MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
WILDLIFE SAFARIS
Murchison falls national park is one of the most popular parks in Uganda, it being the largest and the oldest park among the ten national parks attracts a large number of tourist due to its rich bio diversity. Murchison falls national park formerly renowned as Kabelega national park is found in the North end of the Albertine Rift valley where it has existed since 1926 when it was first gazetted as wildlife reserve. It is a home to a variety of wildlife including 76 mammal species, over 451 bird species in the greenery of the savanna plains covering the entire park.
The park is famous for the thunderous waterfall formed due to the bisection of Victoria Nile. The rapid falls thrust down 45 meters of the prominent rift valley walls through the 7 meter gorge to join the calm waters of river Nile stretching for 80km before joining Lake Albert. The 80 km stretch of the river provides one of Uganda's most remarkable wildlife sightings and views along its banks including elephants, giraffes and buffaloes while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
What our experts love about Uganda
Uganda is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, including the Rwenzori Mountains, the Nile River, and numerous national parks like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, It's a prime destination for wildlife lovers
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Activities Around Murchison Falls National Park
Game drive in murchison falls park
A game drive around Murchison falls is one of the best ways to explore the park’s attractions which include the top game four including Lions, buffalo, hippo, Elephant and Leopard, Kob, Rothschild’s giraffe and Orbi, antelopes among others.
The park is divided into the Bugungu (South) and the Paraa section (North) but majority of the game is found along the Bulingi game track which stretches over 160 km offering a great chance of viewing plenty of wildlife including different bird species like Carmine Bee eater, Bar breasted Fire finch, Spur winger Geese, North Crombec and many more but also lots of game can be seen along the Victoria and Albert trails which are the best for viewing the water animals and birds like the hippo, crocodiles, alligators, monitor lizards among others.
The game drive can be done in the morning which creates a great chance to see animals while still in their habitants before dispersing away for the day’s hunt and also in the evening time when the animals stroll through the savanna plains back to their habitants and a night game drive is the best time to encounter the nocturnal animals as they begin there night life like the cheetahs, leopards and lions among others.
Don’t forget to carry along an insect repellant for the case of tsetse flies.
Top of the falls in murchison falls national park
The top of the falls is a popular destination, you can’t visit Murchison falls and not stop over at the great and mighty falls. You might have glanced at the falls while on your boat cruise but this visit brings you on a very close encounter with the strong rapids.
Initially the top of falls could be accessed by the boat from the bottom of the falls and clients could hike up to the top but due to the high loads of water that covered up the hike trail from down the river, clients now have to drive around to the Paraa side to access the top of the falls. You can choose to this excursion on day 1 as you enter the park or on your last at Murchison falls as you depart the park.
After registration by the UWA ranger, you will lead down with your guide to the top of the falls the sound made by the falls as they thrust through the gorge is the first welcoming aspect later the sparkles off the falls will shower you wet cooling down your high body temperature from the hotness of Murchison falls National park.
The falls are surrounded by the green canopy and big rocks, you have to be very cautious not to slide off the rocks. Possible natural sightings include: birds, caterpillars on the moist leaves, butterflies among others.
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest
Budongo forest is one of Uganda’s conservation units located close to Murchison falls with the highest number of Mahogany and iron trees in East Africa. The forest is a home to over over 900 habituated chimpanzees which makes it one of the best chimpanzee tracking locations in Uganda and it also a home to other species like 290 butterflies, 130 moth, and 465 tree species.
The day starts after your breakfast, you will drive to the starting point at Kaniyo Pabid for a briefing before proceeding for the excursion. The briefing lasts for about 15 minutes, listen to the rules and regulations from the ranger guides.
Proceed with your trek that normally lasts for over 3 hours or more basing on when you find the chimps. As you get closer to the chimps, you hear them hooting from a distance and this will need you to increase on your speed so that we don’t miss out the chimps because they keep moving and going deeper into the forest.
So many people can’t hide their excitement upon the first sight of the chimps as they swing from one tree to the other, showing off different poses. It is normal to be scared when you first get close to the chimps but all this is long forgotten because the chimps are so welcoming.
Spend 1 hour with the chimps, taking photos while listening to the ranger giving you more information about the chimps like reproduction and mating periods, ways of living, feeding etc
After about an hour of remarkable experience with the chimps, exit the forest to the park for your certificate.
Birding in murchison falls national park
Murchison falls is well known for being a home to very many bird species boasting over 556 species of both water and land associated species including the rare shoe bill and other species like the martial eagle, African fish eagle, papyrus gonolek, marabou storks, Great Blue Turaco, Osprey among others.
Tourists can see the different birds in the savanna grasslands along Buligi trail and also along river banks of the Albert Delta Nile while on their game drive and boat cruise. Furthermore, UWA has demarcated trails for the nature walk in Budongo and Rabongo forest for tourists to explore the mindfulness of the forests on foot in an accompaniment of the guide who will take you through the forest canopy and the guides know the best spots where you can find the different mammals, birds , monkeys, insects, prehistoric tree species.
Carry along a walking stick to create a path off the shrubs for better and clear sightings.
Spot fishing in murchison falls national park
Sport fishing is one of the best ways of spending your adventurous day in Murchison falls National Park. It is carried out at the bottom of the falls where the waters are calm. It is done in accompaniment of the fishing guides who know the best fishing spots with a ranger guide on board for your safety as Murchison falls is a home to the large crocodiles that are normally seen resting at the showers of the river banks.
The common fish species in the river include the Nile perch that exist in heavy kilograms, on a luck day an angler can catch fish above 100kgs, the tiger fish, cat fish, Tilapia least but not last. We organize all kinds of fishing trips that include: multiple day trips, full- day trips, morning or afternoon trips on a catch and release policy.
Tourists are advised to come with their fishing equipment like the hooks, lures for trolling and the angler however some equipment are always on board like the rain suits, life jackets, first aid box, fire exguinsher, and cool box for cold drinks and picnic lunch for full day fishing. You are also advised to include these items in your back pack - sun protection, sandals, light clothing, and camera, insect repellent.
The fish is more active during the dry seasons in Uganda, however the activity can be done all year round.
Other activities around in murchison falls national park
Bottom of the falls cruise in murchison falls national park
The three hours boat cruise to the bottom of the falls in Murchison falls can be done in the morning or afternoon from the jetty sailing downs to the Fajoa Gorge as a shared or exclusive activity.
The boat cruise stops at the point where the strong rapid falls from the top of the falls join the calm waters of the river offering you a full sight of the waters gushing from the gorge down the escarpment and previously clients could get off the boat to hike to the top of the falls for a full encounter.
The boat trip also offers beautiful sightings of so many residents of the park along the shores of the river Nile like birds, the hippos, crocodiles, elephants as they feed, never can you miss out glimpsing at the buffaloes and antelopes.
Delta cruise in murchison falls national park
The morning delta cruise taking you downstream along the Victoria Nile delta, a 20km voyage downstream from Paraa.
The delta cruise is highly recommended for keen bird watchers, it is really an informative trip with the boat captain stopping a few times so explain to you details about a given bird species. It that you could have spotted, the cruise also offers sighting of lots of native animals like the elephant, hippo and large Nile crocodiles, baboons, chimpanzees, waterbuck, giraffes, antelopes,
Birds: Eagles, kingfishers, cranes, skimmers, shoe bilked stork, herons. The trip lasts approximately 4-5 hours and departs at 7 am from a jetty at Paraa on the South Bank of the Nile River.
Ziwa rhino santuary in murchison falls national park
Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is the only place in Uganda that hosts the white Rhinos. The sanctuary is located on Nakasongola district, north of Kampala. Currently the sanctuary hosts 32 white Rhinos but also other wildlife can be seen there like over 300 bird species including the rare shoe bill species, Uganda kobs, warthogs, oribis, bush bucks, and water bucks among others.
Enjoy an adventurous trip around the ranch on foot or a boat canoe through the swamps. The sanctuary rangers will walk you to the Rhinos however sometimes you might need to first drive a little into the ranch as the Rhinos are allowed to move around for about 27 miles so you could need to just search for them. The trek goes for about 1 to 2 hours depending on the location of the rhinos.
You need to bring Closed shoes, drinking water, long pants, insect repellent, and of course, your camera
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