Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is the oldest of Uganda’s National parks, having been established in 1952.  In addition to being an excellent park in which to spot big game and other wildlife, a key feature of the park is the River Nile.  It bisects the park, before joining Lake Albert.  Along the way, it squeezes through a narrow gorge, just 7 metres wide, and plunges, with a thunderous roar some 45 metres over the remnants of the rift valley wall and into the “Devils Cauldron”, creating its trademark rainbow.

This mighty escape drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid current that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. One of the main attractions is a relaxing cruise on the Nile to the bottom of the falls, during which wildlife can be observed on the river banks and in the river itself.

The Nile below Murchison Falls offers exciting challenges to anglers, coupled with a chance to land a huge Nile Perch (the record is 108kg). Fishing is restricted to designated sites & permits are limited so advance booking is recommended.

Species diversity:
The park includes forests, wetlands, savannahs and tropical forests, which are home to over 76 mammal species and over 450 different bird species. Large mammals include hippo, Rothschild’s giraffe, warthog, Cape buffalo, Uganda kob, hartebeest and elephant. The Nile corridor of Murchison has a large collection of water birds such as the rare shoebill stork and has a large concentration of Nile crocodiles.  Primates, chimpanzees and over 360 different bird species find a home in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, within the park

Size and accessibility:
Covering 3,893km², Murchison Falls National Park the largest in Uganda.

By Car:
The park can be reached in about 5 hours from Kampala.

By Air:
For those who want to save driving time, it’s possible to fly directly into the Park, landing at Pakuba airstrip.

Activities:
Game drives
Boat tour
Bird watching
Fishing