Best Safari Activities in Murchison Falls National Park.
Are you looking for the best safari activities in Murchison Falls National Park to enjoy on your safari? You are in the best place; this blog will help you choose the best activities for your dream African Safari in the park. The park is one of the most loved national parks in Uganda, known for hosting the world’s most powerful waterfalls, “Murchison Falls”. It’s located in the northwestern region of the country and is the largest national park in Uganda, covering districts such as Masindi, Nwoya, Buliisa and Kiryandongo.
The park has various ecosystems, including savannah grasslands, woodlands, riverine forests, and swamps, which act as a habitat to various wildlife species found in the park. Murchison Falls National Park hosts over 12 primate species, including the playful chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, pata’s monkeys, 144 mammal species, including the African Big Four: elephant, lion, buffalo, and leopard, 453 bird species, including the migratory birds, forest birds, and savannah birds. The park’s rich biodiversity contributes to its diverse safari activities, such as bird watching, sports fishing, game drives, boat cruises, nature walks and hiking.
Best Safari Activities in Murchison Falls National Park.
Bird watching
Murchison Falls National Park is among the top birding destinations in Uganda, with various unique bird species. Bird lovers will indulge themselves in over 453 bird species, including savannah birds, forest birds, migratory birds, the Guinea–Congo forest, Ituri species and those endemic to the park. The park has specific sites suitable for bird watching, such as Kaniyo Pabidi, areas around the Albert Delta, the Royal Mile and Budongo Forest, which provide exceptional birding experiences. Visitors will have an opportunity to spot various bird species, including Denham’s Bustard, the striking Secretary Bird, Black-bellied Bustard, White-browed Sparrow- Weaver, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Piapiac, Black-headed Lapwing, Senegal Thick-Knee, Heuglin’s Francolin, the elusive shoebill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Goliath Heron, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Grey Crowned Crane, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-winged Grey Warbler, White-fronted Black Chat, Red-billed Quelea, Red-necked Falcon, Abyssinian Roller, Lappet-faced Vulture, Palm-Vulture, Rock Pratincole, Spotted Thick-knee, Long-toed Lapwing, African Quail-Finch, White-faced Whistling Duck, Yellow-billed Stork, Martial Eagle, Marabou Stork, among more.
Boat Cruise
A boat cruise is one of the best safari activities in Murchison Falls National Park that travellers can enjoy. This allows nature lovers to fully connect with nature and embrace the beauty of the park. A boat cruise on the Victoria Nile heads upstream to the bottom of the falls, which allows visitors to explore the breathtaking views of the Nile as it forces its way through a 7m narrow gorge and plunges its waters down into a 43m pool with a thunderous sound and mist spray providing a magnificent view of the falls. Visitors will also see various bird species, schools of hippos swimming, crocodiles basking, elephants, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, bathing or drinking water from the river banks. This is one of the lifetime experiences that visitors can enjoy on their safari.
Game Drives
This is one of the most sought-after safari activities in the park that allows visitors to explore the open savannah grasslands in a 4WD vehicle, which is a rewarding activity. The game drives are normally done in the northern sector due to its high number of predators and their prey. Various tracks are used for game drives, including the Buligi track, Queen’s track and the delta track, all of which provide a unique safari. Visitors will be able to spot wildlife species like elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffaloes, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, pata’s monkeys, waterbucks, bush pigs, Uganda kobs, hyenas, hippos, civets, and birds like Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Goliath Heron, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Grey Crowned Crane, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-winged Grey Warbler among others.
Nature walks.
These are among the best safari activities in Murchison Falls National Park that allow travellers to explore the park on foot. This activity is under the supervision of an armed park ranger who provides protection and an experienced park guide who gives important information about the park inhabitants that participants might encounter. Visitors will see various tree species, plant species, butterflies, bird species, and animals like Uganda kobs, warthogs, and giraffes, among others.
Chimpanzee Trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison Falls National Park is done in Budongo Forest, which is an amazing activity that allows primate lovers to come up close to these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats. The trek involves moving through the lush forest in search of chimps. Participants are led by an experienced ranger guide who gives more information about the birds and animals that they might encounter. Visitors are given one hour to be with chimps, observing and learning more about their behaviours. They will see how they feed, play from tree to tree, mothers cuddling the young ones, which is a memorable experience.
