Murchison Falls National Park is one of the best parks in Uganda to go on safari. There are different activities you can do here to experience the gorgeous nature of Uganda. The park is named after the gorgeous waterfall. This park should not be missed when visiting Uganda if you are interested in classic safari experiences. Keep reading for more detailed information on this gorgeous park.

The road to the park

Most people, including myself, will enter the national park from the south entrance. The south area of the park is not the area with the most wildlife, but I really enjoyed this ride. Why? The number of monkeys was unreal. I have never seen more baboons in such a short time as during this ride of around one and a half hours. Besides baboons, we saw blue monkeys, black and white casquit hornbills, and black and white colobus monkeys (my favourites!). This is a lovely ride. 

Game drives

In Murchison Falls you can do classic safaris with your vehicle. The scenery is stunning, with hilly savannah with palm trees. The amount of wildlife you can find is huge, as you can see a huge number of buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs, and hartebeests. Besides, you have the chance of seeing giraffes, elephants, monkeys (including the rare patas monkey), antelopes, ground hornbills, and other birds. If you are lucky, you can find lions, leopards, and hyenas, and we were lucky enough to find all three. You should absolutely do at least one game drive here.

Boat safari

Another highlight is doing a boat safari, so you can find different wildlife and have other experiences. There are two options: you can take a boat upstream of the Nile towards the Murchison Falls. The other one is downstream of the Nile, where you can find the shoebill stork. I only did the first one, and I can recommend it. You will find many hippos, crocodiles, birds (including bee-eaters) and Nile monitors, and you have chances to find elephants, antelopes and monkeys as well. You will go towards the gorgeous falls and see it from pretty far. You will go back on the other side of the river, trying to find other wildlife. Often there are possibilities of getting drinks on the boat as well. It will take about 2-3 hours. Although I really enjoyed the trip, I preferred the boat trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Find the waterfalls

The name of this national park is because of this waterfall. This waterfall goes through a narrow part, where the mighty Nile River passes. Besides going to the lower part by boat, you can visit the Top of the Falls, which is very cool. You will stand very close to this huge amount of water. Note that you can go to some different places to get other views. If you go to other viewpoints, note that you can get really (I mean really) wet. During a boat safari you will have a view from a lower viewpoint.

Accommodations

There are different accommodations possible in and around Murchison Falls National Park. There are budget and very fancy possibilities. I stayed at Murchison River Lodge, which had tents to sleep in, which were covered by wood. The accommodation is close to the park and a great option to stay in. You also have a great view of the Nile River, and at night hippos can come up, so always walk with a guide during the night. There is also a lovely pool to swim in. 

Wildlife

Murchison Falls National Park has a diversity of wildlife that is unique in Uganda. You can find Rothschild giraffes, which are often absent in the national parks in Uganda. You can find lions, hyenas, leopards, warthogs, Defassa waterbucks, Uganda cobs, elephants, many birds, buffaloes, Patas monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, hippos, crocodiles, oribi, Jackson's hartebeests, bushbucks and oribis. Come here and try to find them!

Budongo Forest

In Budongo Forest you can do a chimpanzee trekking to find these unique apes in their natural habitat. I did not do it here, because the chances of seeing them are high, but slightly less than in Kibale Forest and Kyambura Gorge. If you only visit Murchison Falls National Park, this can be a very good option.

Final Thoughts

Murchison Falls National Park may be the best safari destination in Uganda, especially in the west and south of the country. The diversity of wildlife is fantastic, and the landscapes are unique. You can do different activities to find wildlife, and there are good accommodation options. Although the drive is further away from other sights in the classic Uganda route, it is absolutely worth visiting!

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