Murchison Falls National Park : The largest and one of the first national parks established in Uganda is Murchison Falls. Locally, it is referred to as Kabalega Falls. It is situated in the East African Rift Valley in northwestern Uganda. Kiryandongo, Masindi, Buyisa, and Nwoya are among the districts in northern Uganda that are included in the Murchison Falls National Park.
The Murchison Falls National Park is a well-liked vacation spot with many breathtaking activities. The Victoria Nile divides the park into two halves: the southern and northern sections, which each have a variety of sights and things to do.
Attractions in Murchison Falls National Park
Wildlife
The national park surrounding Murchison Falls is home to several different animal species. It is most popular for habiting four out of five big five Animals mammals such as Elephants, Buffalos, Lions, leopards, other animals like Rothschild giraffes, bushbucks, Hippos, Crocodiles, Waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, bushbuck antelopes, Oribis, primates such as monkeys, blue monkeys, Red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus and among others.
Birdlife
With approximately 450 bird species divided between water birds and open land birds, Murchison Falls National Park is a birder’s paradise and a wonderful location for Uganda birding safaris. They include the marabou stork, the shoebill stork, the hornbill stork, the grey-crowned crown, the pied kingfisher, the yellow-footed flycatcher, the grey-crowned crown, the grey-headed coucal, the black-headed gonolek, the eastern grey plantain eater, and herons. Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-naped Moosebird, Black-headed Gondola, Black-headed Plover, Black-lored Babbler, and Bluff-bellied Warbler
Murchison Falls
One of Murchison Falls National Park’s top attractions, these magnificent waterfalls are also known as Kabalega Falls because of the historical significance of the illustrious Kabalega, monarch of the Bunyoro country. Sir Samuel Baker and his wife Florence Baker were the first Europeans to visit the falls in the 1860s, and he gave it the name Roderick Murchison in honor of an English geologist and member of the geographical organization. In 1954, when it was formally founded, the entire national park was named after the falls.
They are located on the Victoria Nile between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert. The river Nile’s waves push their way through a fissure in the rocks to create the 7-meter-wide, 43-meter-tall Murchison Falls.
Forest of Rabongo
Another one of the attractions of Murchison Falls National Park is Rabongo Forest. Four square kilometers of it are covered in a lush forest. The woodland is a section of a natural forest, making it a haven for avian life. Several endangered bird species, like the Ituri batis and the yellow-footed flycatcher, may be found in the Rabongo forest. Many primates live in the jungle, including blue monkeys, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys.
Budongo Forest Budongo Forest is a highly intriguing feature in the Murchison Falls National Park. Located in the southwest of the park, Budongo Forest is the finest place to go on a Uganda safari for bird viewing. It is also home to a variety of Ugandan monkeys. 360 different bird species and 800 chimpanzees live in the woodland.
Paraa
One of the major sights in the Murchison Falls National Park is Paraa. The name Paraa comes from a Luo phrase that means “home of hippos” in the area. The abundance of safari hotels and lodges makes Paraa a well-known lodging area in the Murchison Falls National Park.
Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park
Game drives
Game drives are performed in the morning and the evening in Murchison Falls. This offers thrill-seeking close-up views of several animal species to tourists. The Buligi Peninsular, the Delta region, and the southern portion of the park are prime locations for watching wildlife. You may see creatures including giraffes, warthogs, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, and waterbucks grazing on the savannah grassland plains as well as other bird species when going on game drives.
Sport fishing
At the Murchison Falls National Park, sport fishing is done along the stony banks of the Nile below Murchison Falls. You may catch fish species including tiger fish, tilapia, catfish, and Nile perch by using a variety of sport fishing techniques at the Banks, including the use of hooks, spinning techniques, and casting lures.
Boat cruise
On the Nile, a boat tour of the Murchison Falls National Park is conducted. Both a boat excursion upstream to the base of the falls and a boat cruise downstream to the Victoria Nile delta that stretches to the shores of Lake Albert are offered at the Murchison Falls National Park. Visitors may see vast concentrations of hippopotamuses, crocodiles lounging on the shoreline, and animals including elephants, buffaloes, and waterbucks sipping water along the coasts while on a boat excursion.
Chimpanzee trekking
Budongo Forest, which is situated in the southern region of Murchison Falls National Park, is where one may undertake chimpanzee trekking. The most well-known activity in Budongo Forest is chimpanzee trekking. This activity begins very early in the morning with a briefing at the headquarters about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. Following the briefing, you will be assigned a habituated chimpanzee family to trek with and a park guide who is knowledgeable about trails in the forest. It might take anything from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are.
Hot air balloon Rides
Dream Balloons operates hot air balloon safaris in the Murchison Falls National Park. This activity has two sessions: the dawn session, which begins at 5:00 am, and the sunset session, which begins at 4:00 pm and concludes at 6:30 pm. Visitors will see breathtaking views of the Murchison Falls National Park, animals, greenery, birds, Murchison Falls, and Lake Albert on hot air balloon Uganda Safaris
Park Entrance Fees
Adults: East Africans pay 25,000 UGX; foreigners who aren’t residents pay 45 USD per person; and foreigners who are residents pay 35 USD.
Children: East Africans must pay 10,000 UGX; foreigners who aren’t residents must pay 25 USD per person; foreigners who are inhabitants must pay 15 USD.
Vehicle: Foreign registered automobiles are taxed $10 USD, while Ugandan registered vehicles are paid 10,000 UGX.
Best time to visit Murchison falls National Park
You may go to Murchison Falls National Park any time of year. As there are fewer raindrops and less slick roads leading to the park, the dry season, which lasts from June to October and December to February, is the best time to come. High possibilities of seeing animals and getting quality photos are also provided by this.