Safari game drive in Murchison Falls National Park are the most common and exciting tourist activities in Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls National Park is positioned in the northwestern part of Uganda and is one of the oldest and largest national parks in the country. The Park covers an area of 3,840 sqkm, accessible within roughly a 6-hour drive on the road through Luwero and Nakasongala, along Kampala-Gulu highway.
While on a safari game drive to Murchison Falls be sure to see quite a number of animal species. The Park is home to different wildlife species, including over 76 mammals and 451 bird species.
The wild animals around the park include the giant African elephants, waterbucks, oribis, buffaloes, Jackson hartebeests, antelopes, lions, leopards, Ugandan kobs, giraffes, hyenas, bushbucks, and warthogs among others.
Several bird species can also be watched here including the Abyssinia hornbill, bastards, king fishers, white egrets, common bull-bull, and much more. The park has a diversified spread of savannah grassland occupied by the Borassus palm and acacias which have greatly favored the livelihood of wildlife and its biodiversity.
The gentle landscape has greatly supported safari game drive in Murchison Falls due to the wide spread of the animals. This is because they are usually hunting for prey, which gives a great interaction of their food chain on the prey-predator chain, which has remained stable for the past many years.
More about safari game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls is bisected by the renowned River Nile into two parts, that is, the northern and the southern banks, however, the more experiential safari game drive are best done in the northern bank. This is because that’s where you will find a large concentration of wildlife in the savannah plains, whereas the southern bank inhabits a lesser number of antelope herds and other few wildlife animals.
Besides, there is a new track created in the southern part of the park called the honeymoon track that covers 22km.
Survival for the fittest is the order of the day, and there is nothing more enjoyable to watch like watching lions and hyenas catch their kill and meal for the day. This is more enjoyable during dry season when the grasses are short, and you can observe clearly at a close range.
The grazers tend to thrive at the short grass land because it gives them a clear view of their predator, however the predators, tend to also stay near them as they wait for a kill.
Wildlife safari game drive in Murchison Falls National Park can be done is a year-round activity, however, it is more preferred more during the dry seasons than in wet seasons. This is because the grass tends to be long, and some small animals are hard to be spotted at a distance.
The northern park side is more preferred for safari game drives than the southern side due to diversity and presence of much wildlife than in southern bank.
Time for game drive
Three safari game drive session exist within the park, that is, morning, evening, and night game drives.
Early morning game drives normally begin at 6:30 am and runs as far as 10:00 am, and it is the most ideal with high chances of spotting early morning sunrise grazers and hunters. In case you booked your accommodation in the southern bank, you will cross the ferry by 7:00 am and proceed for your game drive in the northern bank.
Evening game rives always take place from 4:00 pm and they can take between 3 to 4 hours. Day time of afternoon drives from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm are not normally preferred because the sun is normally too hot and most of the animals tend to be in their hiding places or resting.
For one to thoroughly enjoy a wildlife safari game drive, approximately 4 t 6 hours is ideal for optical satisfaction and view of the animals.
Safari Tracks for your safari game drive Murchison Falls
There are quite a good number of safari tracks in Murchison Falls National Park that are used for safari game viewing. These include the Victoria track, Buligi track, Chobe track, and Albertine delta track.
The most commonly used track for game drive is conducted between the Victoria Nile delta and Paraa Safari Lodge. However, the road connecting between the student center and Paraa is the most ideal spot for leopards crossing during a night game drive.
Leopards can also be sighted near the old Pakuba Safari Lodge which was under Uganda Lodges in the late 1990’s though it had been destroyed by Idi Amin’s rebels in the late 1979. The leopards always hide in the old building and sunbathe in the neighborhood during the morning hours.
Safari Vehicle
A 4WD converted safari vehicle with a pop-up is more ideal to enable one to view and photography of the amazing wildlife on your safari game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. However, other vehicles such as small van, saloon cars or extended Land Cruisers can still work for you.
A coaster or super custom with sliding mirrors to enable photography can do a great work for a big group.
While in the park, one can do a game drive with a guide driver or self-drive, however a guide ranger with a riffle is more advisable for guiding and protection. This may cost US$20 for foreign non-residents and UGX 20,000 for East African residents, per group per vehicle.
For car hire services, a variety of service providers do exist, including UWA vehicles, Paraa Safari Lodge, Red Chilli Rest Camp, Sambiya River Lodge and much more, however early booking is required.
Safari game viewing at Murchison Falls National Park will leave you with a remarkable memorable experience of the Uganda wildlife.
Other national parks in Uganda with highest concentration of wildlife in Uganda include Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is famous for the tree-climbing lions in the southern Ishasha section and a boat cruise along Kazinga channel that joins Lake George and Edward. Kidepo Valley National Park is also another suitable place for the best wildlife safaris in Uganda.