Murchison Falls National Park is located In the northwest, approximately 90km from Masindi and is Uganda`s largest national park. It is named after the, where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. It becomes a placid river whose banks are thronged with crocodiles, hippos, waterbucks and buffaloes.
Animals in Murchison Falls National Park include; lions, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees and many bird species that include the rare shoebill.
Game Drives in Murchison Falls National Park
A typical game drive in Murchison Falls National Park lasts about four hours and is best done either early morning or night time when the animals are out of hiding and hunting for prey. The park has got so many animal species that can be encountered while on your Africa safari and these include elephants, leopards, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, kobs among many others.
Boat Cruise along the Nile & To the Delta
The launch trip from Paraa to the falls and back takes about 3 hours. A boat trip from Paraa to the Delta (28km) and back takes about 4-5 hours and from this you can see a variety of animals. The boat trip is scheduled for 0900hr and 1400hr every day. This is among the best of Uganda safari highlights to Murchison Falls National Park is the Hippos and crocodiles are in abundance and you will see elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks and a variety of birds like ducks, bee-eaters, fish eagles kingfishers herons, cormorants, and at times the rare shoebill.
Top of the Fall Hike
This trail takes you around the top of the falls right up to the water’s edge. With an opportunity to hike to the top of the falls from the boat landing and to get close to narrow crevice through which the river plunges into the falls.
Where to Stay in Murchison Falls National Park
An up market Paraa Safari lodge, Bakers Lodge Murchison and Chobe Lodge are readily available, Nile Safari lodge is in operational with very unique quality services to the visitors, more up market Sambiya River Lodge, Murchison River Lodge and Fort Murchison as mid- range accommodation is an ideal place for relaxation and refreshment built along the banks of River Nile.
Twiga Tales Lodge, Heritage Safari Lodge, Red Chili hide rest Camp, Uganda Wildlife Bandas these too provides excellent friendly facilities to budget travelers especially those who wish to spend less on accommodation. Closer to the park one can find accommodation in Masindi, the Masindi Hotel and Masindi Court View Hotel offers the best hospitality services to visitors and highly recommended.
Getting to Murchison Falls National park
By road: From Kampala through Masindi -via Kichumbanyobo gate, Paraa is a 41/42hours drive, 2 hours on tarmac and 21/22 hours on murram roads. A 4WD is recommended. The ferry at Paraa operates on scheduled time between the southern and northern bank of River Nile.
By Air: AeroLink Uganda operates scheduled flights to Pakuba or Bugungu airstrip, x1 daily flight making it much easier reaching Murchison Falls in only 1 hours than by road spending over 5 hours. Flight departs 1230 from Entebbe arriving Pakuba/Bugungu at 1330 an returning from Bugungu at 1345 arriving Entebbe at 1630.