Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest national park located in western Uganda in Kiruhura district on Kampala- Mbarara highway. The national park covers a total area of 370 square kilometers which is dominated by five lakes, savannah woodlands, lush forests, swamps, rocky hills among others which act as habitats for wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, elands, zebras, impalas, giraffes, waterbucks, topi, oribi, bohor reedbuck, bushbucks, sitatunga, hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, leopard and variety of bird species including the black bellied bustard, bare faced go away bird, African wattled lapwing, shoebill stork among others.

Top things to see and do in Lake Mburo national park

Game drives  

This is one of the major activities done in Lake Mburo and game drives are carried out in the comfort 4WD pop up safari vehicles with professional guides. During the game drive which can either be done early in the morning or afternoon you will be able to spot animals like elands, topi, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, bohor reedbucks, duikers, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs , oribi, impalas among others.

Night game drive

Lake Mburo national park is one of the national parks in Uganda which offer night game drives an exciting activity that allows you to experience the park at night with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals. During the night game drive which starts at around 7:00pm after dinner, you will be able to spot nocturnal animals such as bush babies, porcupines, leopard, white tailed mongoose, spotted hyenas among others.

Boat cruise

This is an amazing activity that shouldn’t be missed during your safari in Lake Mburo. The boat cruise is done in schedules that is the morning and the afternoon schedule. during the boat ride which takes about 2 hours, you will be able to spot hippos in water, Nile crocodiles basking on the banks, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks among others drinking water along the shores, view water birds such as the illusive shoebill stork, kingfishers, hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles, bee-eaters among others. You will also be able to see the fishermen preparing their fishing gears for night fishing.

Bird watching

The national park is a home to about 350 recorded bird species including endemic species, migratory birds, forest birds among others which makes it one of the best birding areas in Uganda. There are various birding areas in the park such as Rubanga forest, Miriti valley, swamps where bird lovers can view different bird species like black collared barbet, bare faced go away bird, greater painted snipe, saddle billed stork, green wood hoopoe, Bateleur eagle, rufous bellied heron, white headed barbet, grey crowned crane, Ross’s turaco, long tailed cisticola, Nubian woodpecker, brown chested lapwing, yellow breasted apalis among others. 

Horseback riding

Horse riding is an interesting and adventurous activity in Lake Mburo national park which gives you an opportunity to explore the park while on a horseback. The activity is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at around 10:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm. Each session allows a maximum of 6 people who will ride with an experienced and well trained guide. During horseback riding you will enjoy great views of animals like giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, impalas, topi, birds like saddle billed stork, African wattled lapwing, brown parrot, grey crowned crane, enjoy views of the surrounding hills, valleys, local communities, lakes among others which gives you unforgettable memories. 

Nature walk

Nature walk is an exciting and interesting activity where you will get out of the vehicle and explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and armed park ranger to protect you from any danger. During the guided nature walk you will follow different trails such as trails to the lake, salt lick, trails through Rubanga forest among others. You will therefore be able to get up-close and personal with animals like hippos,  zebras, waterbucks, elands, impalas, colorful butterflies,  view variety of bird species, lakes around the park,  enjoy the beautiful scenery, listen to sweet sound of bird species singing in trees, breath fresh air, enjoy the cool  breeze among others.

Sportfishing

Sportfishing in Lake Mburo national park is carried out in designated areas at Mazinga and visitors who want to engage in the activity should first obtain sport fishing permits from the Uganda wildlife Authority and also carry their own fishing gears. During sport fishing activity you will be able to catch fish species like tilapia, lung fish, mud fish among others.

Best time to visit Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season the park receives less rainfall therefore vegetation will be thin and viewing of animals will be easy. During the dry season animals gather around the water bodies to drink water which gives you an opportunity to view large concentrations of animals and take beautiful photos.

Lake Mburo national park can also be visited in the wet season during the months of March to May and November because that’s the best time for bird watching where bird lovers will get an opportunity to view migratory bird species.

Where to stay during your safari in Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo national park has a number of accommodations facilities ranging from luxury, midrange, budget and camping sites where visitors can stay during the safari. The accommodations include Mihingo lodge, Eagles nest lodge, Rwakobo rock lodge, Arcadia cottages, Mantana tented camp, Rwonyo rest camp, Lake Mburo safari lodge, Leopard Rest lodge among others.

How to get to Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo national park is located in western Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where by visitors will drive from Entebbe or Kampala via Masaka-Mbarara road and then to the park headquarters which takes about 4 to 5 hours drive in a 4WD safari vehicle.

The national park can also be accessed by air transport means where by visitors will book charter flights from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mbarara airstrip and then drive to the park headquarters by road. Flights to Lake Mburo national park can be booked by your tour operator.