Murchison Falls the River Nile – The Nile is a famous to longest River in the entire World with its source beginning in Jinja found in the Eastern part of Uganda and its name was derived from a Greek word ‘Nile’ for ‘valley’. The Nile River begins from Jinja where 70& of Lake Victoria contributes to the River Nile and flows to the nearby areas adjacent to the Equator continuing to the Safari desert until it finally pours into the Mediterranean Sea. The River Nile is approximately 6696km long flowing through 9 countries of Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya.
This well-known River has 2 major twigs, the blue Nile which joins in Khartoum and forms the central part of the Nile that comprises of Cataract Nile and the Egyptian Nile, and the white Nile which is the longest and separates into 3 parts; the lake plateau area, The surd and the central Sudan area.
The Nile has played a great role in the modernization of several countries such as Uganda plus Egypt. Because of its fascinating history, many people have visited Uganda. The Nile offers power to Uganda as a form of hydroelectricity the Nile has the Owen Falls Dam where hydroelectricity is generated and other dams constructed along this River which the people use to run their day to day activities as well as run the economy. The Nile banks are very fertile and suitable for agriculture as well as offer water for domestic use. The Nile in addition is a source of life to various animals that come to drink its waters like crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes among many others.
Many tourist activities such as white water rafting, boat cruises, bungee jumping, spot fishing and Kayaking are done on the River Nile. These have drawn big numbers of foreign tourists to visit Uganda hence enabling them explore Uganda the Peal of Africa.
The perfect way to get a closer feel of the great Nile is by joining in on a Nile cruise on a Murchison Falls National Park Tour which will help you unveil the hidden beauty of the country. As you organize a tour to Uganda, the Nile should be among the must visit places before you return home.
The 3893km2 Murchison Falls National Park forms the core of Uganda’s largest protected area, containing a wide variety of wildlife including big game, forest primates with 450 bird species recorded. The mighty River Nile, the longest river in the World, flows through the heart of this National Park for a distance of 120km, on its 6500km journey from Lake Victoria to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. The National Park’s centerpiece is the explosive, 40m high Murchison Falls where the Nile is forced through a 6 meter gap in the rift valley escarpment. The Falls separate two very different Rivers. Upstream, the River races down a turbulent 80km channel punctuated with rapids. Downstream, the Nile flows quietly towards Lake Albert which it enters through a large papyrus delta point. It is this peaceful 40km stretch of River Nile which provides the Park’s prime wildlife spectacle.
The cruise upriver from Paraa jetty on the South bank to view Murchison Falls at the head of the Fajao Gorge has been the National Park’s most popular attraction since the 1950s. This trip is scheduled every afternoon departing by 2.30pm as well as in the mornings at 08.30am and 11.00am when demands require. We also arrange a special Waterfall Sundowner Trip with drinks and snacks included which departs at 3.30pm every afternoon and private trips on an exclusive basis
This is an excellent opportunity for viewing the large resident populations of hippos and crocodiles, as well as other wildlife and extensive birdlife, including a wide range of water birds on the River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park, and a huge colony of cliff-nesting red throated bee eaters, along the way.
The Victoria Nile delta which is a 20km voyage downstream from Paraa landing site, is home to rare wetland bird species including the shoebill and papyrus endemic species. Scheduled delta area cruises are offered in the mornings departing from Paraa jetty on the South Bank at 07.00am. We can also tailor make your trip with a private boat and timings to suit your interests.
We can offer you a private boat on the Nile River exclusively for activities and timings to suit you. Perhaps some spot fishing combined with bird watching or simply taking in the beauty and views from the boat as you search for the animals en route. The guide can show you special places for a stop off and walk or moor up for a while and enjoy your sundowners. Contact Great Adventure Safaris and we will accommodate you as best as we can.
The National Park experience can be enhanced by combining the Nile River voyages with pre-arranged vehicle collection. Travel by boat to the delta point and return to Paraa with a game drive through the game-rich areas of Murchison Falls National Park. Or leave your boat in Fajao Gorge and climb to the Top of the Falls for the view down into the thunderous chasm, before returning to Paraa by vehicle.
Our Murchison Falls River safaris are always done in 4×4 safari vehicles with game viewing roof hatches for game drives around the delta area of the National Park, with each seat entitled to a window for better view of the wildlife in the Park. Great Adventure Safaris arranges wildlife and boat safaris to Murchison falls the River Nile in Uganda.