Visit Kanangorok hot springs, located in Kidepo Valley National Park north-eastern side of Uganda. This is one of the unmissable safari destinations in the country, christened “Pearl of Africa”.
The beauty of this protected area goes beyond big game (elephants, Cape buffaloes, Rothschild giraffes and giant elands) and plethora of birds. The spectacular Kanangorok hot springs is just one of the natural features that you can’t afford to miss in this safari destination. Just 90 minutes’ drive north-east of Apoka Wildlife Reserve into the beautiful Kidepo Valley National Park is the jaw-dropping hot springs that sit in close proximity of South Sudan border.
About Kanangorok Hot Springs
Kanangorok Hot Springs in Kidepo Valley National Park
The word Kanangorok means “place of black stones” in the local Karamojong dialect and given the fact that it is the only hot spring in the Karamoja region makes it worth visiting. It is about 40 kilometers from Apoka Rest Camp, so it offers opportunity of seeing lots of wildlife species that include Rothschild giraffes, cheetahs, Burchell’s zebras, giant elands, greater kudus, lions, leopards, Cape buffaloes and lots more.
While Kanangorok hot springs was scientifically formed, it is surrounded by traditional/cultural stories of its existence. In most African traditions, calamities, infertility, epidemics, sudden deaths and droughts are attributed to spirits of ancestors being annoyed. To pacify the angry spirit of ancestors and seek for pardon, they offered sacrifices. To the local community living around Kidepo Valley National Park, the existence of the hot spring was a way of ritualism.
In the past, a long drought hit the Karamoja region and territories as far as present-day South Sudan. The King at the time sent one of the youth (named Longorok) to collect water from the South (Kidepo Valley) in the traditional gourd. On his way back with the water in a gourd, a heavy cloud of rain formed and later followed by a heavy downpour. It is said that on getting to the spot where Kanangorok hot springs are found, a sudden bright lightning blinded his eyes. This prompted him to fall down on the ground and water in the gourd poured.
Longorok suddenly died and locals believe that the water mixed with blood from his body hence forming the Kanangorok hot springs. Until today, locals from near and far visit the Kanangorok hot springs to pay homage to the ancestors or appease the spirits while others even bathe in the hot springs for cure from body ailments.
Getting There
Getting to Kanangorok hot springs isn’t easy, but worth the effort since visitors have to walk through the savannah woodland scattered with thorny Acacia, bushes and tall grass and thickets. The hot springs is therefore a wonderful opportunity to enjoy unmatched wilderness experiences beyond animals and birds. This hot spring sits between a hard rock, marked by boiling water underneath the earth crust before oozing through vents and emerging from rock outcrops into the Earth surface. The water flows at about 1 liter per second and at 50 Celsius degrees.
Visitors to this beautiful hot springs pass through various vegetation zones and are provided with unforgettable opportunities of discovering the raw beauty of Kidepo Valley National Park. Pass through savannah grasslands, bush lands and shrubs, wooded areas to the Borassus palm forest found within Kidepo Valley. Expect random sighting of wildlife especially Cape buffaloes and elephants.
When Is the Right Time To Visit Kanangorok Hot Springs?
The stunning Kanangorok hot springs are open for visitation all year round, but most visitors prefer exploring in the dry season, June to September and December to February. During this period, roads of the park are drier and less challenging to use while accessing the hot springs.
Explore the unparalleled beauty ranges across the country’s varying landscapes, with unexplored wilderness as far as the eye can see.
Make your safari extension to other parts of the country including Kibale Forest National Park, best known for Chimpanzee tracking tours in Uganda and Bwindi Forests for exciting gorilla holidays in Africa. Uganda will always leave you wanting in as far as wild safaris are concerned.