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Write a User ReviewMurchison Falls National Park – Where the Nile Tumbles Down the Rift Valley Escarpment
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alarm signal, a high-pitched whistle, is unmissable. Then it’s just a matter of following their gaze.
Thundering Waters and Smirking Shoebills
Mind you, the launch trip from the park headquarters at Paraa to the base of the waterfall is pretty spectacular in its own right: giant crocodiles lurk menacingly from the sandbars, hippos grunt away in the shallows, and more often than not you’ll see a few elephants or buffalos come down to drink. I’ve had mixed luck with game drives through the undulating borassus grassland north of the river, but buffalo, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, Uganda kob, the localised Rothschild’s giraffe and the unusual patas monkey are more or less certain, and more often than not
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I’ve seen lion and elephant.Like most Ugandan parks, Murchison Falls is a wonderful bird destination, with pride of place going to the oddball shoebill, a large and eagerly sought slate-grey papyrus dweller that I’ve seen perhaps a dozen times along the Nile here. The far south of the greater Murchison Falls Conservation Area now incorporates a reliable chimpanzee-tracking site in Budongo Forest, which also hosts several unusual forest birds including East Africa’s only population of Puvel’s illadopsis (quite easily located by call).
The latest development in Murchison Falls is the opening of the remote Kisangani Sector as a low-volume tourist area used mainly by the brand-new Papa’s Camp. I was privileged to spend a couple of nights in this wonderful wilderness area in November 2023, and was blown away by the remote location and beautiful landscape, which runs south from a forested stretch of the Nile upstream of the main waterfall. Here, we saw large herds of giraffe, buffalo, kob and elephant, along with a lioness up a tree – something I've never before seen over a dozen or so previous visits to Murchison Falls NP.
Thundering Waterfalls and Decent Wildlife
Like Kidepo, this park in northwest Uganda is a beautiful and wild place with plenty of wildlife still remaining. In my opinion the ultimate highlight must surely be the boat cruise up Africa’s longest river to view the mighty Nile as it thunders through a narrow cleft in the rock and tumbles down the waterfall from which the park takes its name. En route to the falls I’ve seen lions, elephants, huge crocodiles and innumerable pods of hippos, not to mention an outstanding array of waterbirds strewn across the riverbanks. Game drives can also be productive, although animals tend to be skittish and poaching is still a problem away from the tourist areas. I try to remind myself that my presence (along with other like-minded tourists) is bringing in valuable revenue and slowly helping to safeguard the future of this stunning park and its wild denizens.
A River Runs Through It
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hartebeest, waterbuck, kob and the largest population of oribi I’ve encountered anywhere in Africa. The park has a good reputation for predators, with both lion and leopard being seen daily during my visit (although not by me), and spotted hyena calling at night.Perhaps the park’s most rewarding activity is a boat cruise on the river, with various options departing from beside the ferry crossing. Head east, upstream, for general riverbank game viewing, including large numbers of hippos and crocs, plus a great view of the falls. Head west, downstream, for your best chance of seeing a shoebill, perhaps Africa’s most sought-after bird, and a denizen of the papyrus swamps at the Lake Albert Delta. Birdlife is extremely rich throughout the park, including in the adjoining Budongo Forest reserve to the south, where there is also chimp tracking and a full range of other primates.
Spectacular Falls & Diverse Wildlife
While the boat trip to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls is touted as the best way to see them, in fact the falls are better viewed from on top. Roaring through a narrow cleft in the rock, it is the best waterfall I’ve seen in East Africa. You can drive to the top of the falls, or catch the boat and hike up.
Apart from the falls, there is plenty of wildlife, including four of the Big Five (no rhino). There are also a lot of antelope easily seen, including Uganda kob, hartebeest, oribi and bushbuck. And there are extensive driving tracks allowing you to explore large areas of the park.
A decent array of accommodation in or near the park caters for most budgets.