Activities and attractions to see in Murchison falls national park : Murchison falls national park is the destination in north western Uganda which is known for the world’s most powerful waterfall.
Attractions to see in Murchison falls national park
There is a lot to see around Murchison falls national park during safaris and the attractions include the following;
- Murchison falls
The Murchison falls is a major attraction that tourists look out for during their tours around Murchison falls national park.
They are formed where the Nile flows through a gorge which is 8 meters wide forming one of the powerful waterfalls in Uganda and in the world. The Murchison falls form a pool at the bottom of the falls referred to as the Devils cauldron forming rainbows which can be seen during activities around the falls such as viewing of the falls and the top of the falls experience.
- Victoria Nile
The Victoria Nile is among the attractions to see in Murchison falls national park and it starts flowing from Lake Victoria.
From Lake Victoria, the Victoria Nile flows to Lake Kyoga and continues through Murchison falls national park and joins Lake Albert. The Murchison falls are formed where the Victoria Nile flows through a narrow gorge.
- Albertine rift valley escarpment
The Murchison falls national park is located in the northern part of the Albertine rift valley and the rift valley escarpment connects with the open savannah plains of the national park.
Tourists can enjoy seeing the waterfalls and also spot wildlife species like buffalos, elephants, giraffes among others in the savannah plains while viewing the Albertine rift valley escarpment during tours in Murchison falls national park.
- Wildlife species
Wildlife species are numerous in Murchison falls national park which due to its large size of about 3840 square kilometers provides habitat for many wildlife species.
Some of the big five including elephants, lions, leopards and buffalos are among the wildlife species found in Murchison falls national park. To complete the big five safari experience, tourists can visit the Zziwa rhino sanctuary which is found on the way to Murchison falls national park for a chance to see the rhinos on foot in their natural habitat.
Other wildlife species in Murchison falls national park include bushbucks, waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, Uganda kobs, hippos, hartebeests, dik dik, topi, warthogs, oribi, warthogs and hyenas among others.
- Bird species
Another attraction that can be seen around Murchison falls national park is the different avian species found at the destination.
Murchison falls national park has over 556 bird species including the Shoebill Stork which can be seen around the Albert delta. There are Albertine rift endemic bird species as well as water birds species in Murchison falls national park.
Other birds seen around the park include White Crested Turaco, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Grey Crowned crane, Black Headed Lapwing, Marabou Storks, Giant Kingfishers, Malachite Kingfishers, Swamp Flycatcher, Goliath Heron, Egyptian Goose, Yellow Billed Duck, Spur winged Goose, White-faced Whistling Duck, Helmeted Guineafowl, Crested Francolin, Scaly Spurfowl, Black-Bellied Bustard, Great Blue Turaco, Black Billed Turaco, Black Coucal, Pied Cuckoo, Alpine Swift among others.
These bird species can be seen in different parts of Murchison falls national park in areas around the savannah plains, the forests as well as around the Victoria Nile.
Activities to do in Murchison falls national park
- Game drives
Game drives in Murchison falls national park involves driving around the different tracks at the destination in search of the wildlife species at the destination.
Some of the game viewing tracks in Murchison falls national park include the Buligi track, Victoria track and the Albert track and each of them provides a unique wildlife encounter from the other and with different scenery which acts as habitat for the wildlife species.
The Buligi track is among the major routes used during game drives in Murchison falls national park and it is located in the northern bank of the national park. Game drives around the Victoria track involve encounters with many giraffes and lions can also be seen when driving around this route.
Game drives along the Albert track gives tourist views of the Albertine Nile and many wildlife species can be seen by the water during tours around Murchison falls national park. In the southern parts of Murchison falls national park, game drives can be done in search of mainly lions which can be spotted in this area as well as other wildlife species.
- Bird watching
Bird watching is another exciting activity which takes place during tours around Murchison falls national park during the year.
There are many birding spots around Murchison falls national park and the bird watching experience is best done during the months of March to May and November for a chance to see migrant bird species at the destination.
However other bird species found in Murchison falls national park can be seen throughout the year during different game viewing experiences including game drives during which savannah birds can be seen, boat rides and the delta experience for a chance to see water birds and also to search for the Shoebill Stork.
- Boat rides
Morning and afternoon boat rides on the Victoria Nile is another activity to do during a safari in Murchison falls national park.
The boat rides in Murchison falls national park go for about 2 hours and go close to the bottom of the Murchison falls where tourists can get a good view of the thunderous waterfalls plunging into the Devils Cauldron.
- Top of the falls visit
Top of the falls tour is another activity to engage in during tours in Murchison falls national park. This experience takes tourists closer to the Murchison falls and involves a short hike with a ranger guide.
Tourists can also enjoy another experience of viewing the Murchison falls without taking part in the hike to the top of the falls during their safari.
In areas such as the Budongo forest, tourists visiting the Murchison falls national park can engage in chimpanzee trekking experiences.
