​Expert Reviews – Lake Mburo NP

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Expert
Ariadne van Zandbergen   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Wet season

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

1 person found this review helpful.

Lake Mburo – a true oasis for plains creatures
Overall rating
3/5

This little park is pretty enough, but for me, it lacks any real WOW factor. A game drive will give you good sightings of plains animals such as zebra, giraffes and interestingly enough, impala, which are absent from other parks in Uganda. Maybe unfairly, I find it hard to get very excited about these gracious antelopes, which are so abundant in my part of the world (South Africa). One of the more exciting animals I saw is a bushpig. Apparently they are quite often seen here in broad daylight. Despite their wide distribution throughout Africa they are rarely spotted in other places which makes them a real special for this park. Another treat to see was the greater galago, which is a regular visitor at night at Mihingo Lodge. A highlight on my last visit was a horseback safari. We managed to get pretty close to a herd of buffalo this way. Walking safaris and biking on the park boundary is also offered.

Expert
Alan Murphy   –  
Australia AU
Visited: May

Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.

1 person found this review helpful.

An Oasis Amongst Farmland
Overall rating
3/5

This park is comprises a series of lakes and wetlands surrounded by a grassy savannah peppered with thickets of woodland. For sweeping views of the magnificent landscape, scale Kazuma Lookout. The park is hemmed in by surrounding farmland, and livestock often encroach the boundaries. Lake Mburo has several species that are difficult to track down in other Ugandan parks, including Rothschild’s giraffe and plains zebra.

The park isn’t really big enough for elephants, hence their absence. With regard to predators, there are no longer any lions, but you’ve a good chance of spotting a leopard or hyena once the sun goes down. There are plenty of hippo in the lakes and a boat trip is a relaxing way to spot them.

Expert
Tim Bewer   –  
United States US
Visited: September

Tim is a travel writer who has covered 10 African countries for Lonely Planet's Africa, East Africa and West Africa guidebooks.

3 people found this review helpful.

The place for zebra
Overall rating
3/5

Lake Mburo’s popularity has more to do with its location, conveniently situated between Kampala and several other national parks, than it does with its wildlife since many signature species, like elephant and lion, are missing. On the other hand, I still highly recommend a stop because it’s the only place south of the Nile River with zebra and giraffe, and it’s a good place to see some of the more beautiful but less common antelope like impala, klipspringer, topi, and eland. The real appeal of the park, however, is how you see the wildlife rather than what you see because there are plenty of opportunities to get out of your 4x4. Most tempting are horseback safaris, but there are also boat trips and bush walks. Guided night drives are offered too.

Expert
Philip Briggs   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Multiple times

Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.

8 people found this review helpful.

Hilly gateway to the western safari circuit
Overall rating
3/5

Lake Mburo’s billing as a stronghold for the impala – a handsome antelope that’s otherwise absent from Uganda but abundant elsewhere in southern Africa – smacks slightly of desperation. But while this low-key national park has no lion or elephant, and doesn’t really bear comparison to the more westerly Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls, it is a great place to break up the otherwise long drive from the capital Kampala to the key reserves of the southwest safari circuit.

Once there, Lake Mburo NP has plenty to commend it. I always enjoy boat trips on the eponymous lake, which is teeming with hippos and water-associated birds, notably the localised African finfoot. Back on terra firma, wildlife densities are surprisingly high, perhaps due to the absence of lions. It is the only place in south-central Uganda where you’re likely to see zebra, eland and topi alongside more the widespread likes of waterbuck, bushbuck and warthog. And Rothschild’s giraffe is now thriving here after a small herd was translocated from Murchison Falls a few years back.

Lake Mburo NP is home to a host of colourful acacia woodland birds more normally associated with Tanzania, and birding in the open savanna makes a welcome change from craning necks toward the forest canopy. In recent years, it has also developed a reputation as a good place to see leopards, especially on night drives. Other activities include horseback and walking safaris. Overall, this isn’t a park I’d go out of my way to visit. Equally, I’ve stopped over here at least 10 times en route to Bwindi Impenetrable or Queen Elizabeth NP, and have always found it very rewarding.

Average Expert Rating

  • 3.0/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

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