Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is the oldest and largest park in Uganda, gazetted in 1952, covering an area of 5,072 square kilometers along the might River Nile which divides the park into northern and southern sections. The spectacular Murchison Falls located on the River Nile are found within the park and give the park its name.

Murchison Falls National Park is the most popular destination for wildlife safari trips in Uganda because of the huge diversity of wildlife that is also easier to see compared to other savannah parks in Uganda. The park covers a wide range of habitats hence harboring many different species. In a nutshell Murchison Falls National Park has 87 mammals, 650 bird species and 14 reptiles. The northern section of Murchison Falls National Park is mostly grassland and acacia savannah looking like the typical safari area one imagines when thinking about a safari. This is the area with the largest volume of animals and almost all animal viewing occurs in this area. The Nile hosts many water animals and birds and also attracts a lot of big game which can be observed up close during the boat safari on the Nile. The southern area of the Murchison Falls Nation Park spans a big chunk of Budongo Forest which harbors many primates including Chimpanzees and is in fact one of the best destinations for the chimpanzee trekking in Uganda because of a big population of chimpanzees that live there.

Location of Murchison Falls National Park and how to get there

Murchison Falls Park is located about 300km by road to the north of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The main access route is via Nakasongola – Masindi, thereby entering the park through the Kichubanyobo Gate and going through Budongo forest. You are ushered into the park by lots Baboons and Vervet monkeys. This journey is roughly 6 hours.

Flights to Murchison Falls National Park are also available, setting off from Entebbe Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip, and land in two places in the park either at Pakuba which is located in the north of the park or Bugungu Airstrip located in south of the park. There is another airstrip at the super luxurious Chobe Safari Lodge normally used by visitors to stay at the lodge. Normally it is a one hour flight to the park.

Animals in Murchison Falls National Park

For a safari trip in Uganda that will enable you see as many animals as possible, a Murchison Falls National Park tour produces the biggest animal count. A list of the common animals found in Murchison Falls National Park includes: Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Elephant, Crocodile, Hippo, Giraffe, Buffalo, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Uganda Kob, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Baboon, Chimpanzee, Pattas Monkey, etc…

Top activities and safaris in Murchison Falls National Park

Game Drive

Game drives take place on the northern side of the park after crossing the Nile from the southern part. The northern area of Murchison Falls National Park is where many of the animals can be spotted easily roaming in the short savannah grasslands and between the woodlands. Game drives start as early as 6am which is the best time to catch the elusive nocturnal and the cats which are by now hunting the antelopes that are only waking up by to graze. Common animals seen during the morning game drive include: Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, Buffaloes, Pattas Monkey, Baboons, Warthogs, and so many species of Antelopes.

Afternoon Boat Safaris on River Nile

One of the activities which make Murchison Falls National Park standout among the major safari parks in East Africa is the boat safari on River Nile. All the popular parks in East Africa will offer the big game safari from game drives but none offers a big game safari from a boat ride like Murchison Falls National Park. The boat safari offers sightings of plenty of water wildlife and many animals which come to drink, bath, and cool off in the River Nile.

On any Murchison Falls safari, the afternoon boat/launch ride is a highlight and a must do adventure. There are large boats with a carriage capacity of up to 40 or more which are shared by many tourists and these operate on schedules, but there are also smaller boats (albeit expensive) available for those who prefer to have own private boat safari and explore at own pace. The boats are taken at the ferry crossing point near Paraa at 2pm. From there you will ride upstream, enjoying wonderful sights of the park and observing an array of wildlife along the Nile. Water animals such as Crocodiles and Hippos are a common sight throughout the ride, while other animals such as Elephants, Buffaloes, and Antelopes come to eat fresh grass along the Nile and drink from the Nile. Water birds are in plenty and some of the sightings will include Herons, Fish Eagles, Kingfishers, Crakes, Bee-eaters, Pelicans and occasionally the Shoebill among others. The boat rides upstream for 2 hours before reaching the base of the spectacular Murchison Falls. Enjoy is this wonderful sight for a few minutes and then turn back, ride for one hour before getting back to the starting point near Paraa. Alternatively when the boat gets to the base of the falls you can disembark and embark on a one hour hike up the Murchison Falls. This option should have been communicated prior with the tour driver who is supposed to have driven round to wait for you at the top.

Hike to the top of the Murchison Falls

The hike to the top of the Murchison Falls is another exciting adventure to do in the park and it is also a big highlight of a Murchison Falls safari. When you take the afternoon boat safari thereby observing hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a ranger of other wildlife along the Nile for close to two hours, the boat will wind up at the base of the Murchison Falls. Those set to the top of the falls hike will leave the boat and set off on a light trek of roughly one hour on a neat trail about 2km up the rocks adjacent to the waterfalls. This is the best activity to experience this spectacular waterfall, which is also the strongest waterfall in the world. The entire Nile squeezes through a small gap between the rocks measuring about only 7 meters only to emerge with such a roaring explosion, splashing into the whirlpool about 42 meters down where the crocodiles have their jaws open all the time for an easy catch of fish and other elements unfortunate to have been squashed by the raging waterfalls. The hot sunny creates magical rainbows into the splashing droplets. While you trek in the heat cool droplets from the waterfall will land on face and body to sooth you. The waterfalls offer such beautiful photo moments. When you get to the top, the tour driver will be there waiting for you and drive you back to the lodge.

Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest

Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest is a wonderful inclusion to the big game safaris in Murchison Falls. After the safaris in the hot savannah in the northern part of the park, crossing over to the south in the cool and serene Budongo Forest is very refreshing and unwinding. The Chimpanzee trek offers a memorable encounter with man’s closest relatives and you will also get to sight plenty of life in the forest such as monkeys, baboons, forest birds, butterflies, rare creatures such as the cicada, some of the biggest Mahogany trees, and a variety of plants and shrubs. The Chimpanzee tour is carried out at the Kaniyo Pabidi Eco Site which is located 30 minutes drive from the main entrance (Masindi Kichubanyobo gate) of the park, and about one hour drive after crossing over the Nile from the northern side (Paraa). Kaniyo Pabidi is home to a big community of over 100 Chimps which was habituated for tourism. The trekking trails start from Budongo Eco Lodge which is also the visitor’s information center of Kaniyo Pabidi. A night at Budongo Eco in the heart of the forest is an awe-inspiring jungle experience. The forest becomes alive with loud screams of the tree hyrax, pant-hoots of the Chimps, calls of birds, and rare sounds from the dwellers of the forest. It is such a unique feeling for being so close to nature.

Birding in Murchison Falls National Park

The different habitats of Murchison Falls National Park host many bird species and about 415 have been recorded. If you are especially keen on savannah birds then Murchison Falls National Park cannot miss out on Uganda birding trip but the park will more species due to the diverse habitats. Birding in Murchison Falls National Park will produce savannah species in the northern part, water species along the Nile and the Lake Albert, and the forest species in Budongo Forest.