Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo : Lake Mburo national park is situated along Kampala-Mbarara high way positioned in western Uganda and it’s the tiniest savannah park in Uganda covering a total surface area of 370km2. Lake Mburo national park is about 4 hours’ drive from Kampala city center and can be retrieved by road using both public transport and secluded means. Lake Mburo national park is rich in biodiversity collected of Savannah wood land with a lot of acacia trees and papyrus, and 20% of the national park contains of wetland habitat. The park draws its name from the lake that is found within the park called Lake Mburo. It’s a home to several being species including, Giraffes, Zebras, impalas, Elands, hippos, buffaloes, waterbuck, sitatungas, topi, antelopes, reedbuck, oribi, defassa, hyena and leopard among others. On lucky day, all these wildlife can be spotted on your Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo.
Given its rich bio diversity, it offers arrange of tourism activities which include game drives, boat cruise, sport hunting, horse riding, boat cruise, nature walk among other activities. You can book with your reliable tour company to take you for such amazing activities. The park is accessed through its main 2 gates of Sanga and Nshara which is about 20Km from the main road to Rwonyo visitor information center, a hub of tourist activities in the park.
Lake Mburo is rich in biodiversity with plenty of wildlife and its wetland habitat and lake that gives it beautiful scenery, and can thus be explored on the foot termed as nature guided walks. These walking safaris take place either during the day or in the night. During the day, it can be done both in the morning preferably around 10; 00am and in the evening around 4; 00pm. They can also take place in the night starting from 7; 00pm to about 9; 00pm with the use of spot lights to help in viewing the nocturnal animals and other existing mammals and also maneuvering through the game drive trails.
The ranger guide will guide you on this Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo lasting about 3 hours starting from Rwonyo tourism center through the park and to the lake shores. You will be enriched with information regarding the existing wildlife, the history of the park and how it has evolved, its threats and how it has benefited the neighboring communities. While on the walk, you appreciate the park’s remarkable views especially the vegetation cover and the lake. Walking safaris will also give you an occasion to see other mammal species including zebras, antelope species, and hippos in the waters and along the shores, warthogs, buffaloes, among others.
What to see on a walking safari at Lake Mburo
Some of the more unique wildlife in this park includes grazing animals such as the impala, and Lake Mburo is the only park in Uganda that supports this Eco tone species. It is also home to the last Ugandan population of eland, the largest African antelope. Hyenas, leopards, buffalo, hippo, Burchell’s Zebra and warthog are all found in the acacia woods and grasslands that surround the lakes of the park. There is a good chance you will see crocodile, hippo, reedbuck and waterbuck here too, as well as some of the 315-strong bird species that have been recorded to date, including the elusive African fin foot. The wildlife is best enjoyed on a game drive or a guided walk and the guides are experience and knowledgeable at taking you to the best spots. There is also the opportunity here for boat safaris on Lake Mburo, horse-back safaris and night drives, for the chance to see the more nocturnal animals, such as leopard, hyena, civet and porcupine.
Other tourism Activities that can be carried in Lake Mburo national park include;
Boat cruise:
The existing lake offers boat cruise experiences that last for about 2 hours. You will have an opportunity to discover the Eastern shores of Lake Mburo by boat trip starting from the jetty at the lake side near Rwonyo rest camp which is done both in the morning hours and afternoon depending on the available bookings. While on the boat, you will have a chance to see schools of hippos in shallow waters and crocodiles along the shores and other bird species including pelicans, herons, fish eagles, the rare shoebill. The boats can accommodate a minimum of 5 people ad maximum 40 people.
Game drives:
Lake Mburo hosts abundant of mammal species that enrich you with a good game drive experience which can be done in morning, evening and in the night lasting about 3 hours. The national park has several games drive tracks to facilitate your game drive experience which will give you an opportunity to see animals like Giraffes, Zebras, leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, sitatunga antelopes, Impala, Eland, water back and bush backs, warthogs among others.
Horse-riding safaris:
Horseback safaris are a concession between Uganda wildlife Authority and Mihingo lodge which is located at the edge of the national park. It helps you explore grassy ridges in the Eastern part of the national park. Mihingo lodge has about 7 horses that facilitate horse riding safaris and thus has capacity of taking at least 7 clients once for the horse riding activity. Before you embark on horse riding activity, you will be weighed to ascertain your weight and whether you should continue and do the activity. The maximum weight these horses can carry is 100 kgs but not all horses carry up to this maximum number of kgs. Some of them carry below it; that is about 85 kgs. If you weigh more than this, your offer may be turned down.
Mountain biking:
This is also a UWA concession operated by Rwakobo rock and Leopard trail rest camp. This activity is suitable for well to do clients in terms of fitness which normally starts from Nshara gate into the national park. The lake side track climbs into Kigarama hill which provides panoramic view of Lake Mburo.
Some of the Accommodation in Lake Mburo national Park;
Acardia cottages
Rwakobo Rock lodge
Kigambira safari lodge
UWA Rwonyo camp
Mihingo lodge
Mburo safari lodge
Hyena hill lodge
Igongo Cultural resort
