Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari – East and North-eastern Uganda

Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari – Most of the game viewing tours to Uganda cover the western parks. This is typical, and there are reasons for that. The east and north-eastern parts of the country had a slow road network development even after Uganda’s liberation from the civil unrests. Although the east and north-east have unique and very localised species and scenery that you will not find anywhere in the country, they are not blessed with as many animals as the west. The other reasons are that some travellers like to follow itineraries of previous travellers. This type would never go to the east since it is hardly reviewed on travel portals or whispered by word of mouth. Other travel agencies have adopted the culture of following the first operators’ footsteps.

Therefore, for something unique and very exotic, we came up with this east and north-eastern Uganda safari adventure for our returning travellers and the very daring adventurists. We want to expose you to the divergent evolution species found in the eastern mountains as opposed to the west’s Albertine rift. WILD INTENSE intends to take you up to the exotic habitats that Uganda shares with north-western Kenya and South Sudan. Tourists can only access these through Kidepo Valley National Park because it is not the smartest option doing if from the other countries looking at the present security and logistics. 

Day 1 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Arrival and transfer to Jinja

Jinja is approximately three hours drive from Entebbe with minimal traffic, so depending on the time of arrival, we head there right away. We want to spend a night at Jinja and enjoy the beauties of the traditional town before continuing to the mountain in the east the next day. 

Depending on the timing, we plan to visit Mabira forest for a nature walk. Nature walks in tropical rain forests are quite an adventure for a typical naturalist. This is where high chances for seeing primates are at the climax on this tour. For a two hours nature walk, the trip sees Mantled Guereza, Uganda Mangabey and the Red-tailed Monkey. Those are three species of old world monkeys very likely on the second day of the tour.  

Relatively large trees and thick forest undergrowth can be exciting for new arrivals to Africa, and the very vocal birds and butterflies spice up the experience. 

Day 2 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Visit the Source of River Nile and Transfer to Sipi of Mountain Elgon

This morning, we transfer to the Jetty and take a boat ride and visit the source of the mighty River Nile. The waters of the legendary river that takes ninety days to flow into the Mediterranean sea starts here. The point marked as the source is the most satisfying; it has a significant amount of water sprouting out of the lake and flows to the north. 

We will drive through typical Ugandan trading centres until will start changing elevation into the mountains. We will make an elevation difference of up to 800 meters.

Day 3 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Visit Pian Upe and The Sipi Falls

This morning, we visit the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve. Although this reserve is not well-visited, it is one of the most remarkable protected areas in Uganda. Virgin grassland and wooded habitats have created an incredibly welcoming environment for dry country wildlife that are not regular elsewhere in the country. On this note, this is the only park in the country where the handsome Roan antelopes occur. We will search its Red acacia, Desert date, Bushwillows, Harrisonia abyssinica, and Red spike thorns as well as shrubs, such as butterfly pea and woolly caper bush for the secretive Common Eland, Lelwel’s Hartebeest, Common Zebra among others. 

Later, we will return to Sipi area and visit the fantastic and most romantic falls in the country, the Sipi falls.

Day 4 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

Have breakfast and with packed lunch be to drive through verdant countryside, past traditional homesteads into the drier and least exploited north-eastern Uganda. Kidepo Valley National Park has the second-highest mammal list of all game parks in Uganda; after Queen Elizabeth National Park. Over eighty species of mammals are known to occur in Kidepo; twenty-eight species are range-restricted to this area. Amongst these are such charismatic African animals as the Bat-eared Fox, Cheetah, Maneless Zebra and the Klipspringer, to mention but a few.

Day 5 and 6 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Morning and evening game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park

Two major valleys make up the most attractive game viewing spots in this park. The Narus Valley, which is moister, happens to entertain most of the activities. It supplied by the all year round active Narus river, and because of it, the valley can attract animals since they always need water to dring sometime during the day. Africa’s largest herds of African buffaloes of over two thousand individuals occur here. 

The Kidepo valley, which is forty kilometres north, is drier but with a very complex habitat for such a close distance. It gets drier here and more rocky with very scenic surroundings with views going as far as South Sudan. There are also beautiful hot springs that our previous travellers have enjoyed. 

The game dives are likely to see more mammals among which might include; African bush elephant, Maneless zebra, African buffalo, Bohor reedbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Lelwel’s, Leopard, African Lion, Rothschild giraffe, Common warthog, Oribi, Guenther’s Dikdik, Senegal galago, Side-striped jackal, White-tailed mongoose and much more. 

For travellers passionate about birds, Kidepo has a good bird list with speciality species of the Somali-Masai biome along with a vibrant and diverse reptile fauna. Several of these show up without effort during game drives.

Day 7 Kidepo Valley Wildlife Viewing Safari: Transfer to Entebbe

Today, we make an early breakfast and do a lengthy drive to Entebbe for the last night. This 

Day 8: Departure – End of Uganda Safari

Your guide will transfer you to the airport in time for your flight.

For detailed information about this tour or customise one for you, please contact us.

CNN, ranks Kidepo Valley National park, a top national park in Africa.