Murchison Falls National Park.

The park gets its name from the Murchison Falls, which attracts people from all over the world to this lovely portion of Uganda. But it’s the epic terrain, variety of habitats, and tremendous biodiversity that keeps people coming back. As is customary in Uganda, there is much more to find than meets the eye.

Murchison’s difficulty in the 1960s was that it had too many animals, which led to an elephant and hippo slaughter to try to limit big herbivore use. Civil conflict supplied its own answer, resulting in a significant population decline for all species.

Peace and an appreciation of the importance of tourism, on the other hand, have considerably aided the rehabilitation of many people. Elephants are prospering; the park has the world’s greatest population of Rothschild giraffes, only seen in Murchison and Kidepo; buffalo and Ugandan kob populations are increasing. The lion population is believed to be over 200, divided into roughly 20 prides, while leopard sightings are common.

Major Attractions at Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison Falls.

The Nile River cuts through the park. As it rushes west into Lake Albert, the Nile squeezes through an 8-metre breach before plunging 45 metres down into the appropriately called ‘Devil’s Cauldron,’ generating the iconic rainbow caught in so many images.

The Falls are the penultimate impediment in an 80-kilometer stretch of rapids that converts the Nile into a broad, calm river bound for Lake Albert and a lengthy voyage north. The Falls are best seen in two stages, beginning with a boat safari on the Nile, where you will witness elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo, Nile crocodile, and aquatic birds on the beach or in the shallows, and ending with a 30-minute walk along the cliffs to the top of the Falls.

Sailing west instead of east to the Falls leads you to the Lake Albert delta, one of the greatest spots in Uganda to watch the storks. Murchison is also an excellent area for fishing if you like to be more active on the sea. Specialized trips are provided in a variety of areas.

Wildlife

Game drives on the Buligi Peninsula’s savannah grasslands and riverine woods allow great views of lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and Ugandan kob antelope. Leopards are becoming more visible; rhinos are missing, but they will be reintroduced from the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

The Budongo Forest Reserve, located in the park’s woody south, is a refuge for birds and an excellent monkey monitoring spot. Although most people stay in Murchison for two or three nights, it is possible to remain for much longer and yet leave wanting more.

Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda contains more than 76 different kinds of animals to offer guests on wildlife viewing safaris. Topi, antelopes, impala, waterbucks, African savannah elephants, leopards, lions, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and hippos are among the various creatures that may be seen in the park.

Kaniyo Pabidi and Budongo Forests.

The Kaniyo Pabidi Forest is located in Murchison Falls National Park’s southern part. The woodland is a popular place for monkey safaris in the park, particularly for chimp trekking in Murchison Falls National Park. Aside from following its habituated chimps, visitors may also witness other primate species such as baboons and monkeys.

Budongo Forest: Budongo Forest is one of East Africa’s greatest natural forests, covered with mahogany tree species. The forest is home to primates such as chimps, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, potto, as well as bird species such as grey long bill, chocolate backed kingfisher, pygmy crake, yellow crested woodpecker, and butterfly species.

Activities in Murchison Falls National Park.

Game Drives

Guided game drives at Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park provide tourists with an excellent opportunity to see a variety of wildlife species, including most of the Big Five mammals such as lions, leopards, buffaloes, and African savannah elephants. The park provides both morning and evening game drives, with the morning game drives beginning at 6:30 a.m. and the evening game drives beginning at 4 p.m. Night guided game drives begin at 6 p.m. every evening and provide tourists with two hours of nocturnal animal watching. Visitors on a night game drive can see nocturnal species such as lions, hyenas, leopards, serval cats, and many more.

Boat Cruises

Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park boat tours are just spectacular! Visitors on a boat excursion at Murchison Falls may sail the mighty Nile and discover its natural splendor. Boat trips in the park depart at the pier at Paraa and last around two hours for those sailing upstream and five hours for those sailing downstream. The morning boat excursion at Murchison Falls begins at 9 a.m., and the evening/sunset boat cruise begins at 2 p.m. Although guests on a boat excursion may witness a variety of wildlife creatures grazing on the riverbanks, the view of the breathtaking Murchison Falls is usually the highlight of the boat cruise.

Top of the Falls Hike.

The trek to the top of the falls may be paired with a boat ride upstream to the foot of the falls, which is also recognized as the world’s most powerful waterfall. As a result, the boat will let you off at Bakers Point, where you will hike to the top of the falls for around 45 minutes. Hiking allows you to experience the roars of the water, fresh air, water splashes, and stunning landscape while also learning about the history of the waterfalls from your guide, making your safari really unique.

Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park may be done from Kaniyo Pabidi or Budongo forests. Visitors to the national park can track one of the habituated chimp groups, guided by trained guides and park officials. Chimpanzee tracking at Murchison Falls is done in groups of up to six people and can take four to six hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees. Once a group of chimpanzees has been identified, visitors are only allowed one hour with the primates.

Visitors can see baboons, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, butterflies, tree species, and bird species such as the black kite, African pied wagtail, olive breasted greenbul, crested guinea fowl, Cassin’s, hawk eagle, white spotted fluff tail, pygmy crake, and blue breasted dwarf while tracking chimpanzees. Sport fishing, bird viewing, guided nature hikes, and community cultural exchanges are among the other activities available to visitors at the park.

Accommodation in Murchison Falls National Park.

Visitors planning to spend a night or more in the national park can book a room at any of the following lodges: Paraa Safari Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Red Chilli Rest Camp, Geo Lodge Shoebill Camp Site, Sambiya River Lodge, Yebo Safari Camp, Murchison Safari Lodge, UWA Campsite, Budongo Eco Lodge, Boomu Women’s Group Bandas, Fort Murchison Safari Lodge, and Murchison River Lodge. The lodges are well-equipped with all of the essentials needed to make you feel at ease. Visitors may also take use of services such as WIFI, restaurants, room service, laundry services, and many more.

How to get to Murchison Falls National Park?

The national park is accessible by road and air. The park may be reached by car from Kampala through Masindi, which is about a five-hour journey away. Visitors who desire to visit the park by air can arrange domestic charter flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Bugungu Airstrip in the park’s southern sector, or to Chobe and Pakuba Airstrips in the park’s northern sector.