MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK - WILDLIFE SAFARIS

Murchison falls national park, the largest park in Uganda, is named after the Murchison falls where the mighty river Nile explodes through a narrow gorge and flows down to become a placid river whose banks are decorated by herds of hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, and water bucks among others.

Wildlife at Murchison falls national park includes lions, leopard, elephants, giraffes, cape buffaloes, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees, and many bird species including the rare shoebill, goliath herons, pelican bee-eaters, kingfishers, cormorants and the Egyptian Geese among others.
Game drives which start as early as 7.00 am up to 6.00 pm are conducted along Buligi, Albert and the Queen’s tracks north of the River Nile. At Nyamusika cliffs the panoramic view here introduces visitors to a variety of mammals in the surrounding grassland. Game drives take 4 hours with the help of the game rangers or tour guides.
Launch cruise down the falls starts from Paraa Lodge and this is the highlight of many tourists to the Murchison Falls national park. A launch cruise offers you an opportunity to view a variety of birds like cormorants, kingfishers, herons, fish eagles, ducks, bee eaters, and sometimes the rare shoebill.

Nature walks can be conducted in the areas of Labongo Forest, at the top of the falls, Kaniyo Pabidi and Budongo Forest. Nature walks provide you an opportunity to view the abundant flora and fauna the Murchison Falls national park has to offer. The Kaniyo Pabidi is also famous for chimpanzee tracking and birding.
Sport fishing is another exciting activity in the park along the Nile River banks. Capturing a huge Nile Perch gives you some psychological satisfaction.
Top of the falls, just 10 metres from the “Devil’s Cauldron” is an interesting part of the Murchison Falls national park. The ‘Top of the Falls’ is one interesting spot any visitor can not afford to miss.
 The plume of the spray that forms a rainbow over the river makes this spot very beautiful.

 Facts: Murchison Falls national Park covers 3840sq km and is the largest of all protected areas in Uganda; north-west of Kampala. Murchison Falls is the focal point of tourist activities in the Park where the River Nile’s rapidly flowing course is interrupted by a narrow fissure, which forces this mighty river through a gap just 24 feet (7m) wide. In a furious demonstration of power, the water explodes into the deservedly named 'Boiling Pot'. Then at the height of its anger, the river corkscrews through another small gap to cascade 120 feet (36½m) in a thunderous foaming torrent. Impressive for power rather than size, the Murchison Falls are a spectacular sight. However, there is much more to the park than a frothing river.

Highlights: here is a diversity of wildlife. Murchison Falls has in total, 76 mammal species recorded such ad Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, oribi, warthog, primates like olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkey and chimps. There is a bird list of 460 species the country's wildlife including African fish eagle, Goliath heron, saddle-billed stork, African Jacana, black-winged red bishop, yellow-mantled widowbird among others.

 Nile River is the world’ longest river flowing 6,650km from its remote headwater to the delta as it enters the Mediterranean in Egypt.  We are proud to have the Nile’s source in Uganda, Jinja. The Nile River calms itself after the falls into a rather more gentile flow and the best way to experience the abundance of animal and bird life along its banks is on a launch cruise from Paraa Lodge. The river is full of unbelievably the largest Nile crocodiles that sunbathe on rocks and display their entire 15-foot (4½ meter) reptilian bodies. Occupying the same waterway are thousands of pink-eared hippos who take defending their territories seriously and can startle you with a sudden mock charge. There are borassus palms, acacia woodland and stands of mahogany.

Activities: Other activities that are carried out include chimp tracking in Budongo forest and Kaniyo Pabidi. Budongo forest is the only forest remaining with intact mahogany trees and is one of the most extensive and ecologically diverse in East Africa. The forest has about 800 chimps, the largest in the country and other primates plus more bird species that can be of interest to birders especially if one is to visit the “Royal Mile.”  There are game drives and these are more fun in the Northern delta circuit to Paraa. Wild game can be spotted in huge numbers such as lions, buffaloes. The most impressive activity is visiting the Top of the Falls.  It is where you get to appreciate the staggering power the Nile uses to crash through the narrow gap in the escarpment. Enjoy the beautiful view of the Murchison Falls and other wildlife.