Top things to do & see in Murchison falls national park
Top things to do & see in Murchison falls national park: Murchison falls national park is a mixture of both savanna grassland and woodland vegetation that covers a land scape of 3,840km2 and is considered to be one of the best national parks in Uganda that attracts a lot of tourists from different continents.
Being the oldest and largest national park in Uganda, Murchison falls national park attracts several tourists all year round and in this article, we are looking at the top most things to do & see while on a Uganda safari in Murchison falls national park.
The top thing to see while in Murchison falls national park
The magnificent and powerful waterfall: The water fall with in Murchison falls national park is one of the topmost thing to see while on a visit to Uganda. This magnificent water falls was named by Sir Samuel baker to Murchison falls in 1860s which was later on changed by the late Let. General Idi Amini Dada the by then president to Kabalega waterfalls in respect to the by then king of Bunyoro kingdom and finally the waterfall regained its name Murchison falls after the death and defeat of Idi Amin Dada. Therefore, a bucket list is incomplete until one visit this super and most powerful waterfall in the whole world.
Wildlife species: Apart from water falls, Murchison falls national park hast other more things to see ranging from fauna and flora species which include; a huge population of wildlife species such as primates species such as Chimpanzees, lots of mammal species such as big 4 game out of big 5 game, bird species including water birds such as rare shoebill stork, Albertine rift endemic species and many more, butterflies and flora species such as different plants etc.
The top things to do in Murchison falls national park
White Rhino trekking safari: White Rhino trekking has best a famous thing to do in order to encounter and see the endangered white rhinos in their natural habitat. White Rhino trekking is always added on a Murchison falls safari due to the fact that it can be done on the first day of the safari while heading to the park or on the last day of the safari from the park. Once white rhinos are seen, then it’s a sure deal that travelers see the big 5 mammals since the remaining big 4 are all seen in Murchison falls national park. White Rhinos are situated in Masindi in gazete area (Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary) where they are being looked after waiting for their multiplication and be returned to the jungle.
Game drives safaris in Murchison falls national park: Game drive safari is amongst the best things to do within Murchison falls national park. During the game drive travelers are able to see the Big 4 game that are always summed up with a visit to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for white rhino trekking to make a big 5 viewing safari. Thus in Murchison falls national park, travelers are able to see big 4 game (Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, Buffaloes) and other small mammals that thrill with in the park. There are also the primates such as chimpanzees, monkeys and several nocturnal mammals all seen during the game drive. Murchison falls national park is the best park for game drive safaris with in its savanna plains which are congested with wildlife species that are eye catching making game drives the most things to do within Murchison falls national park.
Murchison falls national park offers several game drives including the early morning game drives, afternoon game drives & nocturnal game drives all with different things to see. For instance, taking an early morning game drive allows travelers to see several wildlife species as they arise in the morning to graze on fresh vegetation such as Elephants, Hippos, buffaloes, giraffes etc. also amongst the top things to see during the morning game drive include the hunters that are always in a hide out during the day are out at night therefore taking an early morning game drive will help the tourist to spot these nocturnal mammals and hunters before they return to their hiding places. These include the Leopards, the cats and other hunters. However the best time to spot these nocturnal mammals is during the nocturnal game drive that allow travelers to use the spot light in the night as they search for these animals are always active in the night. However, an afternoon game drive is also rewarding with a lot of things to see including the herbivores in search of drinking water such as Elephants, Buffaloes and also the Hippos as they take a bath during the scotching sun.
Boat cruise safaris in Murchison falls national park: The best way to explore Murchison falls is by taking a boat cruise along river Nile that takes travelers upstream to the base of the waterfall thus boat cruise is amongst the top things to do in Murchison falls national park. Taking an afternoon boat cruise along river Nile in Murchison falls national park enable travelers not only to see the water fall but also enables them to watch different species of wildlife along the shores including Elephants, Buffaloes, giraffes, and many more that usually visit the river in search of drinking water. Travelers can’t miss out to see the Nile crocodiles as they open their mouth wide displaying their dental and this also seen during the boat cruise session on the Nile river. Apart from the main boat cruise to the base of the waterfall, Murchison falls national park also offers a delta boat cruise towards Lake Albert. This is the best thing done by most bird lovers enabling them to see the rare shoebill stork in the swamp near Lake Albert and other different aquatic species including water birds, hippos, and crocodiles among others. Thus a delta boat cruise downstream to where the river emerges into Lake Albert is amongst the top things to do in Murchison falls national park.
Hiking to the top of falls in Murchison falls national park: being an interesting water fall, several travelers after enjoying the boat cruise tend to add another fascinating and adventurous thing called a hike to summit the top of Murchison water falls. However, this hike requires that hikers are both physically and mentally fit since it’s a steep hike from the base of the water fall up to the above. Therefore, a hike to the top of falls is also an important thing to see and do in Murchison falls national park that comes with a chance to view the entire Murchison falls national park from above the water fall, and spotting a lot of wildlife species along the way during the hiking expedition.
Hot air balloon safari in Murchison falls national park: hot air balloon safari is undoubtedly amongst the top things to do and see in Murchison falls national park. As mentioned earlier, Murchison falls national park is congested with lots of wildlife species and during the wildlife viewing safari, travelers are in position to enjoy a hot air balloon that enables them to fly and view wildlife and the park from above. This is one of the most fascinating thing to do in Murchison falls national park and it can be done either in the morning before the sun rise or in the evening as the sun goes down. Morning hot air balloon is more fascinating as it comes with a bush breakfast and a bottle of Champaign.
Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park: Chimpanzees are also the top things to see in Murchison falls national park while chimpanzee trekking is yet a fascinating thing to do. Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park is carried out in Budongo forest where a certain population of chimpanzees is habituated and available for trekking.
Bomu cultural village visit: This is also added amongst the top things to see and do in Murchison falls national park. Travelers on a visit to Murchison falls national park includes a visit to see the locals with in Bomu village to learn more about African culture, food, buy some crafts and enjoy the story telling session.
Accommodation facilities in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park has a wide variety of Lodges ranging from Budget, up market and Luxury that suite with any travelers pocket. These accommodations are distributed some with in the park and others outside the park. Travelers interested in a game drive however are advised to book their accommodations to the park of the game drive in order to minimize cost and time while crossing the ferry for a game drive.
Conclusion
In summary, the top things to do in Murchison falls national park include; White Rhino trekking, game drive, Boat cruise, top of falls hiking, delta boat cruise, chimpanzee trekking, hot air balloon ride, birding and cultural visit. While the top things to see in Murchison falls national park include; White Rhinos, Chimpanzees, mammals such as Lions, elephants, antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes, cats, hippos, crocodiles etc, birds including shoebill stork, and different plant species that make up the vegetation cover of Murchison falls national park.
Murchison falls national park offers several safaris ranging from 2 days Murchison falls safari, 3 days Murchison falls safari, 4 days Murchison falls safari with chimpanzee trekking, among others. Murchison falls is also combined with other parks to make a lengthy safari such as combined Murchison falls and kibale forest safari, kidepo and Murchison falls safari, Murchison falls, Queen, kibale and Bwindi safari among others.
