Situated in the far northeast of Uganda, the Kidepo National Park is segregated from the rest of the country by Karamoja – a savannah region with a harsh climate and sparse population. The Kidepo area consists predominantly of rugged mountain terrain, with tree-punctured valleys and grasslands.
Visitors are far less frequent than other Ugandan parks because of the difficulty and expense involved in getting here. Of course, the difficulty of the modern world in reaching this area is directly proportional to how attractively wild it remains, and the park offers exceptional game viewing and birding.
Of the Ugandan National Parks, Kidepo is home to the greatest variety of large mammals. 22 predator species play hide-and-hunt in the wilderness, including: lion, cheetah, black-backed jackal and caracal. Where there are predators there must be meat, and the park has 17 antelope species. Birding is excellent and Kidepo has the second-highest amount of recorded bird species amongst the parks and reserves in Uganda.
The proximity of this park to the Kenyan border, often resulting in violent cross-border cattle raids, doesn’t make it the most peaceful of safari destinations. The park is safe, but the surrounding area is often the stage for armed banditry and ethnic violence.
Most tourists to this park fly in, and self drive isn’t recommended.