Kidepo National Park Road Trip
Kidepo valley is one of the furthest national park from Uganda’s capital Kampala. In order to connect to this national park, you ought to plan a full day drive of close to 12 hours. But if you have some time on your disposal, then you can consider the idea of breaking down your road trip after this order.
Kampala to Murchison Road Trip
Instead of driving straight to Kidepo valley national park, you can break down your road trip with a stop at Ziwa rhino sanctuary and then overnight in Murchison falls national park.
The beauty with Murchison falls national park is that it has the option of night game drives. It is therefore possible to do a night game drive there, or visit the top of the falls in the evening before proceeding to Kidepo valley national park the following day.
View of Kidepo Plains from Apoka safari Lodge
However we usually recommend people to at least spend two days in Murchisons falls national park so that they do not rush their transfer to Kidepo valley national park. Upon reaching Kidepo valley national park, the experience might be different because of the temperature.
It is also recommended to carry some extra fuel tanks since getting fuel in Kidepo valley national park is relatively hard. Alternatively, you can take a car that has two fuel tanks so that you are given the opportunity to drive for atleast 1000km without fuel again.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo valley national park is popular for large herds of wildlife including buffaloes, elephants among several other big game. It is recommended to spend at least three days in this national park before proceeding to the IK tribe and the Karamjo community tours.
Kara Tunga Tours
On your way back from Kidepo valley national park, you can consider doing a few community activities with Kara Tunga or simply drive to Sipi falls in Kapchorwa. If you opt for a community tour, then plan for at least two extra days in the area.
Sipi Falls
Instead of driving back through Murchison falls national park, it is wise to explore other parts of Uganda on your way back to Kampala or Entebbe. One of those places that you can visit on your way back to Kampala is Sipi Falls.
The falls are located not at the actual high way. You will therefore have to do a detour. It is still recommended to plan for two extra days for this part of your Kidepo road trip.
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Jinja
It is possible to drive from Sipi falls to Kampala in one day but that would be really a long stretch. Therefore to reduce on your driving hours, you can consider a stop in Jinja.
Jinja is often referred to an the adrenaline capital of Uganda. If you are interested in rafting the Nile, this is the place. If you are interested in swimming or a boat trip on the Nile, this is the place to be.
You can also visit the source of the Nile during your stop. We recommend a minimum of two days in Jinja so that on the day you set off you have enough time at your disposal to drive to Kampala or Entebbe.
Kampala traffic is unpredictable. The journey that is meant for two and a half hours can actually take you as much as six hours on the road on a bad day. Therefore, it would be wise to make a provision for these kinds of delays though on a good day, you will spend less than three hours to get to Kampala.
In conclusion, it is important to note at Kidepo valley national park has the worst roads among all national parks in Uganda. You will need a 4×4 with good ground clearance. A Land cruiser Hardtop, Land cruiser GX and a Land cruiser V8 are the most recommended.
