Aug 26, 2017
Murchison Falls
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Murchison Falls
Plan a Murchison Falls Safari with prices, itineraries, activities, location, and entrance fees. Discover Uganda’s most powerful waterfall.
Murchison Falls National Park offers a variety of attractions that represent the natural beauty and diverse wildlife of Uganda
...safari continued...
Entering Murchison Falls National Park, I was amazed by how much has changed in the last nine years. The road to the park is now paved, and the gate to the park has transformed from a rickety metal stick to a large, Disney-esque welcome arch. The roads in the park have also been paved since COVID, making it easier for tourists (and Chinese oil drills) to reach the savannah. Despite the new roads, the journey was less than smooth. About 25 km from our lodge, our bus broke down, coolant and steam streaming from the engine. As the driver tried to fix it using whatever water we had left on the bus, Kelly and I took a swig of vodka and prayed for rescue. Finally, a big truck pulled over and gave us more than enough water to cool down the engine and get moving again.
The next morning, we left the lodge at 5:30 to beat the sunrise and see all the animals at the park. We watched the sun rise over the grasslands as we were greeted by a herd of elephants--with their babies--right off the side of the road. We soon saw more elephants, giraffes, buffalos Jackson's hartebeests, cobs, arupi, guinea fowl and even a jackal. At one point in the early morning, we noticed gazelles running through tall grass--a sign that something is chasing them. Soon enough, we saw a hyena (one of the rarest animals to see) lumbering after them, hoping to pick off a slow one.
Rounding the corner into a more wooded area, we saw a bunch of safari cars all stopped to look at something. Quickly, we spotted a leopard, and then moments later, we saw a second leopard! Leopards are typically solitary animals, and our guide told us that we were lucky enough to see a mommy and an almost grown juvenile together. What was perhaps even more exciting was that we saw the mommy leopard jump, showing off her amazing spots to the world.
Making it to lunch though, there was no sign of the final member of the Big Five: lions. We lazed at the hippo pond, bolstered by our morning successes, until one of the guide got news of lions hunting nearby. We ran back to the cars, and we jumped in and tore out of the rest area. Soon enough, we found the lions. Two females were resting in the sun a bit off the road. With our driver, we were able to get up close to see the lions, driving around the two lionesses as they watched us warily. What an amazing thing, to see these majestic beasts in person.
The next day on our game drive, we weren't nearly as lucky. We saw a group of three hyenas hunting, and we saw some neat birds, but nothing like our triumphant sightings on the first day.
After the second game drive, we hopped on the boat to get a tour of the Nile river. We, of course, drank a Nile beer on the Nile River, a tradition that Kelly and Mark have continued on each trip they've taken. Although we saw less animals on the boat ride than I saw last time, we still got a great view of some Nile Crocodiles basking on the shores, along with a number of mommy and baby hippos.
After lunch, we all jumped back in the cars to drive up to the top of Murchison Falls--the most powerful waterfall in the world. At the falls, we even saw my favorite monkey, the Colobus Monkey, which these days is a rare site. Such a bittersweet place for me, remembering all those years ago being astounded by the beauty of nature with my friends and now standing on the banks of the waterfall with Kelly, Mark and a number of sweet students, still astounded by nature. It is amazing that we are lucky enough to live in a world where things like that waterfall exist. We wrapped up our safari, having one final dinner at the lodge before preparing for our long journey to Bududa the next day.
Uganda
Murchison Falls
It costs an extra $10 to hike around the Falls. My driver insisted that I take a guide. This is pointless. The trail is well marked and very easy. it took me 20 minutes to go up to the waterfalls and down again. Most guides say the "hike" takes 45 minutes, but I was in a hurry to make my river boat cruise and I didn't bother with many pictures.
Mountain Hiking and Trekking in Uganda
A Few countries in Africa can combine trekking through jungle thickets in search of mountain gorillas, with mountaineering to snow-capped peaks and wildlife walks across savannah stretch for miles – but Uganda can.
Mountain hiking in Uganda is very good and authentic due to the fact that they still have kept most of the mountains as they are naturally. A Few countries in Africa can combine trekking through jungle thickets in search of mountain gorillas, with mountaineering to snow-capped peaks and wildlife walks across savannah stretch for miles – but Uganda can. In Uganda we have got like a few mountains…
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About Murchison falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park situated in Northwestern part of Uganda on an area of 3,840 sq km, gazetted in 1926 as a game reserve. It is classified with Savannah grasslands and the Victoria Nile that flows through separating it into two (the northern and southern bank).
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest park and is a home to over 451 bird species such as the Great blue Turaco, Goliath heron, the Shoebill, and the dwarf kingfisher among others, over 76 mammal species.
A big number of Nile crocodiles and above all the magnificent and thunderous Murchison Falls squeezing their way through a narrow gorge that is 7meters wide, you will be in position to explore different Uganda safaris such as; game drives safaris and the boat cruises safaris along the Nile River.
Flora and fauna
The park is dominated by rivers, woodland, savanna, wetlands and tropical forest habitats that provide homes for the different wildlife species that are found in the park. Some of the animals include leopard, elephant, lion, hippopotamus, Rothschild’s giraffe, hartebeest, Oribis, warthog, Cape buffalo, and Uganda kobo.
The Nile corridor offers permanent water for these animals and lots of water birds which include the rare shoebill stork as well as Uganda’s biggest population of Nile crocodile. Kaniyo Pabidi forest also provides sanctuaries for chimpanzee and different primates along with an amazing bird species.
Most Popular Uganda Safari to Murchison Falls: 4 Days Murchison Falls Safari
Geography and climatic changes
Murchison falls national park lies in the north western part of Uganda, spreading inland from the shore of Lake Albert around the Victoria Nile. Together with Adjacent 748 square kilometers Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and the 720 square kilometers Karuma Wildlife Reserve, the park forms the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.
Kabalega / Murchison Falls National Park is located in Bulisa District in western Uganda and in Nwoya district in the northern part of Uganda. The park is situated 305 kilometers, by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city
The climate in Murchison Falls is tropical and hot. Being close to the Equator, temperatures are quite uniform throughout the year. The area around Murchison Falls National Park has two rainy seasons.
These seasons are not pronounced as they are at more equatorial regions in Uganda. Tourists can visit the park any time throughout the year, although conditions in the park are more difficult during the rainy season and it is usually advisable to use 4x4 vehicles while on your Murchison Falls Safari
The Do’s and Don’ts at the park
● Pay the Park entrance fee at the park gate
● Spend the night only in designated areas
● Always give the animals a right-of-way
● Don’t move out of your car unless in designated areas
● Don’t drive at a speed beyond 45km per hour while in the park
● Never sound your horn
● Don’t litter
● Don’t throw cigarette-ends in the park –they may start a fire
● Don’t carry your pet animals inside the park
● Don’t pick or cut any type of plants in the park
● Don’t carry ammunitions or firearms inside the park