Murchison falls National Park is the largest in Uganda and locally known as Kabalega National Park. It’s should also be noted that this park offers the best game viewing experience in Uganda. It hosts a variety of wild birds and animals like Hippos, crocodiles, elephants, Buffaloes, Antelopes, giraffes to mention but a few. If you visit Uganda and you Miss Murchison Falls National Park, accept that you have missed the best of Uganda.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The park is situated in north western Uganda where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. The park straddles the Ugandan districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi. It was first gazetted as a game reserve in 1926; it is Uganda’s oldest conservation area, hosting over 76 species of mammals and 451 birds. It measures approximately 3,893 square kilometres (1,503 sq mi). The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile from east to west for a distance of about 115 kilometres (71 mi)
Murchison Falls National Park is reached after 335 kilometers from Entebbe Airport and 305km from Kampala (the capital city of Uganda). Murchison Falls Conservation Area is made up of Bugungu, Karuma wildlife reserves and Murchison Falls National Park. The park is divided by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant valley wall, creating the dramatic falls, the park’s unique attraction and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids.
Water loving animals usually visit the bank of Murchison Falls include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while residents here include hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds. Murchison Falls National Park has so far welcomed notable visitors like Winston Churchill in 1907 (he stated that “Uganda is the pearl of Africa” Other visitors include Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway and several British royals.
TOURIST ATTRACTION IN MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Many tourist activities are done in the park, below are some few:
Murchison Falls
There is an internal war between rocks and water at Murchison Falls. The waters violently compress through a narrow gorge, spraying misty droplets along their way over a 50m radius. There is a permanent rainbow over the battlefield and causes a continuous roar. Take boat cruise to the bottom of the falls to see a variety of water loving birds and mammals like crocodiles, Hippos, monitor lizards alongside others animals that are found lingering at the shores before or after drinking water.
The Nile River
The boat trio, sports fishing and birding are done while on the trip to the bottom of the falls. You can as well hike to the top, few meters from the bottom of the falls to the top of the falls. The two activities are separately paid for.
Nile-Lake Albert Delta
If you are a birder, please visit Nile-Lake Albert Delta. It’s where the tranquil Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert. Its papyrus-lined banks are bursting with birdlife, including Goliath Herons, Great Egrets, and African Fish Eagles and Shoebills among others.
Buligi Game Tracks
It’s one of the trails for game viewing activity- the Buligi game tracks, stretching between the Victoria and Albert Niles. At around 120-170km in length, they pass through open savannah grassland, woodland, acacia and riverine vegetation. Most game sighted here includes Buffaloes, Antelopes, elephants, leopards, Giraffes among others.
Paraa region
It’s among the top areas of interest in Murchison falls. Paara region connects the northern and southern banks after ferry crossing. There is also, a museum and gift shop which can be found on the northern bank, and this is where most of the game drives launch trips and nature walks take place.
Karuma Falls
In the northeastern side of Murchison Falls National Park is Karuma falls- stretching to Chobe region where sports fishing are majorly done. These thundering waterfalls on the Victoria Nile are made up of a series of natural rock formations which cause the waters to ripple and give them a white foam-like appearance to the amusement and excitement of the viewer! The best accommodation here is Chobe Safari Lodge managed by Mukwano group of Companies.
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
It’s located in the south of Murchison falls conservation and well known for chimpanzee trekking where visitors find them relaxing in the Mahogany trees. Kaniyo Pabidi Forest is also an habitant for special bird species like the yellow-footed flycatcher, the Ituri batis in addition to the white thitghed hornbill. A number of tourists enjoy taking nature walks within these forests, although Rabongo forest presents the finest experiences the best. Other primates found here include the black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys and olive baboons. You will as well encounter Elephants, buffalos, lions and leopards.
Rabongo Forest
Evergreen tropical forest and suitable for camping and picnic meals- The giant mahogany trees forms the roof of tall tree canopies; tall as skyscrapers, they are as tall as 60 meters high. The mahogany tree stems are huge and the roots seem so alive like giant amazon pythons. The other tree species include spiky faraga trees, parasitic strangler figs and the iron wood. The inhabitants of the forest, monkeys, they use the iron wood trees to communicate through drumming them.
Budongo Forest
Situated in southwest of Murchison Falls Conservation Area bordering Murchison falls with a link to the community, which is contiguous with the Kaniyo Pabidi Forest known for chimpanzee tracking. The forest – Bundongo is overwhelmingly biodiverse with 24 species of mammals, over 360 birds, 289 butterflies and 465 plants. Budongo is also known for its primate population, which includes around 800 chimpanzees.
Budongo Forest Lodge is the best accommodation here; you can as well do camping.