Murchison Falls National park.
Murchison Falls Self
Drive Tours
Murchison Falls National park locally
known as Kabalega National park is the largest and biggest National park in
Uganda covering an area of 3,840 square kilometers. It is located in North
western Uganda covering almost 4 districts including Masindi, Kiryandongo,
Nwoya and Buliisa districts.
Murchison Falls National park sits on
the shores of Lake Albert and is known to have Murchison falls the biggest
water falls in the world where the Victoria Nile River surges through a narrow
gap over a massive drop.
It is the most popular National park in
the country due to its variety of attractions and is also the top tourist
destination in Uganda. It has different vegetation including savannah plains,
savannah woodlands, swamps and forested areas which are all habitats for numerous
species of mammals, birds, primates and reptiles.
While on your car hire safari in
Murchison falls National park you can go for a game drive and view many
wildlife species including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, antelopes,
impalas, jackals, leopards, lions, waterbucks and many others.
Murchison falls National Park was
named after the mighty water falls Murchison falls which were also locally
Kabalega falls with very interesting natural attractions which everyone would
need to consider seeing.
The park is also home to 23 Albertine
rift endemics located in the western arm of the East African rift valley which
can also be seen on your bird watch activity in the park.
How to access Murchison Falls
National park.
By road.
From Kampala it takes approximately
5-6 hours’ drive to the National park through the Kichumbanyobo gate, however
there are other entry gates like Tangi, Wankar, Chobe and Mubako gates that can
also let you into Murchison falls National Park depending on the direction you
are coming from. They are also a great option although they are long in
distance but take you straight to the most interesting section of the park.
By Air.
It is possible to fly to Murchison
falls National Park by chartered air craft or the daily scheduled flights from
Kajansi airfield. The flight is just less than an hour.
The most convenient air field to
arrive at is Pakuba airfield because of its closeness to the park headquarters
and has many accommodations around.
Alternatively you can fly to Chobe or
Bugungu.
Activities to do in Murchison Falls
National park.
Murchison falls National Park has got
a lot to offer in terms of activities that will spice up your safari while on a
self-drive. The activities include;
Game drive– the park is home to over
76 mammal species that can be seen during a game drive either in the morning or
evening including the African elephants, cape Buffaloes, impalas, duikers,
jackals, errands, leopards, lions, giraffes, kobs, hyenas, bush pigs among
others which can be observed a 4-5 hour game drive.
The drive mainly takes place in the
northern part of the park which is dominated open savannah grasslands. During yourself
drive in the park, will head for different game tracks like the Albert delta
track where many buffalos, crocodile, water birds, lions and giraffes can be
seen.
You can also take the Buligi
peninsular with open grasslands hugged with the Nile water which also hosts
most elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hippos and giraffes on the shores. You
will enjoy the game drive experience when you hire a car for self-drive because
you can always take your time and seen all the animals on your check list
compared to having a drive guide who always times you out.
Visit the
top of the falls.
The Murchison falls are the main
tourist attractions in the National park and are the reason why the park took
the name Murchison Falls National park. The top of the falls hike starts with a
boat cruise to the Baker point named after the British explore Sir Samuel baker.
The guided hike takes 1 hour as you
go through the rolling hills surrounded by the verdant country side and the
birds. Once you reach the top, you will see the Nile water forcing its way
between a narrow 7 meter gorge before plunging 43 meters off the cliff and into
the pool below.
Boat cruise– the boat cruise also
allows you to see many water loving animals that always come close to the Nile
to drink water and others stay in water like the hippos, Nile crocodiles, and
many bird species as you head out to the bottom of the falls. There are two boat
cruises to choose from at Murchison each heading a different direction along
the Nile that’s cuts through the park.
The Albert delta takes off from paara
and leads you down the Nile towards the shores of Lake Albert. The second
cruise the launch trip leaves Paara and heads towards the bottom of the mighty
Murchison falls. You will observe the water cascading through a small meter
gorge creating a splash of water forming a mist into the boat. During both
cruises, you will spot game like hippos, crocodile, buffaloes and birds sun
bathing on the river banks.
Birding watching– for the birders,
Murchison Falls National is also home to over 451 bird species including
hornbill, African egrets, heron among others. These can be seen during a game
drive, boat trip, nature walks in the kaniyo pabidi forest.
Chimpanzee tracking– chimpanzee tracking in
Murchison falls National Park is done in Budongo forest, a natural forest which
has been in existence for many years and is part of the Murchison falls park
and conservation area.
It is also home to many endangered
primate species like chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus, red
tailed monkeys, blue monkeys among others.
Over 600 chimpanzees live in the
mahogany tree lined forests of Murchison falls National Park. In the 1970s and
80 the number of chimpanzees reduced as the two civil wars broke out, many
chimps were killed with their infants but the numbers started increasing by
2000. Now 20 years later Murchison falls National Park has the second largest
number of chimpanzees in Uganda after Kibale National park in western Uganda.
The standard chimpanzee trekking
experience starts with briefing early morning with your ranger guide, the head
out to the forest to search for these endangered species. On contact with them,
you will spend one hour observing the chimps and watching their general
behaviors.
Rhino Tracking– Rhino tracking is done
at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary located in Nakitoma village off Kampala Masindi
road in Nakasongola district. It is home to a unique Rhino specie known as the
white rhinos and it is the only place you will find rhinos in Uganda and may be
in the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Center in Entebbe after being depleted from
Murchison falls and Kidepo National parks during the massive war in the 1970s
together with the rampant poachings in the 90s. This activity is done en route
to or from Murchison falls National Park. This is also another great experience
that cannot be missed during your self-drive safari to Murchison Falls National
park. It is just 7 kilometers from the road to the sanctuary.
Best time to
visit Murchison Falls National park.
The park can be visited at any time
throughout the year, but the best time to visit is during the dry season in the
months of June to August or early September. This time of the year there is
little or no rainfall which makes the roads clear for easy game drives and
nature walks. Also the wild animals are seen easily as they come out to feed
and drink water from the river banks.
Accommodation facilities in Murchison
Fall National park.
The park has the best amazing
accommodations ranging from luxury, midrange and budget.
The luxury lodges include Chobe
lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Nile safari lodge and Bakers lodge.
Midrange lodges include Murchison River lodge,
pakuba safari lodge, Fort Murchison safari lodge, Kabalega wilderness lodge
among others.
Budget lodges include Budongo Eco lodge, park
side safari lodge, yebo safari camp, Boomu women’s group bandas among others.
