documented only in 1913 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 10 September 1997.  This type of rock art is part of a tradition often depicted in red pigment, spreading across east, central and parts of southern Africa, matching the distribution of the Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers’ culture. This art is generally attributed to the Batwa hunter-gatherers who are of pygmy origin, and are today found in small groups near the Rwanda/Uganda border and eastern DR Congo.

 The ingenuity in which the rocks were painted demonstrates a high degree of appreciation of their aesthetic values. The main site has a big white wall covered in groups of red circles, boats and some vaguely human and animal forms. Archaeologists have yet to unravel the significance of the designs, who painted them and even when they did so. If the caretaker is around, he will charge for a tour; otherwise local kids will show you around. The surrounding countryside is littered with boulder-covered peaks and cacti, giving it a Wild West feel. The rock art sites are believed to have been sacred places of the gods. In the past, the Iteso people of Nyero would make sacrifices and give offerings to the gods for problems of rain, misfortune, blessings and child bearing.

The Source of the Nile

The Nile is the longest river in Africa and the start of its 6,500 kilometer journey to the Mediterranean Sea is near the adventure capital of Uganda, Jinja district. There are other places beyond Lake Victoria and Uganda that have claimed to be the rightful sources of the great Nile waters but even if they were right, Jinja will not relinquish its pride in being associated with this great river.

According to John Speke, the first European explorer who discovered the source of the Nile in Jinja, 30% of the Nile water comes from underground at a spot just a few meters from Lake Victoria. One can actually see the water bubbles at that spot which indicate there is water coming from underground. The remaining 70% is contributed by other water bodies, the biggest being Lake Victoria and others that contribute to the Lake Victoria waters.

The Nile has contributed to the modernization of Uganda, notably the Owen Falls Dam, the source of hydroelectricity for much of Uganda.

The Nile at Jinja that starts with such calm increases its intensity as it flows over several undulating rocks, squeezing through gorges and negotiating around numerous small islands. It plunges into a multitude of rapids punctuated by a series of astonishing waterfalls popular for white water rafting, kayaking and a variety of other water adventures. The white waters of River Nile combine with the lush vegetation along the its shores, on islands and peninsulas, the several bird species and the cool weather to create such fascinating scenery that feels almost spiritual to be amidst.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park is the most isolated Uganda national park. It is located in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with South Sudan and Kenya.  Kidepo means “to pick from below,” and the valley was visited by people coming to gather fallen borassus fruit for fermenting to make palm beer.  Kidepo has an abundance of wildlife, ranking it among Africa’s finest wildernesses. The park contains two rivers, Kidepo and Narus, which dry out in the dry season, leaving just pools for the wildlife.

A trip to Kidepo is also ideal for a cultural walk, especially in the local communities around the park including the pastoral Karamajong and the Ik, a hunter-gatherer tribe whose survival is threatened. These nearby local communities possess teams of cultural entertainers that are normally accessible to offer performances on request. These performers have a wide range of traditional dances as well as songs for example the Emuya of the Nyangia as well as the Naporre ethnic groups along with the Larakaraka plus Apiti dances performed by the native Acholi people.

Kidepo has several exciting tourism activities in the wilderness of this area including nature walks, sightseeing, birding and hiking with game viewing of different game while driving in vehicles on the dirt roads that crisscross the southern and western parts of the park and the few improved roads exist and are easily passable no matter the weather.

Some of the favorite locations include Apoka Tourism Centre overlooking the game-rich Narus Valley and home to an upmarket lodge and simple UWA-run cottages. Apoka is the park’s tourism hub. Ranger guides are stationed at Apoka to escort tourists on game drives and walks.

Other sites of interest are the Kanangorok Hot Springs that lie 11 kilometers beyond the Kidepo river on the Southern Sudan border. This is a glorious place to sit and view the mountains beyond the frontier. There is also Mount Morungole that stands at 2,750 meters high and is crossed by the Kidepo and Narus rivers that nourish the park’s wildlife and this natural habitat as a whole.

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SAFARI INCLUSIONS

Safari includes:

Transportation in a Tour Van/Landcruiser

Service of an English-speaking tour guide/Driver

All activities mentioned in the itinerary

Park admissions

Accommodation on full board

Entrance fees to all destinations as per the program.

Transfers to and from Airport/Kampala

Free WIFI for the entire trip

 Safari Excludes:

All activities not mentioned in the program

Phone call bills

Tips

International transfers

Visas to Uganda

Gratitude to tour guides

Personal insurance

Personal effects of any nature

Hotel fees before and after the safari