Welcome to Murchison Falls National park Uganda
The Murchison Falls National Park is located in the north-east of Uganda in the Masindi district on the shores of Lake Albert and is the largest game park in Uganda with 3,893 sq km. Since the inclusion of the adjacent game reserves Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves as well as the nearby Budongo Forest Reserve with its forest island Kaniyo Pabidi, it covers an area of more than 4000 square kilometers. It is open all year round. It is known for its scenic beauty and the impressive waterfall that gave it its name.
The stocks of animals have partially recovered from the damage caused by poachers and rebels in the 1980s.
Open grassland and savannahs with many hills and peaks characterize a varied landscape. In the slightly more humid areas, bush and forest landscapes occur.
The following species live in the national park: Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, Uganda kob, Antelopes, Waterbucks, Oribis, Bushbucks, Reedbucks, Lions and warthogs. The Nile is home to numerous hippos and crocodiles, and it feeds an amazing variety of waterbirds, including the rare Shoebill Stork.
Breathtaking wildlife
The northern part of the park has a larger wild animal population. In the 1980s the numbers of animals were severely decimated by rebels and poachers, but they have recovered. Today there are a lot of animals as mentioned above. This is one of the best National Park for game viewing in Africa!
The falling Mighty River Nile
The impressive waterfalls “Murchinson Falls”, which gave the national park its name. The Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a gap of only 6 m and then falls over 43m deep. The water masses are so vast that many fish do not survive the fall over the falls on the rocks underneath, so there are always a lot of crocodiles at the foot of the waterfall.
The falls can be seen from the top and the bottom.
The best way to explore the falls is by taking a 2-3 hour boat cruise on the Nile up to the bottom of the falls. Here, you will see a variety of animals such as huge Nile crocodiles, Hippos, Elephants and Buffaloes on shores, Giraffes, Warthogs and over 300 bird species. While at the bottom of the falls, you can choose to take part in a 30 minutes adveturous hiking to the top of the falls while enjoying different fantastic views of the falls at different points. The boat goes back and you must arrange a vehicle to pick you at the top of the falls.
Getting to Murchison Falls National Park
From Kampala, it is about 4-5 hours drive (approx 230km) on a paved road. This means that you do not need a road-bound vehicle to drive to the park. In the park an all-wheel-drive vehicle is urgently recommended for the game drives. There are currently no longer any security problems due to attacks.
Famous but difficult film scenes
The film “African Queen” with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn was filmed in the main roles in the National Park and the Albertsee in 1951. Murchinson Falls served as the backdrop for the film, while the crew suffered from malaria and the Amoeba riot.
Famous visitors to the Murchison Falls National Park
Winston Churchill is said to have undertaken boat trips, hiked and bicycles. In 1954, Ernest Hemingway visited the park. The Prince of Wales, Edward VII was among the visitors in 1930, and the English Queen and royal family visited the National Park in 1959.
