Located in the distant north-east of Uganda, close by the borders of South Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo is an enthralling place of semi-arid savanna, seasonal rivers and low mountains. It is beautiful - and accessible - at any time of year.

Kidepo Valley National Park’s landscape extends across 1,442km². Altitudes range from 914m above sea level on the valley floor to the 2,750m peak of Mount Morungole which dominates the horizon.

The Kidepo and Narus rivers glide through the savannah landscape in the rainy season and disappear in the dry season. Kidepo’s remote location makes it Uganda’s most isolated national park. The low number of visitors has preserved the unique ambience of this untouched wilderness.

Cut off for years by conflict of varying forms, it has only recently become accessible by both road and air. Currently, there are only two lodges and a government rest camp available. These two factors, along with the relatively high cost of reaching the park, have combined to keep visitor numbers low. But those who do make it are in for a treat, with enjoyment only amplified by the fact you are well off the beaten track, miles from anywhere.

Kidepo is Uganda’s third largest national park, and only Queen Elizabeth National Park contains greater biodiversity. It is one of the great mountain ranges of the world. As you continue to the park you may see different animals and birds given that the park has got about 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species.

Kidepo is home to 77 mammal species and the park offers great opportunities for game viewing. 20 species of predator are present, including lion, leopard, and spotted hyena.

In Uganda, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, cheetah, and caracal are endemic to Kidepo. The elephant population is over 650 (up from 200 in the mid ‘90s), buffalo are estimated to exceed 10,000, and there are over 50 Rothschild’s giraffes, an internationally important population.

The bird list currently numbers 470 species. 60 of these are recorded in no other national park in Uganda. East Africa’s population of Clapperton’s francolin and the rose-ringed parakeet are found only in Kidepo. There are 56 species of raptor, and the park’s vultures are thriving. Kidepo is also the only place in Uganda where bird enthusiasts can encounter the majesty of the Common Ostrich.

Kidepo Valley National Park covering 442 square kilometers is located in the extreme north eastern corner of Uganda. It is the remotest of Uganda’s national parks, located over 600km from Kampala. To reach Kidepo Valley National Park by road takes no less than 12 hours of drive which is why it is one of the least visited parks in the country leaving it isolated from the popular Uganda safaris and tours circuit.

Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the semi-arid region of Karamoja. It is one of the most pristine and least disturbed of Africa’s wildernesses, and according to CNN Travel, Kidepo is one of Africa’s best parks with the most beautiful landscape.

Kidepo National Park has two main biomes; savanna/acacia grassland in the Narus Valley which lies in the southern area of the park, and semi-arid short grass area in the northern Kidepo Valley. The park is generally dry, experiencing only one rainy season of April – September. It has two rivers, Kidepo and Narus both of which are seasonal only flowing during the rainy season. During the long dry spells water can only be found in wetlands and remnant pools in the Narus Valley.