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Murchison Falls National Park
Largest park in Uganda, featuring most prominently the world’s most powerful waterfall- the Murchison falls.
Introducing Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park has been long labelled the traveler’s dream because of the glow of scenic landscapes and nature that are painted across this vast wildland. Just like other parks, wildlife sightings are inevitable; most notably the four of the big five which include elephants, buffaloes and the big cats such as lions, leopards which add their unique touch to the ecosystem. The park derives its luxury from the combination of different ecosystems that are decorated with large sums of both wildlife and scenery, rewarding you with more than nature and pleasure. A deeper look into the park’s ataraxy reveals hidden insights and unveils the hidden tunes of mother nature on a platter of happiness. The birds, butterflies and insects create a paradigm of diversity, variety and color!
The Murchison falls boat cruise along the Nile to Murchison falls is one of East Africa’s top spectacles. Murchison is strategically located along the world’s longest river. At first, the river is calm with a mirror-like smoothness. But a few meters in its flow, a depression occurs, giving raise to the fabled Murchison falls. Right there, you sense the shear power of the water squeezing through a tiny chasm that is 7 meters wide. The flow of the river attracts many animals that come to drink and rid themselves of the sun’s heat. This Big game is what anyone intending to visit this area would not want to miss out on.
Experience the Murchison Falls National Park
Wildlife 
Birdlife
Wildlife at the Murchison Falls National Park
The Murchison Falls gives the park its name and draws visitors from across the globe to this beautiful part of Uganda. But what makes them stay, often drawing them back repeatedly, is the epic landscape, range of habitats and excellent biodiversity. As ever with Uganda, there is much more to discover than initially meets the eye.
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. Although most visitors spend just two or three nights in Murchison, it is possible to stay for much longer and still leave wanting more.
The majority of game drives in Murchison are enjoyed on the Buligi Peninsula where 170km of tracks cross through open savanna grassland, woodland, acacia and riverine vegetation. Driving in the early morning (first south/north ferry crossing at Paraa is at 07:00) and late afternoon, you can expect to see elephant, buffalo, antelopes and giraffe. Lion are increasingly seen with the majority of the Park's prides found here predating on Ugandan kob. You may even see a leopard. The tracks converge at Delta Point where the Nile flows north out of Lake Albert. This is a convenient place to stop for refreshments whilst viewing waterbirds and distant hippos offshore.
Birdlife at the Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls has the top birding locations in the world, with over 451 bird species, including the Albert rift endemic. Birds, including water birds and Savannah birds, may be found in the Riverine Vegetation. Murchison Falls national park is home to a variety of birds, some of which are uncommon, common, and only appear on occasion. Murchison Falls National Park is widely renowned for the Shoebill stork, a prehistoric bird that is much sought for.
The southern forests of Kaniyo Pabidi are also one of the best birding sites in Uganda - making for incredible bird walks. Like in Kibale, the best place to look for birds is on the fringes of the canopy, close to the lodge and on the road verges. With aquatic forest and grassland habitats available, the bird life is always excellent. The headline act is the Shoebill stork. Raptors are also well represented, with over 53 species recorded. Other favourites are the goliath heron, the largest in the world; Uganda’s national bird, the grey crowned crane; the Abyssinian ground hornbill and East Africa’s only known population of Puvel’s illadopsis
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.
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