This park lies at the northern end of the Albertine rift. Within its premises are great falls that lie on the renowned Nile River that pours out its water via a high rift, producing a thunderous sound. This park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which first races down 80km of white water rapids, and then plunges 40m over the remnant rift valley wall at Murchison Falls. These falls drain the last energy, transforming it into a broad placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor for 55km to Lake Albert. Murchison Falls National Park covers an area of approximately 3893 sq km and a home to several untamed African savannahs. This is Uganda’s largest protected area.
When you get to this park, you get to see the greatest number of Uganda’s wild animals. And the commonest visitors are: warthogs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and in the water, hippopotamus, crocodiles, and large fish.
Accessibility
From Kampala to the park, you may take about 5 hours. You drive from Kampala to Luwero, Masindi to Murchison Falls National Park.
Alternatively, you may connect from parks in the western region, i.e. Queen Elizabeth to Fort Portal to Hoima to Murchison Falls National Park. This is a very long drive, which may take 8 to 10 hrs
Chatter flights can also be used to move to this park. This arrangement can be reached when you book a flight at Kajansi and Entebbe. It can land at the air strip at Pakuba and south at Bugungu.
Activities
Launch cruise
At the moment, the highlight of a safari to Murchison Falls is a Launch trip upstream to view the falls and riverside wildlife. There are two trips each day, that is to say 0900hrs and 1400hrs. There is an optional boat trip from Paraa to the papyrus delta at the river’s entrance into Lake Albert.
Game drive
This park has the biggest population of wildlife. It is blessed with both herbivores and carnivores. You may spot a majority of them when you move to the Northern part of the park. The Buligi area is the prime game viewing area. It has a lovely grassland wilderness which is sandwiched between the Victoria and Albertine Niles with panoramic views towards the western wall of the rift valley. During the drive, you may spot animals like lions, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, bush bucks, cape buffalos, oribi, Uganda kobs, Giraffes the list is endless.
Chimpanzee tracking
Enjoy the visit to man’s closet cousins during Chimpanzee tracking at Rabongo Forest. These exciting apes are found in the Kaniyo pabidi forest, which is 8km from the Kichubanyombo gate. There are high chances of seeing other primates like baboons, black and white Colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, to mention but a few.
Bird watching
This park has a variety of birds, including the Albertine endemics. During a launch trip, you get the chance of spotting birds like the rare shoebill stork, kingfisher, African skimmer, papyrus canary, corncrake, yellow-footed fly catcher, ituri batis, white thighed hornbill, and so many others. Even during a forest walk like in Rabongo forest, you may not exhaust the number of birds that you spot.
Flora and fauna
Murchison Falls National Park is dominated by savannah woodland, river/wetland tropical forest habitats, which provide home for 76 mammal species and 450 bird species.
Large mammals like lions, leopards, elephants, hippopotamus, and oribi are found in this park. The Nile corridor provides a home to these animals as well as a plethora of water birds, hippos, and crocodiles
Accommodation
Paraa safari lodge, Sambiya Rivers lodge, Red Chillis camp, Nile safari lodge, Sambiya river bandas
