The world’s Most Powerful Waterfall
Murchinson Falls National Park in Uganda lie at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpement tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savannah.
First gazzetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.
The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45 meters over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchinson Falls.
Centrepiece of the park and the final event in an 80 km stretch of rapids.
The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, trasmorming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert.
At Marchinson Falls, the Nile squeezes through an 8 meters wide gorge and plunges with a thunderous roar into the Devil’s Cauldron, creating a trademark rainbow.
This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles.
Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffe and buffaloes; while hippos, nile crocodiles and acquatic birds are permanent resident.
Activities in Murchinson Falls National Park
Birding
Both the game drives and the boat safari offer an opportunity for one to come across distinct birdlife, including savannah forest birds, water birds and Albertine Rift endemic.
The park’s main birding attraction is the Shoebill, best sighted in the dry season from January to March.
Game Drives
A game drive around the Buligi game tracks on the northern bank with a trained ranger guides is a fantastic way to see and photograph the wide range of animals in the Nile Valley.
The Park is home to a large number of animals, it’s possible to spot lion, leopard, buffalo, giraaffe, hippos, hyena and different antelopes species.
Boat safari
The boat safari upstream from Paraa presents an astonishing display of wildlife and culminates with the memorable frontal view of the falls.
Recommended for birders is a morning cruise downstream to the Nile-Lake Albert Delta.
A sundowner cruise offers the classic view of an equatorial sunset reflected on the river.
Cultural Encounters
Energetic dancers from Mubako perform around lodge campfires, making for a magical African experience at dusk.
Boomu Women’s Group offers village tours, revealing the realities of life in this rural community.
