Attractions to Murchison Falls National Park, What To See
Attractions to Murchison Falls National Park, What To See
Attractions to Murchison Falls National Park, What To See : Also known as Kabalenga National Park, Murchison Falls National Park is a popular national park in Uganda famously known for hosting huge population of wildlife and the world’s most powerful waterfall “Murchison Falls” that emits large volumes of water about 300 cubic meters per second.
Murchison Falls National Park was first gazetted in 1927 and today is the largest park in Uganda covering an area of 3840 square kilometers and one of the top visited national parks for Uganda Safari thanks to its diverse safari activities and rich wildlife.
Murchison Falls National Park is home to a number of fascinating attractions to see on your Uganda safari, these attractions are as below
The Murchison Falls – The Most Powerful Waterfalls in the world
Murchison Falls – the most powerful waterfalls in the world are the main attraction in Murchison Falls National Park and from which the park gets its name, the waterfall is found on the river Nile presenting a theatrical battle between the water and the packed rocks displaying a large volume of water powerfully squeezing through a narrow gorge of 7 m in the rocks that plunges over 40 meters below into a 50m radius water pool.
The powerful force of the water results into a loud roar and a water spray around the fall, visitors can enjoy the beautiful sight of the magnificent waterfall on a launch cruise to the bottom of the falls and hike to the top of the falls.
River Nile
River Nile is among the major attractions in Murchison Falls National Park, the Nile is the longest river in the world with its source in Jinja and it flows through the Murchison Falls National Park. along its flow, the river forms the famous Murchison Falls and is home to hippos and numerous giant crocodiles seen along the sandbanks as well as different animals’ species and birds along the stream to drink water and bath.
The best way to explore the river is by taking a lunch trip up the stream all the way to the bottom of the waterfall on which you will see various animals and water birds, the launch cruise starts at 09.00 and 14.00 every day. The around trip takes about 3 hours, another boat trip goes downstream from Paraa down to the papyrus delta at the point where the river enters into Lake Albert. This 4-5 hour round adventure provides a good chance of discovering the shoebill stork and a variety of wildlife.
Top of The Murchison Falls View
To get the most spectacular view of Murchison Falls on the top of the Nile where the sights and sound of the Nile crashing through a small chasm make a memorable assault on your senses, the site can be reached either by car or on a 30 minutes climb, from the boat at the bottom of the falls.
Buligi Game Area
The Buligi Game Area is the best game viewing area in Murchison Falls National Park popular for game drives and it comprises of open savanna grasslands, riverine vegetation, woodland and acacia. In the park, there are both morning and late afternoon game drives conducted in Buligi area on a Murchison Falls Safari.
The Buligi Game Area is found on the northern banks of the Nile, west of Paraa region and exends to the Albert delta with excellent views towards the western rift beyond Lake Albert into the DRC. A drive from Paraa passing the Delta Point across the 170 km areas takes 3 to 4 hours.
Wildlife in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park comprising of woodland, wetland, savannah and tropical forest are a habitat for over 76 mammal species with four of the Big Five.
Murchison Falls National Park is one of the only two places in Uganda where giraffes of any kind can be spotted, animals found in the park include common antelope species are Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda kob, oribi, waterbuck, and bushbuck, Rothschild giraffes, good concentration of lions, leopards, vast herds of elephants and buffaloes and warthogs among others
Murchison Falls National Park is home to primates with approximately 600 chimpanzees found in the Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, these primates include olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, rare patas monkeys among others.
Birdlife in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is a great Uganda birding destination with over 451 bird species recorded including water birds, forest dwellers and several Albertine Rift Vallet endemics and the most sought-after sighting of the prehistoric – looking shoebill stork.
Birds found in Murchison Falls National Park include Goliath Heron, African Quail-Finch, the elegant Grey Crowned Cranes, Blue-headed Coucal, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Swamp Flycatcher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Squacco Heron, Silver bird, African Jacana, Piapiac, Sandpipers, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Denham’s Bustard, Weaver Birds, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Malachite Kingfishers and the Black-billed Barbet among several others.
Best birding sites in Murchison Falls National Park include the calm stretch of river Nile and delta swamps located between Murchison Falls and Lake Albert.
Primates in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is home to an incredible population of primates including over 600 chimpanzees found in the Kaniyo Pabidi and Budongo Forest, other primates include olive baboons, black & white colobus monkeys, the red-tailed monkeys and many others.
PARAA
The Paraa is another important area in Murchison Falls National Park worth exploring and is found close to the banks of river Nile, according to the local language Paraa means the “home of hippos” a word that well depicted the large number of hippos found in this area.
While in Paraa, you can enjoy a diversity of activities such as game drives in the early morning as well as in the late afternoon, launch cruise offering you a chance to see various animals in the shallows of the Nile and guided walks.
This area also has a museum with a gift shop found in the northern part of Paraa, there is a luxury accommodation facility – The Paraa Safari Lodge offering great accommodation, fine restaurant manned by professional chefs, a well-stocked bar and a very hospitable and professional team of staff.
Budongo Forest
The Budongo Forest is a very important area in Murchison Falls National Park found in the southwestern part of The Murchison Conservation Area located close to the park and is continuous with Kaniyo Pabidi Forest. The forest is home to a huge diversity of wildlife including over 287 butterfly species, 24 mammals, over 460 tree species and about 360 types of birds.
In the Budongo Forest, you will be able to explore the “Royal Mile” a well-maintained road stretch displaying the various tree species and popular for bird watching. The forest offers amazing primate watching opportunities.
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest
The forest is located in the southern part of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area stretching about 8 kilometers inside Kichumbar Gate, Kaniyo Pabidi Forest offers excellent opportunity for chimpanzee tracking and seeing other primates such as the blue monkeys, olive baboons as well as the black and white colobus monkeys living in the forest which is the largest remaining mahogany forest in Uganda.
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest also offers excellent bird watching opportunities include the yellow-footed flycatcher, white thighed hornbill and Ituri batis among others.
The Karuma Waterfall
The magnificent Karuma Waterfall is located in Chobe area within the northeastern part of the Murchison Falls National Park, this thundering waterfall comprises of cascading natural rock – formations through which the water forces its way forming a characteristic “white foam” that is very impressive to observe.
Because of its prime location, the Karuma Waterfall is a great place to do sport fishing. The area surrounding this waterfall is home to various wildlife including monkeys, buffaloes, hartebeests, various antelopes like the Uganda Kobs, lions, giraffes, baboons and many bird.
When to Visit Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is considered an all year-round destination, however the best time to visit the park is in the dry season from December to mid-February and June to July. For bird watching, the best time is during the wet season when migrant birds have arrived in the park.
