Top things to do in Murchison falls national park Uganda
Top things to do in Murchison falls national park Uganda; Murchison falls national park is the largest national park located in northwestern part of Uganda on the shores of Lake Albert. Murchison falls national park was gazetted in 1952 which makes it one of the first national parks and it covers a total land area of 3,840 square kilometers which acts as habitat for different wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, leopards, lions, hippos, hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs and over 556 bird species including the shoebill stork. Murchison falls national park offers a number of interesting activities that visitors can engage in during the Uganda safari including,
Top things to do in Murchison falls national park
Game drives
Game drive is an interesting activity in Murchison falls national park where you will be able to explore the savannah plains in a comfortable 4 WD safari van with a professional driver guide. Game drives in Murchison falls national park can either be done very early in the morning, in the afternoon or at night where you will be able to view nocturnal animals. During the game drive, you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kobs, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, giraffes, hippos among others.
Boat cruise
Boat cruise is one of the exciting activities in Murchison falls national park and it’s done along the Victoria Nile to the bottom of the falls. Boat cruise in Murchison falls national park is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at around 9:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm and each session takes about 2 to 3 hours. During the boat cruise you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view other animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes along the shores, view water birds like cormorants, kingfishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles among others.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is an adventurous activity in Murchison falls national park which involves visitors moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their habitat. Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park is done in Budongo forest and it starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide in search of the habituated chimpanzees. Trekking of chimpanzees in Murchison falls national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plants among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, hunt, rest, take photos and record videos.
Sport fishing
Sport fishing is a thrilling and one of the top activities in Murchison falls national park. Sport fishing is done along the Victoria Nile and at the banks of the Nile below Murchison falls and the activity involves catching fish using different methods like casting lures, spinning method, using live bait like worms among others to catch fish species like Nile perch, cat fish, tiger fish among others.
Nature walks
Nature walk is an amazing activity in Murchison falls national park where visitors will get an opportunity to explore the park on foot with the company of an armed park ranger and an experienced park guide. During the guided nature walk, you will follow different trails which pass through Rabongo forest, albert delta area and Kaniyo Pabidi forest where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species, enjoy the beautiful scenery, view different bird species, enjoy the cool breeze, listen to sweet sounds of bird species singing in trees among others.
Bird watching
Murchison falls national park is a home of more than 556 recorded bird species including savannah birds, migratory birds, forest birds and water birds which make it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. There are various bird watching spots in Murchison falls national park including Kaniyo Pabidi forest, Lake Albert Delta, Budongo forest among others where you will be able to spot different bird species like the elusive shoebill stork, Senegal thick-knee, Abyssinian ground hornbill, African jacana, red-throated bee-eater, Silver bird, black-headed lapwing, Palm-nut vulture, Malachite kingfisher, black-headed gonolek, swamp flycatcher, goliath heron, giant kingfisher, Denham’s bustard, speckle-fronted weaver, black-billed barbet, Squacco heron, grey crowned crane, yellow-footed flycatcher, African fish eagle among others.
Best time to visit Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin and many animals gather around the water bodies to drink water which helps you to have clear views of different wildlife species.
Murchison falls national park can also be visited in the wet season during the months of March to May and October to November because that’s the best time for bird watching where you will be able to view colorful and migratory bird species.
How to get to Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park is located in northwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive.
Murchison falls national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Pakuba, Chobe or Bugungu airstrips and then connect the park headquarters or lodge by road.
Where to start in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls National Park has a wide range of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your safari.
The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Paraa safari lodge, Nile safari lodge, Sambiya river lodge, Chobe safari lodge, Murchison river lodge, Fort Murchison lodge, Budongo eco lodge, Twiga safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Parkside safari lodge, Red Chilli rest camp, Heritage safari lodge, Yebo safari camp, Geolodges shoebill campsite, Kalalo cottage inn, Kabalega wilderness lodge, Murchison falls bamboo village, Murchison treehouse among others.
