DISCOVER UGANDA
Lake Mburo National Park Safari
The national park is home to over 313 bird species, including the uncommon white-winged warbler, emerald spotted wood dove, crested francolin, brown parrot, and Nubian woodpecker
Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s smallest savannah national park, and it is the closest one to Kampala or Entebbe. Lake Mburo National Park is a four-hour trip from Kampala via the Masaka route. This park is located in the Kiruhura area of western Uganda, 30 kilometers east of Mbarara by safari vehicle. The park has a total area of 370 square kilometers and is home to 68 animal species and 350 bird species.
It is possible to walk around Lake Mburo National Park with a ranger guide rather than taking a safari vehicle trip. It is possible to get up close and personal with Zebras, Warthogs, Impala, Rothschild Giraffes, Elands, Topi, Buffaloes, Waterbucks, Reedbucks, and Hippos. Leopards are found, although they are uncommon. The terrain consists of wide plains, acacia grasslands, and wetlands. The riverine woodland is thicker around the lake, but the majority of the park is acacia woodland.
What to see on a Lake Mburo National Park Safari?
Lake Mburo National Park is one of Uganda’s national parks where tourists may easily view a high number of impalas. This national park is home to 69 animal species, including zebra, elands, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, warthogs, African leopard, Hyena, topi, and reedbuck. Crocodiles, hippopotamus, and secretive papyrus species like as Sitatunga, antelopes, and black and yellow papyrus Ganalex are also found in the national park.
Lake Mburo National Park has been designated as a lion conservation unit since 2005. To name a few, the national park is home to over 313 bird species, including the uncommon white-winged warbler, emerald spotted wood dove, crested francolin, brown parrot, and Nubian woodpecker. As a result, the national park is an excellent place for bird viewing.
Visitors to Uganda’s Lake Mburo National area may witness the cassia tree, which is a distinctive feature in the area. This tree is thought to have significant aphrodisiac properties and is commonly utilized as a herbal cure by the natives. Tourists who want to visit the national park may do so by driving around the Kigambira loop intersection.
What does your Lake Mburo National Park Safari entail?
Game drives
Lake Mburo National Park is one of Uganda’s national parks where tourists may easily view a high number of impalas. This national park is home to 69 animal species, including zebra, elands, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, warthogs, African leopard, Hyena, topi, and reedbuck. Crocodiles, hippopotamus, and secretive papyrus species like as Sitatunga, antelopes, and black and yellow papyrus Ganalex are also found in the national park.
Birdwatching in Lake Mburo National Park.
Birding has grown in popularity at Lake Mburo National Park. Birding definitely continues to increase with the large bird species that often storm the park; some of the most prominent bird-watching locations include the salt licks region, Rwonyo camp, Lubanga woodland, marshy valleys of Mariti, and roadsides. Some of the most notable bird species viewed during a birding safari in Lake Mburo national park include; coqui Francolin, emerald spotted wood, rufous bellied heron, crowned cranes, bare-faced go-away birds, ross turaco, white-headed barbet, Nubian woodpecker, white parrot, red-shouldered tit, black-bellied bustard, yellow-breasted Apalis, long- tailed cisticola, kingfisher, African fish eagles and so many more.
With more tourists, the park becomes more of a birding paradise. During your birding experience on your Lake Mburo national park safari, you will head out to the park along with your guide in search of the many birds that it boasts. Your search for birds during your safari in Lake Mburo national park does not exclude other parks in the country from being a birding paradise, given that Uganda has over 1000 bird species, making it a true birders’ paradise. This national park alone is home to 135 bird species, some of which are not found anywhere else in the country or in national parks.
Go Horseback Riding in the park.
Another distinctive feature of a Lake Mburo National Park Safari is the possibility to do a game-viewing exercise while riding a horse. This exciting pastime distinguishes the park from the other of the country’s national parks since horseback riding while observing animals is only available at Lake Mburo National Park. The activity is carried out at Mihingo Lodge under the supervision of professional employees in collaboration with park rangers.
The horseback ride at Lake Mburo national park might last from one to three hours as you discover the splendor of the national park savannah while watching for wild wildlife. Imagine being sat on a horse and riding into the savanna to view the wild game. Horseback riding may even be done overnight as you journey to the savannah in the night, where you will be surprised by the noises of the wildlife and likely that of the horse you ride on. Accommodation for overnight horseback rides is typically provided in the form of tents. It should be noted that the horseback riding experience is only available at Mihingo Lodge and can only be obtained by participating while staying there.
Fishing during Lake Mburo national park safaris.
Fishing is another popular tourist activity at Lake Mburo National Park. The lake is home to six different fish species, the most prevalent of which is tilapia. Catfish, lungfish, tigerfish, Angara fish, and barbell are among the other species. Mazinga is the most popular fishing place in Mburo; tourists interested in doing a fish safari must bring their own equipment as well as entry permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The national park has around five lakes. This brings the total number of minor lakes in the park to 12, with Lake Mburo being the largest. Fishermen typically fish from Lake Mburo rather than other lakes, which is due to the fact that Lake Mburo contains more fish than other lakes nearby. Tilapia is still the most frequent fish captured. Tourists may also participate in sport fishing and then carry the catch to the resort where it is cooked for them to eat. The entire experience makes tourists feel attached, especially when fish are caught.
Boat Cruise Tours
A boat tour is another enjoyable activity to consider while visiting Lake Mburo National Park. The lake tour also provides a glimpse of the beautiful flora and fauna at the national park, as well as animals like as crocodiles and hippos, as well as bird species such as African fish eagles, pelicans, king fishers, herons, cormorants, uncommon shoe bills, and hammer kobs. It has also been discovered that during the dry seasons, various fauna, such as buffaloes and antelopes, frequent the water sites.
Guide Nature Walk/Hiking Tour
Taking guided nature walk in the park is a wonderful experience and one that you will definitely enjoy with family and friends. The park is available to any visitors who choose to participate in a guided nature walk, which is normally led by a ranger guide. The guided treks from Rwonyo, the park center, take you to the salt lick, apparently the favorite destination for diverse species. While on a guided nature walk in the park, you will get an opportunity to watch wildlife march across the salt licks to savor the flavor of the salty licks comprised of water and dirt.
Another nature walk begins at 7:00 a.m. and lasts two hours. It takes place on the western half of Lake Mburo and guarantees encounters with hippos emerging from the lake as well as hyenas returning to their caves. Another thrilling trip is through the forest, where you can observe the birds that live there. various treks through the forest allow you to see various mammals, while hikes up the hill give you a perspective over the park’s 9 parts, which are finished off with 14 lakes.
Another unique aspect of the nature walk is the trek through the Rubanga forest, which is ideal for people interested in birding and wildlife viewing. This woodland trek should be planned ahead of time and done in conjunction with the ranger. Hiking is another aspect of the nature tour in Lake Mburo National Park. This activity necessitates prior preparation, such as taking appropriate clothing, shoes, and a lunch box with drinking water. During the trek, you will be able to sit on the ridge and have lunch while enjoying a magnificent view of the national park. All of this should be done under the supervision of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Salt Licks in Lake Mburo National Park.
The salt lick in Lake Mburo National Park is a small water hole in the center of the park that contains salty soils that animals enjoy licking. The animals at Lake Mburo national park find this an interesting area to hang out, licking the soil to savor the salt flavor.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority has also determined that it is important to construct a stone near to the salt lick but hidden, with the intention of providing tourists with a wonderful view of the wildlife that commonly congregates at the salt lick. Zebras, elands, waterbucks, antelopes, and other species are frequent visitors to the salt licks. The salt lick may be seen on a guided nature walk in the park in the early morning.
Interact with the local Communities
It is only during your safari in Lake Mburo national park that you will a chance to forge a personal relationship with some of the local people living in communities surrounding the national park. The Ankole cultural community tourism organization is in charge of guiding tourists through milking methods, preserving and manufacturing ghee, and creating handicrafts. They also lead guided village walks and help the environment by planting trees.
While on a community/cultural tour at Lake Mburo national park, you will not only be taken on a tour to the local home steads in the communities, but you will also get to interact with the friendly locals, make traditional delicacies and also participate in interesting dance performances by the locals.
Biking Tours
A variety of activities, including cycling excursions around Lake Mburo National Park, continue to emerge. It’s a unique way to explore the park and its surroundings. The bicycle tours in the park last no more than an hour and provide views of zebras, elands, buffaloes, antelopes, bushbucks, and other animals.
All bicycle trips and rides are expertly supervised by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers who know which locations to visit for the finest animal viewing. The nature of the terrain is one of the few problems experienced while riding on the bike track; certain places are mountainous, while others are sloppy. Overall, the biking tracks provide a very unforgettable experience.
Sample itinerary for Lake Mburo safari
Day 1: Pick up from Entebbe/Kampala and transfer to Lake Mburo national park.
Depending on where you are on the first day of your three-day Lake Mburo national park safari, you will be greeted by our driving guide, who will brief you on the safari before departing for the park. The park is a 4- to 5-hour trip away, and along the route, you will see amazing views of drums at Mpambire, halt at the Equator in Kayabwe to snap photographs and buy souvenirs, and then continue the trek to the park.
You will check into the lodge for lunch upon arrival. After lunch, you will embark on an afternoon game drive where you will see many animals, enjoy views of the sunset, and stunning terrain, among other things. After the wildlife drive, you will return to the lodge for supper and stay
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
After breakfast on the second day of your 3-day Lake Mburo national park safari, you will meet your driver guide for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be rewarded with great views of animals such as buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, waterbucks, impalas, Topi, and various bird species. Following the game drive, you will be driven to the resort for lunch.
After lunch, you will be driven to the landing spot for an unforgettable boat ride on Lake Mburo. During the two-hour boat ride, you will see hippos and crocodiles in the river, buffaloes, warthogs, and antelopes along the shoreline, water birds such as cormorants, hornbills, bee-eaters, and kingfishers, and fisherman fishing, among other things. After the exciting boat ride, you will return to the resort for supper and an overnight stay, as described above.
Day 3: Walking safari and departure to Kampala
After breakfast on the final day of your 3 Day Lake Mburo national park safari, check out of the lodge and meet your driver guide for a guided nature walk in the park with an experienced park guide where you will be able to get up close and personal with various wildlife species. Following the nature walk in the park, you will begin your journey back to Kampala, stopping for lunch along the way. After lunch, you will travel to Kampala, arriving in the early evening, and your driver guide will drop you off at any location of your choice.
