Game Drives in Lake Mburo National Park.
Game drives in Lake Mburo National Park are one of the most thrilling safari activities, offering nature lovers a unique opportunity to explore the park’s rich biodiversity. It’s one of the most accessible safari destinations in Uganda, approximately three hours drive from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, to the park. It’s situated in the western part of the country, and it’s one of the smallest national parks, covering an area of about 370 square kilometres. Lake Mburo National Park has a rich biodiversity, home to over 69 mammal species, 340 bird species, including forest birds, acacia dwelling birds, migratory birds and water birds, 200 butterfly species and 100 reptiles and amphibians. It has a mix of unique ecosystems that provide habitats to various wildlife and bird species, such as savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands, and wetlands. The park has well-maintained tracks for game drives, all of which offer excellent opportunities to see wildlife and bird species. Travellers can do morning game drives, late afternoon game drives or night game drives, known as nocturnal game drives, that give travellers an opportunity to see the nocturnal birds and animals which rest during the day and are active at night.
Game Drives Experiences in Lake Mburo National Park.
There is no complete safari in Lake Mburo National Park without going on a guided game drive safari, which gives nature lovers a unique opportunity to explore the park’s rich birdlife and wildlife species. This is a guided activity led by a knowledgeable park guide who provides important information about the wildlife and bird species that you might encounter on the drive. The park has three sessions of game drives: morning, evening and night game drives, which all provide exceptional safari experiences.
The morning game drive is conducted early in the morning, at around 6:30 am, providing visitors with the opportunity to spot various animals and birds while they are still active. They will have a chance to see various animals roaming around the park, like giraffes, topi, waterbucks, bushbucks, oribis, warthogs, bohor reedbuck, hippos, hyenas, long-eared bat, grass rat, vervet monkeys, olive baboon, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, African wild cat, cape clawless otter, banded mongoose, genet, serval, buffalo, statunga, waterbucks, zebras, elands, and impalas wandering freely and grazing. Bird lovers will find the park a paradise for birding, with various species of birds, including Rwenzori Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Black-throated Coucal, Senegal Coucal, Shoebill, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, White-backed Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, African Pygmy-Goose, Blue-billed Teal, among others.
Evening game drives in Lake Mburo National Park provide an opportunity to observe nocturnal animals emerging from their daytime hiding spots as they prepare for night time activities. This includes elusive predators like leopards, which rest during the day and hunt at night, hyenas, and bush babies, among others.
Night game drives offer a remarkable experience as they allow you to witness nocturnal animals such as leopards and hyenas in action, along with various bird species, including Pennant-Winged Nightjar, African Wood Owl, Swamp Nightjar, White-backed Night Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, among others.
Best time to do game drives in the park.
Visitors can do game drives in Lake Mburo National Park year round, though some months are better than others. The park experiences two seasons: the dry season and the wet season. The dry season is from December to February and from June to September. During this period, the park receives little to no rainfall, the tracks are dry, which makes it easy to search for wildlife species, and the vegetation cover is short. This creates a clear view of various birds and wildlife species and allows for clear pictures.
However, game drives can also be done in the wet season, which runs from March to May and from October to November. This season is characterised by enough rainfall; the tracks are muddy, making it challenging to penetrate the park, and the vegetation cover is tall, creating an unclear view of wildlife species from a distance. This season favours budget travellers as tour companies and lodges often give discounts.
