Simbya River Lodge is a unique luxurious accommodation set on a large scale in Murchison Falls National Park to cater to tourists on their safari. The lodge consists of all you might prefer, designed with 10 double – twin cottages all en-suite with a private veranda,7 family cottages fitted with 2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms well built with a private veranda overlooking the beautiful Sambya Forest and they offer driver rooms at free but only for tour leaders.
Other outstanding amenities offered at Sambya River Lodge;
They offer the perfect restaurant with an outside terrace overlooking the lodge’s watering hole.
They have a television showroom where you can enjoy lovely movies in the evenings.
Bistro seating Bar with gainful views of the pool and zipline.
Canopy walk experience
They also offer wheelchair accessibility
They have adult and kids Zipline
They have a spacious swimming pool including a separate kids’ pool.
They offer free Wi-Fi access in public areas.
They have two open-roof safari vehicles on site for a game drive experience in the park.
There is salt lick watering hole
They offer indoor and outdoor child play areas with child caretakers
The lodge is surrounded by beautiful green nature – the forest swings.
Activities to do whilst at Sambya River Lodge;
While at visit to Sambya River Lodge, always make sure to create enough days of your safari to Murchison Falls National Park – a conservation area that includes Karuma and Bugungu Forest Reserves thus making it one of the largest game parks in East Africa. During your stay at the lodge, you will have a leisurely relaxing safari. More so, the lodge sits within the park and is thus a beautiful base for the following activities.
They include; Canopy walks where guests can enjoy an interesting walk-in experience, a Zipline, a Game drive car, a Boat cruise on the mighty Victoria Nile, Swimming for walk-in guests, a visit to the top of the falls, as well as Riverside Nature, walk among others. More perfect activity -Breakfast at the top of the falls.
Swimming pools; A perfect place to cool off the heat after your day’s activity.
Guided Game Drives; The early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to see and photograph various animal species and birdlife. The drive on the new game circuit takes you to the South Bank of the park with a great experience.
You can drive to the honeymoon Circuit which is a 10-minute drive from Sambiya – the turn-off is on the way to the top of the falls. Some of the rare animals include giraffe and lions and other wildlife species to be explored includes; Cape buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck, Uganda Kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, warthogs, and forest elephants among others. The bird life to see includes; widowbirds, eagles, buzzards, kestrels, vultures, bee-eaters, plovers, doves, shrikes, flycatchers, widowbirds, coucals abound, and nightjars, and cuckoos among others.
Top of the falls;
From Sambya River Lodge takes a few minutes to drive ‘’15-20 minutes as you drive to this historic site, along the way will be able to adventure animal species like lions, Cape buffalo, Uganda Kob, elephants, hyena, waterbuck, and others. Fact, these dramatic waterfalls plunge 45 meters through a narrow 6-meter canyon of boulders.
While on a visit, you will understand why the falls were traditionally called ‘’PAJOO’’ -meaning home of the spirits. Automatically, you will understand why in 1907 Winston Churchill who walked from Masindi town to view the falls, hike in a beekeeper’s veil and gloves to protect him from tsetse flies thus renaming Uganda as ‘’ the Pearl of Africa’’. From the top of the falls, you can opt to visit vantage points where the falls can be viewed and photographed. Expect to view rock pratincoles, go away birds, African harriers, white-headed turacos, and palm nut vultures all rewarding with a great view at the top of the Murchison Falls.
Guided nature walks
This is an interesting experience that can be done in two sessions a day that is; early morning and later afternoon walks are more comfortable. Visitors can experience and be able to see the vastness of Africa while walking around the forest trails, you will be able to see lions, Kobs, buffalo, Kob, waterbuck, colobus monkeys, baboons, and various bird species.
What to carry with; Hat, long sleeve shirt and long trousers, bug spray, water bottles closed walking shoes with long socks.
Location to Simbya River Lodge; The lodge is located in Uganda’s oldest and largest game park –Murchison Falls National Park -from Kampala take the scenic road viewing lush, rolling hills, papyrus swamps to Hoima through Kasubi. Before you enter Hoima take the right-hand turn onto the Murrama road going to Masindi which is 57 kilometers drive through sugar cane plantations and small-scale farms. Drive to Masindi Hotel and then Shell fuel station turn left at the first Murram road with different signposts including one for Sambiya River Lodge. Then drive 6 kilometers and turn left towards the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Drive 14 kilometers to the Kichumbanyobo Gate and then drive north further 52 kilometers and just pass the Rabongo turn-off, cross the Sambiya River, and turn right into the Sambiya River Lodge.
