Planning a safari to Murchison falls

Planning a safari to Murchison falls – Boat cruise and game viewing in Murchison falls NP

Planning a safari to Murchison falls – in this blog post, we give you all the experience and details you need to know before booking a safari holiday to murchison falls, with that reason, the blog post is long but bear with us as you read it because it has important information.

Murchison Falls National Park is one of the best game parks to visit while in Uganda. The park is located in the Murchison Conservation Area where we also find the Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves. The park is endowed with several attractions including over 76 mammal species with 4 members of the big five, the lion, the leopards, the elephants, and the Buffaloes.

Other species include bushbucks, Uganda kob, waterbucks and warthogs, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, hyenas etc. Along the shores of the Nile and within the waters you will see lots of hippos and crocodiles among other resident creatures. There also several primates in the Murchison Falls National Park including baboons and several other monkey species.

The Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest National Park is also home to over 450 recorded bird species including the rare Shoebill stork. The park is also home to 23 Albertine rift endemics given its location in the western arm of the east African rift valley. Our Murchison Falls bird watching safaris allow you see many of these bird species with the help of our expert and professional guides.

The highlight of your safari in Murchison Falls National Park is visiting the “Murchison Falls” a point along the Nile, within the park where River Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge 8 meters wide. The launch trip up stream is very interesting and offers magnificent views of the falls and several wildlife species found along the shores including Buffaloes, Hippos, Crocodiles, waterbucks and bird species.

Murchison Falls National Park

Located in the north-western side of Uganda, Murchison falls is the biggest national park in the country covering a total area of 3,840 square kilometres. It is the most popular national park in the country due to its variety of attractions and is also the top tourist destination in Uganda. It has different vegetation including savannah plains, savannah woodlands, swamps and forested areas which are all habitats to numerous species of mammals, bird species, primates and reptiles.

Planning a safari to Murchison falls and interested in game viewing, you will go for game drives and animals like lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, waterbucks, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest and many more animals are spotted. Other activities include boat cruise along the Nile to the mighty waterfalls, birding, Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest and hiking to the top of the falls.

Murchison falls was named after the mighty waterfalls which are formerly and locally known as Kabalega falls. Murchison Falls National Park has very interesting natural attractions which everyone needs to consider seeing. Just like at most destinations, it is important to know the best time to travel to Murchison Falls National Park to encounter the best of the safari. This will best planned after getting to know the varying seasons in the region and of generally.

The location of Uganda along the Equator gives it a unique climate which has is also one of the reasons to why many people travel to this country. The climate is almost the same each year with two dry season and two wet seasons. During each of these seasons, there are activities that can be done and those that become challenging to do in different season.

This is the reason why travellers prefer to visit Uganda during specific seasons, hence there being the ‘Peak season’ also known as the high season and the ‘Low season’. Each of these seasons has advantages over the other in one way or the other and what seems to be comfortable and more convenient is what travellers choose.

What to carry when traveling to Murchison Falls National Park?

We have analyzed the climate at the destination and after deciding on when to travel, if you are planning a safari to Murchison falls, you need to know the things that are necessary during the trip so that you are not caught by surprise when you are already out of your home. It is important to carry the appropriate clothes for the weather and others essentials as well those that may not be essential but could be required.

Passport

This is one of the items you must carry when traveling to Uganda’s Murchison falls. It is a travel document that you must have for you to be allowed to go through any entry point to the country.

Yellow fever immunization card

You must have a certificate or card showing that you are immunized against yellow fever.

Airline ticket

You need to confirm your ticket early enough so that your plans are not interfered with. When you obtain it, keep it safe.

Visa

Apply for the VISA before your travel and obtain it from your country or at Entebbe airport or border on arrival. You will not be allowed to enter the country without a Visa. You can also obtain an East African Visa that takes you to Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda if you are going to travel to all the countries.

The above items are the mo0st important when planning to travel and you are advised to photocopy them and keep the copies differently. Keep them safe. Other things that you need to carry with you include the following;

Travel and health insurance

We can help you secure your travel with a good insurance company so that you travel with confidence regarding your health when traveling.

First aid kit

Since traveling will involve long distances to the destination, it is important to have some pain killers, plasters, bandages, anti-diarrhoea medicine, and other essential medicine. The fact that you are also changing the environment, it is important to carry these medicines.

Anti- malarial medicine

You are advised to seek advice from your physician as you plan to travel to Uganda which is a malaria zone. They will advise you on if to take and carry some anti-malarial tablets. You also need to carry insect repellent

A credit card and enough cash

Do not carry a lot of money in cash but have what you are going to use in the meantime and withdraw the rest when you are already at the destination. Let your bank be aware that you travelled and you will keep needing cash for different things.

Binoculars

You’ll need binoculars on most activities in Murchison falls national park such as game drives, when birding and also on boat cruise.

Camera

You are going to see amazing things and reach places where you’ll need to takes photos and videos for memories. Make sure you have a good camera, a charger.

Back pack

You need a back to carry the simple necessities that you’ll be using when you move out for an activity for example the camera, sun cream, power bank and other small things.

Clothes

Carry clothes that you’ll be comfortable in but remember that they should be descent because you need to be descent when you travel to villages in Uganda so that you don’t attract people’s attention. Let the clothes that you’ll wear when traveling around the destination is loose. Carry a scarf, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts and sweaters to wear in the evening, caps, night dress. It’s not good to wear clothes of very bright colours when travelling around wildlife areas because they attract animals.

Shoes

You need to carry strong water proof shoes, sandals and strong boots if you plan to go for chimp tracking.

Hygiene and beauty items

These include deodorants, toothbrush, cleansers, shampoo, lotion and others that you may need. Sun glasses, books for reading, headlight and flashlight.

Getting there

The easiest way to reach Murchison Falls National Park is to fly into Entebbe International Airport which is near Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. Depending on the time your flight arrives, you can either stay in Kampala or Entebbe overnight or make the 5-hour drive to Murchison Falls that same day.

Be sure to look up Uganda Visa requirements for your nationality before beginning your travel plans. Remember to travel in a good 4X4 vehicle with good air-conditioning to deal with the dust (during the dry season) and mud (during the rainy season).

Visiting Murchison Falls National Park can be arranged using the services of a good tour operator especially if you are not so sure of the roads. A good tour operator should be able to arrange for accommodation, transport, meals and activities before you show up for the safari.

Activities and Attractions in Murchison Falls National Park

The main attraction in the national park is most definitely the waterfalls, but there is plenty to keep you busy. During your safari, you’ll get the chance to see over 70 African mammal species and 4 out of the iconic “Big Five”, including lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes.

Murchison is also a great place to partake in bird watching; there are nearly 450 recorded bird species found throughout the park. Chimpanzee trekking is another extremely popular activity.

Many travellers plan 3 Days in Murchison Falls National Park to explore the park. The best way to do this is by signing up for a land safari. You can also choose anywhere between 2 and 10 day safaris to see all that Uganda has to offer including Gorilla tracking and visiting many of Uganda’s leading National Parks.

Best Time to Visit Murchison Falls National Park

if you are Planning a safari to Murchison falls – The best months to visit Murchison Falls National Park are from December to February since the weather is mild during this time of year. The peak tourist time is from June to September, so be aware that the park will be crowded during these months.

There are two low seasons due to heavy rainfall, from March to May and October and November. For those interested in birding, the rainy (low) season may be the best time to go. During this time, the bird species in the park are very active. It is the breeding season and migratory birds escaping harsh winters in Europe can also be sighted in the African savannah.

Unfortunately, the low season is characterized by heavy rains that leave the park roads impassable in some sections. Viewing the animals becomes more difficult because they scatter in smaller groups because food is plentiful.