Murchison Falls National Park

The fall of water was snow-white, which had a superb effect as it contrasted with the dark cliffs that walled the river, while the graceful palms of the tropics and the wild plantains perfected the beauty of the view. This was the greatest waterfall of the Nile, and in honor of the distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society I named it the Murchison Falls, as the most important object throughout the entire course of the river.” Samuel Baker

In 1863 the hunter-turned-explorer Samuel Baker and his wife Florence set off from Khartoum with three boats, 96 men, 21 donkeys, four camels and four horses in search of the sources of the Nile. This question had plagued the minds of empires and sailors and prompted a series of previous searches into the African interior. As explorers, the couple did not fit the typical 19th Century description; Samuel sought his fortunes as a personal hunting guide and farm-owner while Florence was an orphan raised in a harem in the Ottoman Empire. Their journey along the Nile was rife with hardship as they encountered marauding slavers who dominated the ivory trade. A modern-day explorer equipped with satellite phones, 4x4 vehicle and current medicines would struggle to appreciate how Baker’s caravan moved, suffered and ‘discovered’. The Bakers laid claim to the Falls and gave it a name that would be adopted in 1952 when it became Murchison Falls National Park. Although Baker is credited with discovering Murchison Falls and Lake Albert, one must remember the lineages of those who inhabited the area before the arrival of the white man. Many migrations have moved through that landscape, and the kingdoms that thrived on the natural resources gave birth to today’s border communities.
Safaris Through the Murchison Falls wilderness

Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda- covering an area of 3,840 sq km. Murchison Falls National Park lies at the core of the greater Murchison falls conservation Area, which also embraces the Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves as well as the Budongo forest. The park is named from the falls which are now referred to as Murchison but before were referred to as Kabarega falls.

The Grand River Nile divides the Park into the South and North sections and forms falls where it flows over the Western rift Valley escarpment. In the eastern section of the park before the Murchison Falls, are the Karuma falls here is the awe-inspiring Murchison Falls, where the River Nile hurls itself in appalling convulsions through a narrow crevice and then plunges over 23 km in one breathtaking leap display. This is the most exciting white water in Africa. In the Southern section of the park is the beautiful Rabongo Forest home to several families of Chimpanzees and other primates.

Topography

The altitude is 619 m at the delta and 1,292 m at Rabongo Hill. The mean temperature is 29 ºC-high and 21 ºC-low. The Murchison Falls National Park, with its variety of vegetation ranging from riparian forests and swamp lands to broad Savannah, provides the opportunity of seeing many of the animals found in Uganda.
Wildlife
Wildlife populations have largely recovered from the poaching of the 1980s; in the lush borassus grassland to the north of the Nile. Prominent mammals include Elephants, giraffe, hippopotamus, leopard, warthog, Giraffe Aardvark, pangolin, civet, buffalo, hyena, crocodile, patas monkey and the Uganda Kob. Chimpanzees are also common in the Rabongo forest. Lions are seen with increasing frequency as regularly encountered on game drives.

Birds

The bird checklist of 460 confirmed and 19 unconfirmed species is headed desirability by the shoebill, most common along the stretch of river between Nile Safari Camp and the estuary into Lake Albert. May other water-associated birds are prolific along the river, while raptors make a strong showing on the checklist with 53 species recorded.
Getting there and away

All travelers heading to Murchison Falls from Kampala must first drive to Masindi which actually takes about 3 hours. This is the only public means of transport from Kampala to Masindi town. They then proceed to Murchison falls National Park for another 3 hours making a total of 6 hours. A 4WD vehicle is recommended on the Masindi-Paraa section of the road. The park can be reached by air charter services. There are airstrips at Rabongo and Pakuba which can hold up to six seater light aircraft.


Accommodation;

Accommodation is available in the luxurious lodges of Sambiya Lodge, Paraa Uganda Safari Lodge and Nile Safari Lodge. All these lodges offer excellent accommodation on a full board basis. The Red Chilli Rest Camp the former Wildlife Authority Rest Camp at Paraa offers another convenient perfect accommodation. Nearby the Masindi Hotel in Masindi, and in Rabongo are Forest cottages. There is also a camp site at the top of the Falls but for those suitably equipped.