What Makes Murchison Falls National Park Unique
Many travellers planning a safari in the Pearl of Africa often wonder what makes Murchison Falls National Park unique, so they should not miss out on their safari. This blog will elaborate more on the uniqueness of Murchison Falls National Park. It is the oldest national park in Uganda, gazetted in 1952, covering an area of about 3893 square kilometres. It’s one of the most popular parks, famous for its waterfalls, which attracts thousands of visitors to witness as the Nile squeezes itself in a narrow gorge before powering its waters into a pool forming the beautiful views of the falls and its surroundings. Murchison Falls National Park is divided by the River Nile, forming the southern banks and the northern banks, both with unique tourist attractions.
The park is not only famous for its waterfalls but its rich ecosystems like swamps, woodlands, open savannah grasslands, and tropical forests, which provide a habitat to various wildlife species that call this awesome park home. It’s home to over 453 bird species, including the migratory birds, water birds, savannah birds, and forest birds. Additionally, over 13 primate species like chimpanzees and 144 mammal species, including the African Big Four mammals, elephants, leopards, buffalo, and lions. If you are planning your African Safari, Murchison Falls National Park should be considered; it provides a true African safari experience.
Things that make Murchison Falls National Park Unique.
The Mighty Murchison Falls.
The falls are the park’s crown jewel, drawing visitors from around the world to see the world’s strongest waterfalls, Murchison Falls. The River Nile, the world’s longest river, forces its way through a 7m wide gorge before plunging 45m down into a Devil’s Cauldron. Creating a thunderous roar and a unique scenery of a cloud of mist and a rainbow-filled spray that spices up your trip. The falls can be observed by either hiking to the top of the falls or having a boat cruise to the base of the falls, both creating a memorable safari experience in the park.
The boat cruise takes visitors to the base of the falls, which allows them to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park and witness the Nile as it squeezes itself, which is a once in a lifetime experience. Visitors also have a chance to see various aquatic bird species, schools of hippos swimming, crocodiles enjoying the sun, elephants, buffalo and antelopes drawing water from the banks since the Nile acts as a vital source of water to the park’s inhabitants.
Rich Birdlife.
The rich birdlife is one of the things that make Murchison Falls National Park unique. The park is one of the best bird-watching destinations in Uganda. It is a paradise for bird lovers as it’s home to over 453 bird species, including the migratory birds, savannah birds, water birds, and forest birds. The park has various sites with unique bird species that are suitable for birding, such as the Royal Mile, Kaniyo Pabidi, Budongo Forest and areas around the Nile Delta where the Nile pours its water into Lake Albert. Some of the bird species include the elusive shoebill stork, the striking secretary bird, Red-throated bee-eater, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Goliath heron, Puvel’s IIIadopsis, Ituri Batis, chestnut-capped flycatcher, chocolate-backed kingfisher, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Nahan’s Partridge, Little Stint, Grey-headed Gull, Black Kite, Barn Swallow, Chestnut wattle-eye, Forest Robin, White spotted Fluftail, Ituri Batis, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Buff-throated Apalis, Grey-headed Sunbird, Senegal Thick-Knee, Heuglin’s Francolin, White-browed Sparrow- Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow among others.
Abundant Wildlife.
Murchison Falls National Park is the oldest national park in Uganda, with rich wildlife species. It hosts over 144 mammal species, including the big four mammals: buffalo, elephants, leopard, and lion. It has the highest population of Rothschild’s giraffes in the whole world, over 1980 giraffes. Other mammals include Uganda kobs, hippos, waterbucks, bush babies, hyenas, oribis, duikers, serval cats, genets, and more. Additionally, it hosts over 12 primate species such as chimpanzees, patas monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and vervet monkeys, and over 453 bird species call this beautiful park home. This rich wildlife makes Murchison Falls National Park unique.
Diverse Activities.
Murchison Falls National Park offers a wide range of tourist activities that cater to all visitors’ needs, whether you are looking for adventure, photography, birding, or fishing. The park promises memorable experiences. The activities that travellers can enjoy include game drives, boat cruises, nature walks, sports fishing, bird watching, hiking, and cultural encounters.
Best Time to visit the park.
Murchison Falls National Park can be visited throughout the year, and the best time depends on individuals’ preferences. The park experiences two seasons: the dry season and the wet season. The dry season runs from June to September and December to February; during this period, the park receives no rainfall, and the park is dry, which makes it easy to penetrate. The vegetation cover is short, which enables visitors to clearly see animals and take clear pictures. Visitors can also visit the park during the wet season, though it receives heavy rainfall, and it’s challenging to penetrate the park. This season favours budget travellers as lodges tend to offer discounts.
