Kidepo Valley National Park

Tucked into the far north-east against the South Sudan and Kenya borders, Kidepo is the park most Uganda itineraries skip and the one that most rewards the effort of reaching it. CNN has repeatedly named it among Africa's finest wildernesses, and on most days you will have it almost to yourself.

The Narus Valley holds the game, with buffalo herds running to a thousand strong, lion, elephant, giraffe and Uganda's only populations of cheetah, ostrich and greater and lesser kudu. The seasonal Kidepo River in the north is a sand river lined with borassus palms.

It is also the cultural heart of Karamoja. Visits to a Karamojong manyatta, and the climb toward the Ik people's settlements on Mount Morungole, are as much a part of the destination as the wildlife.

Highlights

• Narus Valley game drives for buffalo herds, lion and elephant
• Cheetah, ostrich and kudu, found nowhere else in Uganda
• Kanangorok hot springs near the South Sudan border
• Karamojong manyatta cultural visits
• Mount Morungole and the Ik people

Best time to visit

September to March is the strongest window, with game concentrated in the Narus Valley. April–August brings rain and long grass, and some tracks become difficult.

Getting there

A scheduled or charter flight from Entebbe to Lomej airstrip takes under two hours and is what we recommend. By road it is a full two-day drive via Gulu or Mbale.