Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s oldest and largest national park. It was gazette in 1952 and is named after the great Murchison Falls, the water flows along the escarpment of the Albertine rift valley through a small 7 meter slit on the rock, the powerful force drops into the plunge with a roar sound that echoes through the jungle, the national park is bisected into 2 by the Victoria Nile, it boats several ecosystems comprising of Savannah grassy lands, rivers, lakes, marshy swampy areas, forests to the south and wildlife. The park covers an area space of approximately 3840 square kilometers which is life and activities that can be done.
Tourist activities in Murchison Fall National Park enhance the experience of travelers, Game drives are conducted through the well-distributed game tracks, best done in the morning, afternoon, and evening times, these mostly take place at Pakuba to the north of the national park, except to see a contrast of wildlife including lions, Leopards, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes, water bucks, bush bucks, warthogs, oribi, hippos, Jackson hartebeests, elephants, jackal, hyenas, Nile crocodiles to mention a few, Game drives are conducted using open roof safari cars to enhance the experience of the traveler these give a proper view of wildlife. It is one of the few places to conduct night game drives in search of nocturnal species more so the cat family. While in the park game drives are best done in the morning this is the time of animal activity the morning risers are up to graze while others are up to hunt.
A boat cruise in Murchison falls national park is one of the most thrilling things to do, there are 2 boats one to the bottom of the falls while the other cruises downstream to the shores of Lake Albert, they are done in sessions in the morning and in the afternoon taking 2-3 hours, the side lined walls of the metamorphic left rock is amazing to view together with the basking crocodiles on the banks of the river not to forget the yawning hippos relaxed beneath the waters, on a lucky day along the Marshy swampy areas you might be chanced to view the critically endangered show bill stock. The boats can be arranged by the Uganda wildlife authority or private entities who own boats in the park.
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest, forest is one of the few places to find Mahogany which has made it to also be called a Mahogany forest, Chimpanzee tracking in Murchison forest begins at the Budongo eco-lodge in the morning with a briefing from the park rangers, chimpanzee live within the tree canopies of the forest, they are characterized by their social, intelligence and close relation to human kind, a group of 6 people is allowed to do the tracking taking 1-4 hours to find the primates. During the trekking, you will encounter other species of the forest like olive baboons, forest hogs, and black and white colobus monkeys.
Guided nature walks and hiking to the top of the falls, give you a chance to adventure through the national park on foot, a guide from the Uganda Wildlife Authority will lead you through the game routes and in the forest areas as the guide explains to you the several species of plants en route, while in the Budongo forest, there is a chance to hug Mahogany a well-developed tree said to be the oldest and largest of the forest. a hike to the top of the falls is another interesting thing to do while in the national park, it takes 45 minutes you enjoy the amazing sceneries of the park, and upon reaching the top the oozing sound of the Nile is a magical calm-down feeling.
Murchison falls national park is in the northern part of Uganda, it is approximately 6 hours’ drive from Entebbe via the Kampala Gulu Highway, it can be accessed by road or flight from Entebbe or Kampala Kajjansi to land at the Pakuba airstrip. There is available accommodation in the national park ranging from the best budget to Luxury, facilities are also on the northern side of the Pakwach district outside the park for example the Pakuba Safari Lodge, fort Murchison, Heritage Safari Lodge, and Chobe Safari Lodge among other facilities.