Murchison Falls National Park

Uganda

Murchison Falls is Uganda’s classic savannah park, and the one that still surprises people who thought the country was only gorillas. The Nile forces through a seven-metre gorge; above it, the north bank holds elephant, Rothschild’s giraffe, lion, buffalo and Uganda kob. Below it, the delta is a boat safari.

A proper Murchison stay is two nights. Day one: arrival via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (the only on-foot rhino tracking in Uganda) and a first game-drive. Day two: dawn drive and the boat to the base of the Falls, with the top-of-the-falls hike if legs allow. One night is a taste. Three nights are for photographers.

The park is large. We use the north bank for game and the river for the postcard. Chimpanzee tracking in the south-west (Kaniyo Pabidi / Budongo) is an optional extra, not automatic.

Murchison starts or ends most long Uganda circuits. It is the right first park off an Entebbe landing, and the right last savannah before you turn west to Kibale and Bwindi.

Wildlife

Elephant, giraffe, lion, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, Uganda kob, and the Nile as it squeezes through a seven-metre gorge.

What we book here

• Game drives on the north bank
• Boat cruise to the base of the Falls
• Top of the Falls hike
• Ziwa rhino tracking en route from Kampala

Where we put you

Paraa, Nile Safari Lodge, Pakuba, and the mid-range south-bank camps. We quote a river view when we can actually hold one.

Getting there

Six to seven hours’ drive from Entebbe with the Ziwa stop, or a light-aircraft flight to Pakuba or Bugungu. The flight is worth it if you only have two nights.

How we combine it

Ziwa rhinos, Kibale chimps, Kidepo by air, or a straight run west toward Queen and Bwindi on longer trips.

Best time

Game viewing is strongest in the drier months. The boat cruise runs all year when water levels allow.

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