Activities in Murchison falls national park
Activities in Murchison falls national park
Activities in Murchison falls national park; Murchison falls national park is the largest national park located in the north western part of Uganda. The national park was gazetted in 1952 and covers a total land area of 3,840 square kilometers which is comprised of woodland, forest patches, Riverine woodland and savannah plains which act as habitat for various wildlife species including the big four of the big five mammals which are elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and other animals like waterbucks, giraffes, Jacksons hartebeest, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, hippos, warthogs, primates like chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others. Murchison falls national park also harbors variety of bird species such as the shoebill stork, goliath heron, African jacana, black headed gonolek, malachite kingfisher among others.
Activities in Murchison falls national park
Game drives in Murchison falls national park
Game drive is one of the major activities in Murchison falls national park that shouldn’t be missed during your Uganda safari. Game drives can either be done early in the morning or in the afternoon in a 4 WD pop up safari vehicle and a professional driver guide. During the game drive you will be able to view animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, view lions and predators if you are lucky, view some bird species among others.
Murchison falls national park also offers night game drives where visitors get a chance to explore the park at night in a safari vehicle with spot light torches. During the night game drive you will be accompanied by an armed park guide who will help you to spot nocturnal animals like leopards, bush babies, genets, hyenas, lions, civet, porcupines, nightjar, view the incredible moonlight, hippos feeding among others.
Boat cruise in Murchison falls national park
Boat cruise is an interesting activity in Murchison falls national park and there are two boat cruises for example the boat cruise up stream to the bottom of the falls and the boat cruise downstream to the Victoria Nile delta stretching to the shores of Lake Albert. The boat cruise is done in two schedules that is the morning schedule which starts at 9:00 am and the afternoon schedule which starts at around 2:00 pm. Each boat ride takes about 2 to 3 hours and gives you an opportunity to view animals like elephants, waterbucks, giraffes, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks among others which will be drinking water along the shores, view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, variety of water birds like African fish eagle, African jacana, saddle billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, African skimmer, Chapin flycatcher, Abyssinian hornbill among others.
Hiking/ nature walk in Murchison falls national park
Nature walk/ hiking is another interesting activity in Murchison falls national park where visitors will get out of the comfortable Uganda safari vehicles and explore the park on foot with the company of an armed park ranger to protect you from dangerous animals and an experienced park guide. There are different nature walk trails in Murchison falls national park for example trails through Kaniyo Pabidi forest, Albert delta area, Rabongo forest, hikes to Simbya River, Mubako junction, top of the falls among others. During the guided nature walk you will be able to view and get close to animals like elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, giraffes, primates like chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, baboons, view different bird species, tree and plant species, listen to sweet sounds of bird species singing in trees, enjoy the cool breeze, take beautiful photos among others.
Bird watching in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park is a home of over 450 bird species including Albertine rift endemic species, forest birds and water birds which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. During bird watching which can be done during the game drives, guided nature walks and boat cruise you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species such as the elusive shoebill stork, black bellied bustard, open billed stork, widow bird, secretary bird, marabou stork, Abyssinian ground hornbill, giant heron, grey headed kingfisher, yellow fronted tinkerbird, veracious dove, long toed plover, martial eagle, silver bird, standard winged nightjar, malachite kingfisher, weaver bird, grey crowned crane, swamp flycatcher, red throated bee-eater, saddle billed stork, red winged grey warbler, blue headed coucal among others.
Sport fishing in Murchison falls national park
Sport fishing in Murchison Falls National Park is an adventurous activity which is best done at the banks of the Nile below the Murchison falls and anglers are required to carry their fishing equipments. During sport fishing in Murchison falls national park you will use different fishing methods such as casting lures, spinning, catching fish on live bait among others and you will be able to catch different fish types like the Nile perch, tiger fish and cat fish.
Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park
Chimpanzee trekking is a fascinating activity in Murchison falls national park where visitors are allowed to move on foot into the forest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park is done in Budongo forest and it starts with a briefing at the headquarters where after you will start trekking in the forest with a park guide who is knowledgeable about the chimpanzees. During trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours you will be able to view other primates like black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, view different bird species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their environment which gives you a chance to learn about their behaviors, habits, take photos, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, hunting, fighting, record videos among others.
Best time to visit Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park can be visited all year round though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this time the park receives little or less rainfall therefore vegetation will be thin which helps you to have clear views of wildlife species. During the dry season hiking and chimpanzee trekking trails will be passable compared to the wet season when the trails are muddy and slippery which makes trekking difficult.
Murchison falls national park can also be visited during the wet season in the months of March, April, May and November because that’s the best period for bird watching where bird lovers will be able to view migratory birds from Europe.
Where to stay during your safari in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from luxury, midrange, budget and campsites where you can stay during your safari including Budongo eco lodge, Boomu women’s group bandas, Chobe safari lodge, Sambiya river lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Geo lodges Nile safari lodge, Red Chilli rest camp, UWA campsite, Yebo safari camp, Fort Murchison safari lodge, Murchison River lodge, Nile safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Murchison Tree house, Amuka safari lodge, Bakers lodge, Global Village Guest house, Bwana Tembo safari camp, Heritage safari lodge, Kalalo cottage inn, Kabalega wilderness lodge, Parkside safari lodge, New court view hotel, Masindi hotel, Yebo safari camp, Shoebill campsite, Twiga safari lodge among others.
How to get to Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park is located in north western part of Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book charter or scheduled flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Chobe, Pakuba or Bugungu airstrips.
Murchison falls national park can also be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala or Entebbe to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours drive in a 4 WD safari vehicle.
