Murchison falls national park is the largest national park in Uganda, it is located in the northwestern Uganda covering an area of about 3,893 square kilometers and it is bisected by the Nile River into two parts that is Northern bank and the Southern bank.
Game drives in Murchison falls national park is an amazing activity that every traveler should never miss because of the catalog that the park offers. Murchison falls national park is a home to over 451 bird species and over 76 mammals and some of the animals found in Murchison falls national park are; buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, hartebeests, bushbucks, waterbucks, hippopotamuses, hyenas to mention but a few and some of the birds found in Murchison falls national park include; shoebill storks, goliath herons, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black headed lap-wing, Senegal thick-knee, secretary birds, giant kingfishers, saddle-billed storks among others.
Where to do game drives in Murchison Falls National Park?
Since the park is divided into two parts that is southern and northern bank, the best game drives are done on the northern bank of the park this is because most of the grazers dwell here and the place being more of open savanna, it attracts more animals for example the kobs, buffaloes, among others and the predators which are lions, leopards, hyenas, foxes are seen on the northern bank. Murchison falls national park has different game drive tracks for example the Albert track, the Buligi track and Victoria track, these tracks have different wildlife experiences however, and the most used track is Buligi animal track which is north of Paraa and this is where you will meet lions, leopards, hyenas which follow high concentration of grazers. However, in the southern bank, there is a newly formed wildlife experiential track called Honeymoon track that stretches to over 22 kilo meters.
Types of game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
There are mainly 2 types of game drives in Murchison falls national park and these are day game drives and night game drives. Day game drives happen twice that is morning game drive that starts at 6:30am or 7am, when the animals are still very active and if you spent in the southern bank you will cross Victoria Nile as early as 7am to catch the game drive on the northern bank, another game drive starts at 2pm and this will expose you to animals that will going to drink water. There is also night game drive that starts from 6:30pm or 7pm to around 9pm and this one is mainly to expose you to nocturnal animals for example lions, leopards, hyenas, bush babies among others and it is carried out by experienced ranger guides who have vast knowledge about animal tracks and behaviors. Early morning game drives in Murchison falls national park are more rewarding than the rest.
How much is game drive in Murchison Falls National Park?
The cost of the game drive in Murchison falls national park varies from nationality to the time of your game drive. For example, day game drives for foreign residents the cost of the game drive is 20 USD, while foreign non-residents the cost is 25 USD while night game drives it is 30 USD for foreign non-resident while for foreign residents it is 20 USD and for East African residents, the cost of day game drives in Murchison falls national park is 25,000 UGX and 30,000 UGX for night game drives for the East Africans.
Which vehicles are recommended for game drives in Murchison Falls National Park?
A number of vehicles can be used for game drives in Murchison falls national park, however, you have to make sure that the vehicle is in very good conditions, its comfortable with a pop-up room for clear views of wildlife while on the game drives. The most recommended tourist vehicles are 4X4 safari vehicle, a land cruiser, a van or a coaster for the group tours. You can also use a salon car for self-drive game drives however we advise you to use an armed ranger throughout your entire experience in the jungle.
What is the best time to visit Murchison Falls National Park?
You can visit Murchison falls national park throughout the year, however, it is better you visit the park during dry season in the month June to September and December to February. This is when the park trails are dry and the vegetation is not thick and you can easily navigate and above all, you do not expect rainfalls in these months, so you enjoy the park to the maximum, however, for birders, it is better to visit the park in wet season that is in March to May, then October to November, you will be able to see migratory birds in Murchison falls national park.
What can I pack for a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park?
For you to have a seamless game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, do not forget to pack these items below;
- Insect repellent
- Long sleeved shirts and trousers
- Warm sweater
- Rain jacket
- Comfortable jungle shoes
- Sun cream
- Sun glasses for day game drives
- Wide brimmed hat
- Night gaggles for night game drives
- Spotlight torch for night game drives
- Camera
- Guide journal
- Back bag
- Mineral water to keep you hydrated
What age is appropriate for game drives in Murchison Falls National Park?
The recommended age minimum age for game drives in Murchison falls national park is 4 year, this is simply because children below 4 years can easily cry and this can irritate animals and they hide further or react otherwise.
How to reach to Murchison Falls National Park?
There are two means of transport through which you can connect to Murchison falls national park where by you can decide to use road transport using Kampala-Gulu highway and this will take you about 6hours to reach Murchison falls national park however, you can use air transport where you will grab a domestic flight from Kajansi Airfield or Entebbe international Airport and land to either Pakuba airstrip or Chobe airstrip and this will take you about 1hour or 1:30hours and air transport is mostly used by travelers who want to save time. Upon landing in Murchison falls, the hotel van will be ready to receive you and take you to the booked accommodation.
You can combine Murchison falls national park safaris with chimpanzee trekking in Uganda and it is done in Kibale forest national park together with gorilla trekking experience in Uganda in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park, you will enjoy a touch open savanna with forest experience. This is a rewarding experience.
