Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo national park in Uganda is the smallest savannah national park in the country. The national park spans over an area of 370 square kilometers, with an altitude of 1220m-1828m above sea level. The park has five lakes located within its boundaries, with Lake Mburo being the biggest of all. It is on this lake that boat cruise safaris are conducted.
The national park in Uganda is home to over 315 bird species and about 68 mammal species. Some of the wildlife commonly sighted in the park include; topis, hippos, buffalos, giraffes, warthogs, oribis, Defassa waterbucks, Bruchell’s zebra and many more.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park.
Lake Mburo offers visitors a wide range of activities such as;
Game Drives:
Game drive safaris in Lake Mburo national park in Uganda are perfect for viewing wildlife in the park. While on a game drive in the national park, tourist can see wildlife animals like; Impalas, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, buffalos and elands among others. The park offers both morning and evening game drives, which begin at 6am and 6pm respectively. Evening/night game drives offer visitors an opportunity to view nocturnal animals in the park such as; bush babies, leopards and potto to mention but a few.
Birding:
Lake Mburo hosts more than 315 species of birds. On a single bird watching safari, visitors can sight unique bird species like; the red-headed love bird, red-shouldered cuckoo shrike, the rare red-faced barbet, the emerald-spotted wood-dove and the brown parrot among others. This national park is the place to be for any bird lovers out there.
Horseback riding:
Lake Mburo national park is apparently the only national park in Uganda where tourists can enjoy horseback riding safaris. Horseback riding in Lake Mburo was introduced in the park in 2008 and is operated by Mihingo Lodge. Horseback riding activities take between 2-5 hours and visitors can enjoy watching the wildlife as they graze in the park.
Hiking and guided Nature Walks:
Hiking and guided nature walks give tourists visiting the national park, an opportunity to explore the park’s wondrous beauty and wildlife, on foot. Visitors are usually accompanied by a well-trained and knowledgeable UWA guide, who leads tourists to beautiful and scenic sites like the salt rocks, where animals gather to lick the nutritious salt. Hiking activities and guided nature walks in the national park start at 7am every morning and these usually last 2 hours. Tourists can also take guided walks to view about 5 lakes out of the 14 lakes in the region.
Lake Mburo Boat Cruise:
Boat cruise safaris in the park are conducted on Lake Mburo. The eastern shores of Lake Mburo can be explored by boat. The launch trips in the national park usually set off from the nearby Rwonyo Rest Camp, a lakeside campsite. While on a boat trip, visitors should look out for crocodiles and hippos in the water or on the shores of the lake. The boat trips in the national park take a duration of 2 hours. Visitors can also get the chance to sight birds like; the rare fin foot and shoebill stock among others.
Mountain Biking:
Tourists visiting Lake Mburo park can also get to enjoy mountain biking activities. The activity is operated by Rwakobo Rock and Leopard Tail Rest Camps, in the national park. All mountain biking activities in the park commence at the Nshara gate.
Community/Village Tours:
Community/Village tours in Lake Mburo national park in Uganda give visitors an opportunity to explore some of the unique cultures in the western part of the country. Visitors on community/village tours in the park get a chance to visit some of the local homesteads outside the national park. While on these amazing community/ village visits, visitors get to learn about the historical and traditional lifestyle of the Banyankore, Bairu and Bahima people.
Other activities that tourists visiting the national park can enjoy include; forest nature walks and sport fishing.
Accommodation in Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda.
Accommodation in Lake Mburo national park is quite affordable. Accommodation facilities in the park range from budget to mid-range and luxury lodges. Visitors planning to spend a night or more in the national park can stay in the following lodges; Mihingo Safari Lodge, Rwonyo Rest Camp, Mburo Safari Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Ssana Community Lodge and Eagles’s Nest among others.
Best Time to visit Lake Mburo National Park.
The best time to visit Lake Mburo national park in Uganda is during the dry season which is between July – August. This period also happens to be the best for game viewing in the park.
How to get to Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda.
Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda is just a 3½ hours’ drive from Kampala City, covering a total distance of about 228 kilometers. The national park can also be accessed from Kibale National Park in southwestern Uganda via Ibanda and Rushere, and from Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese district via Ishaka and Mbarara.
Conclusion: Visitors travelling to Lake Mburo national park in Uganda can always combine a visit to the park with other activities such as gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park, golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla national park, and Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park.
