6 Things you must not miss on Lake Mburo National Park Safari

Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem, located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda (about 4 hours driving from Kampala). It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. This 260km2 park’s precarious past has seen wildlife virtually eliminated several times: firstly in the various attempts to rid the region of tsetse flies, then to make way for ranches, and finally as a result of subsistence poaching. 20% of the park’s areas is a wetland.

1. Wildlife

The park’s varied habitants support 68 mammal species. Rarities include impala, which in Uganda only lives in Lake Mburo , and Burchell’s zebra and eland which are only found here and in Kidepo.
Other species include warthog, buffalo, oribi, Defessa waterbuck and reedbuck. Leopard and hyena are also present while the crocodile and over 300 hippos are found in the lake.
Previously extinct in the park, lions have been recently sighted.

Burchell’s zebra

 

2. Birding

The Crested Crane, Uganda’s national symbol

Lake Mburo National Park is home to 315 bird species. These include the red-face barbet, only seen in Lake Mburo, Africa finfoot, the rarely seen shoebill stork, Papyrus yellow warbler, Saddle-billed stork, brown-chested lapwing, African-wattled lapwing, Carruther’s Cisticola, Tabora (long-tailed) Cisticola, African ScopsOwl, Abyssinian Ground Horbill, and White-winged Warbler.

Acacia woodland bird species are especially well represented, while forest species may be found in rubanga Forest. These include Blue-breasted kingfisher, Hairly-breasted Barbet and Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, among others.

The best birding spots in Lake Mburo National Park are the swampy valley of Warukiri; the road between the camp and Rwonyo jetty; and the viewing platform which overlooks the salt lick. Rubanga forest can be visited on foot by prior arrangement with the warden – this is a real draw for keen birders. Rare species such as the African Finfoot and Red-faced Barbet -  only seen in Lake Mburo National Park – are two of the forest’s featured species.

3. The launch trip on Lake Mburo

Hippos

Nile crocodile

The wildlife-rich eastern banks of Lake Mburo can be explored during tranquil two-hour noat voyage. Keep an eye out for crocodiles, buffalo, and hippos as well as colorfull kingfishers, magnificent fish eagles, hammerkops and their enormous nests and even bizarre-looking shoebill.

4. Hiking and Nature Walks

Unusually, the whole park is open to walkers as long as they are accompanied by a ranger guide. At Rwonyo, a guided walk leads to the salt lick where many animals are attracted to the salty rocks. Walks on the western side of the lake and take two hours. At this time of the day, you may encounter hyenas returning to their dens and hippos retreating to the lakes.

5. Horseback safaris

Horseback safaris are an exciting way to view wildlife including elland and buffalo. Also commonly sighted are warthog, topi, impala, dukier, bushback, waterbuck and zebra. The four-hour hacks take visitors up to the hilltop viewpoints with the option of bush breakfasts or sundowners.

6. Sport Fishing

Lake Mburo contains around six species of fish, with tilapia being the the most common. The designated fishing spot is at Mazinga. Visitors planning to fish here should carry their own equipment and obtain a permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Aside fro  the abundance of wildlife, the best thing about this little park is the peace by the lake. For the entire stay in the park, you will experience numerous uninterrupted sightings of wildlife and yet have the opportunity to relax by the calm lakes.

 

Safari Packages to Lake Mburo National Park

• 1 day Lake Mburo National Park Safari
• 2 days Lake Mburo National Park Safari
• 3 days Lake Mburo Safari
• 4 Days Uganda Gorilla Trek in Bwindi with Wildlife Safari in Lake Mburo National Park
• 5 days Lake Mburo and Gorilla Tracking tour
• 6 days Lake Mburo, Gorilla tracking and Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

 

 

 

Best One-day Tour Options in and around/ near Kampala

1 day Chimps trek in Budongo Forest Kaniyo-Pabidi, Murchison Falls National Park with primates and lots of birds

Located in Murchison Falls National Park Budongo Forest Reserve is 793 square kilometers of which only 53% is forest and the rest grassland. Budongo Forest boasts of a high biodiversity of 24 species of small animals 9 of which are primates, 465 species of trees and shrubs, 359 species of birds, 289 species of butterflies and 130 species of moths. The forest is renowned for its high number of mahogany trees and chimpanzees. The forest is believed to contain some 600-700 chimpanzees

As a result of this great biodiversity two eco-tourism sites have been set and optimized for tour activities - Kaniyo Pabidi and Busingiro Eco Tourism Sites. These two sites have chimpanzees that have been habituated for chimpanzee tracking. 

In Kaniyo Pabidi, six groups have been habituated.  In May, June, July and August visitors have over a 90% chance of seeing the chimps. In February, March, April and September this drops to 70%, and in October, November, December and January, when food is scarcer, chances drop to 50%.

Itinerary

Leave Kampala at 6 am for your 4 hour drive north to Budongo Forest.  Drive through the Ugandan countryside which alone is worth the trip toward Masindi.  There is lots to see and many fabulous picture opportunities.  Arrive at Kaniyo Pabidi at Budongo Forest and have lunch and then embark on the chimpanzee tracking.  After tracking return to Kampala by 7 pm...a full day, but well worth it and a most rewarding experience.  Your best one day Chimpanzee tracking experience while in Uganda.
                                                            More details here >>

1 day Lake Mburo National Park Safari

Lake Mburo National Park habours several species not observed elsewhere in Uganda. It is the only place in Uganda to support a population of impala (from which Kampala city derives its name), and only one of the three protected areas countrywide where Burchell's zebra occurs, the other two being the far less accessible Kidepo and Pian-Upe. Other antelopes easily seen are topi, bushbuck, common duiker, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and Bofor reedbuck, while the lake and lush fringing vegetaion support  healthy populations of buffalo, warthog, bush-pig and hippopotamus. Large herds of the majestic eland keep roaming the park. The sitatunga confines itself to the swampy areas of the park. Only two diurnal primates occur in Lake Mburo: the vervet monkey and olive baboon. Nocturnal calls of the spotted hyena can be heard through the night.  Leopard, side-striped jackal and various smaller predators are also present, most visibly the white-tailed mongoose and three otter species resident in the lakes.

 

Itinerary

Leave Kampala from your place of stay at 6 am. Drive to Lake Mburo, water provided by us along the way. Check into Park and go on a Drive of the Park viewing the animals and birds along the 3 hour drive with Uganda Wildlife Authority Guide. Fabulous views of Buffaloes, Zebras, Leopards, a variety of antelopes, warthogs, and one of the few places to view zebras in Uganda.

Lunch along the Lake (there are 5 lakes within the Park) and then a boat ride along the shore. View crocodiles and lots of hippos with a variety of birds to see. This is the highlight of your trip there today.

Afterwards, we bid farewell to the park’s friendly staff as we depart for Kampala. We drive through a magnificent hilly country and lush cultivation on an approximately four-hour journey.

En route we will stop at the Equator for photographs and ‘polar-water experiment', then a local community popular for making local drums (Mpabire Village), gardens, crafts shops and fruit markets.

We will be in Kampala in the evening.

                                                                                                                                           More details here >>

Full-day White Water Rafting on River Nile (Grade 5)

This trip is all about having fun so get ready for the most exhilarating rollercoaster ride of your life. Considered one of the wildest one day white water rafting trips in the world, no safari to Uganda would be complete without truly experiencing the Nile from its source. You too can conquer this wild and untamed river with the pioneers of rafting on the Nile.

Early morning after your breakfast, the driver guide will pick you at your place or hotel of residence ready for a drive to the adventure capital Jinja. Jinja lies in the south east of Uganda, 54 miles (87 km) north east of the capital, Kampala. It is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, near to the source of the White Nile River.
Arriving in time for rafting briefing, here you choose to raft in the paddle-powered boats for one of the wildest raft rides on the planet, or opt to be rowed downstream by our professional guides in the safety raft. After a buffet lunch you will hit a series of more wild rapids and wind the evening with BBQ snacks after rafting.  Return to Kampala in the evening for overnight and dinner at your hotel.

The trip includes:

- Award-winning Adrift river crew, by far the most experienced on the continent
- Safety rafts and kayakers, photographer and video-kayaker
- High-flotation life jackets, helmets, spray jackets and custom-made rafting equipment
- ‘Famous’ Adrift lunch on our private mid-river island, complimentary beer/sodas after the trip
- Vehicle shuttle from Kampala to Jinja
- BBQ snack after the trip

Excludes: Any other activities not mentioned in the program

For Jinja Excursion, you can choose to do half day rafting and spare the afternoon to visit the Source of the river Nile and discover John Speke Monument having believed to have discovered the source of the Nile, this can be done combined with a sunset cruise on the Nile before return to Kampala

1 Day Jinja, Mabira, Source of Nile Tour

Meet with our driver/ Tour guide at your hotel and transfer to Jinja via Mukono District. Make a stopover at Mabira forest. Proceed to Jinja reaching the source of the Nile. Take a boat trip to the source of the Mighty Nile River. The spot where the River starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt.  While at the source get a chance to view different species of birds especially the kingfisher.  This tour can be done any time of the year. It can also be done at the start or at the end of any of our other safari packages.

Itinerary

Meet with our driver/ Tour guide at your hotel and transfer to Jinja via Mukono District. Make a stopover at Mabira forest. Proceed to Jinja reaching the source of the Nile. Take a boat trip to the source of the Mighty Nile River. The spot where the River starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt.  While at the source get a chance to view different species of birds especially the kingfisher.  Go for lunch at Nile Resort Hotel/ Hotel Triangle and in the afternoon go for a half day rafting trip at the Bujjagali falls. Return in the evening and immediately transfer back to Kampala. This tour can be done any time of the year. It can also be done at the start or at the end of any of our other safari packages.

More details here >>

1 Day Chimpanzee visit to Ngamba Island Chimps Sanctuary on Lake Victoria

This amazing one day tour to Ngamba Chimps Sanctuary. The Island is a chimpanzee sanctuary managed by the Jane Goodall Institute. Ngamba Island consists of approximately 100 acres, 98 of which are forested and separated from the visitors area by an electric fence. Ngamba Island was officially opened to visitors in October 1999 and is currently home to 40 orphaned chimpanzees.

You are transferred to the pier in Entebbe. from where we take a pleasant (45 minutes) boat ride on Lake Victoria to Ngamba Island. On arrival at the Island, home to 39 chimpanzees, you will be given a short introduction and briefing on the sanctuary like why it was established and the back ground as well.

You will reach in time for feeding the Chimpanzee and you will watch them feed. Spend about 1 hour with the chimps and later in the afternoon take a rest at the pool side or the lake shores as you wait for the next feeding of the chimps to watch them feed. It’s astounding! You will then transfer back to Entebbe After which, its feeding time!

It is interesting to watch the chimps interact with each other and with their keepers. In the relatively short amount of time you are there you will be able to see such different personalities amongst the group, with some whistling for food and others clapping. Obviously the ideal option would be to re-introduce these orphaned chimpanzees to the wild however this is not possible for a number of different reasons and the sanctuary is not bad for second best.

 More details here >>

Leopard sighted in Uganda's Lake Mburo National Park

Not Happy!!!

You go on a few days well earned leave and all hell brakes loose back at the lodge. 

Thankfully the guests at the lodge couldn't have been happier.

More leopard sightings than you can shake a stick at!!!! 

Two separate groups managed to see a mother and her three cubs feasting on a kill and two nights ago a lucky couple managed to see a leopard take down a young impala only a few metres from their vehicle. More sightings of a mother and cub in daylight. And hyena sightings and single leopard sightings............

Currently there is a great guy at the lodge called Damian, there for training experience, and in the three weeks he has been there, and the four times he has driven in the park he has seen five leopards.

Happy leopard hunting guys,

Chris