Murchison Falls National Park
Introducing
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. First gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, the centerpiece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes, and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles, and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
Murchison Falls is notably blessed with over 144 mammals,556 bird species,51 reptiles, and 51 Amphibians. With a great number of African elephants, Murchison falls is impressive all year round. The aerial survey noted over 900 individuals and 1,330 and is at an increase. Historically Giraffes exclusively inhabit the northern sector of the park. Buffalo populations have spiked to over 10,000 while Uganda kobs have leaped to more than 35,000. The bird checklist with the shoebill as the most common along the river stretch approaching the Albert delta and many profolic bird species occupy the park.The white crested turaco,red winged grey warbler,all asociated with woodland in the southern bank. Notable visitors to the park include Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, and several British royals.
Highlights
Murchison Falls National Park is is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area.
Bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls National Park is notably blessed with over 144 mammals,556 bird species,51 reptiles, and 51 Amphibians.
Murchison falls is impressive all year round, with the shoebill as the most common along the river stretch approaching the Albert delta
Wildlife Viewing:
Murchison Falls National Park
Game drives in the savannah grasslands and riverine woodland of the Buligi Peninsula provide excellent sightings of lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and Ugandan kob antelope. Leopard are increasingly seen; only rhino are missing, but the plan is to reintroduce them from the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In the wooded south of the park, the Budongo Forest Reserve is a haven for birders and a great chimpanzee tracking location. Seeing wildlife from the river is delightful, but it can’t beat the excitement of a game drive. The feeling that comes from placing yourself in the middle of a resting pride of lion; watching a tower of giraffe browse peacefully from acacia tops; or the excitement of rolling slowly through thick bush never sure when you will meet the next elephant.
Best time to visit:
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison has an average annual rainfall of 1,085mm, with much of this falling between March and November. This doesn’t prevent access to the park: June to September is still one of the most popular times to visit, but you should be ready for short, sharp bursts of rains. December to February is drier, but also much hotter, with an average high of 33 degrees Celsius. As with much of Africa, the dry season forces wildlife to congregate around water sources, making for concentrated sightings. While the wetter months see the greatest density of bird life and the lowest visitor numbers.
How to get to:
Murchison Falls National Park
The increasing quality of Uganda’s arterial road network, plus the continued absence of conflict in the north since the retreat of the LRA, has made road travel a much more enjoyable prospect. Murchison is most commonly accessed from the south, on a day trip from Entebbe, best broken by lunch at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. However, it is also now possible to drive to or from Kidepo National Park in a good seven hours, opening up Karamoja in particular and north-eastern Uganda in general to exploration. To the south, a seven-hour drive will take you to Fort Portal and Kibale Forest in eight hours. A daily scheduled light aircraft flight of 80 minutes links Murchison to Entebbe, plus other Ugandan destinations.
