Lake Mburo National Park Uganda
Welcome to the most complete guide to visiting Lake Mburo National Park. Find the information you need to know about what to do, what to see, travel tips and more. Detailed Essential Trip Planning Information including Fees, weather, visitor centres etc.
The park covers only 370km² yet it has 5 lakes within. It’s situated between the towns of Masaka and Mbarara taking you about 4 hours to get there. Lake Mburo National Park is the only place where you can see the impalas in Uganda, antelopes as well as the Elands. There are also many herds of buffaloes and Zebras with in this national park.
Lake Mburo National Park is an ideal location for the bird addicts because both resident and migratory birds call it a home the notable seen bird species include namely papyrus gonolek, blue turaco, African Water rail, White winged warbler, sunbirds, black kites among others.
While at this site different tourism activities are offered to guests including game drives, horse riding, community tours, sports fishing, cycling tours among others. However, in this article we are to know more about the ultimate boat cruise experience.
Lake Mburo
This is one of the largest five lakes that are near by the wetlands, and it accounts for only 20% of this unique lake found in western Uganda.
More so, the main story of how Lake Mburo came about is also an Ankole myth. The two brothers known as Kigarama and Mburo used to live in a big valley. One day Kigarama had a dream and he decides to tell his brother that they had to move. Mburo just ignored his brother and Kigarama decide to move up into the hills.
The Valley down flooded with water and a lake was formed which drowned Mburo. And to the present, the lake is named after him and the nearby hills are called Kigarama after his own brother.
There are also five lakes in the park that always attract crocodiles, hippos, water birds as well as the swamps that harbor secretive papyrus specialists like the sitatunga antelopes, black and yellow papyrus ganalex etc.
Flora
The area is also related with the cassine tree that has got powerful aphrodisiac effects. On these trees, you can see signs of bark as well as the branch removal and may be seen near the Kigambira loop crossroads. The other part of the park is well covered in acacia savannah as well as famous for associating many antelopes.
Fauna
This lake is also very in diversity of animals as well as plant species that can only be seen in case you take a boat cruise; the park has got over 68 mammal species. The most common animal species include; impalas, zebras, buffaloes, hyenas, topis, road antelopes, jackals, as well as the Eland.
The Hippopotamuses and the crocodiles and the birds including the Black crake, pelicans, cormorant, the fish eagle, and the shoebill stork are all found on this wonderful lake. More so, the duration of the boat cruise is so negotiable.
Birds
The national park has got over 313 bird species that include; the rare white winged warbler, emerald spotted wood Dove, the crested francolin, the brown parrot, barefaced go way bird, the common Francolin, the green wood hoopoe, the blue napped mouse bird, the black billed barbet, the trilling cisticola, Nubian woodpecker as well as the African grey hornbill. Around the Rwonyo camp, you might see some others species include; the red necked spur fowl, the Coqui francolin, the temminck’s coueser, the African watted lover Rufous naped as well as the yellow throated long claw as well as the southern Red Bishop.
Fish
The lake has also got 6 fish species that include; Tilapia, lung fish, mud fish as well as the Haplochromes. By using the hooks, the visitors can also spend some of their time as they catch this fish, a shade is also provided at the campsite in order to ensure the maximum relaxation for the visitors as they are at the lake. You might walk to the salt nearby as a summary of it all. There is also an observation point which is located in a wooden hide out that offers a good chance to view the 4 different species of animals at any time as they lick the salty soil. This is also done without animal conscience. The tourists might also walk to any area of your interest.
Things To Do at Lake Mburo National Park
Game drives
The park offers various activities and the most popular id game grave where you will see different animal species found in the park. The park has got drive tracks throughout the park to enable driving and for easy game viewing. Depending on the season, the park never disappoints there is still a higher chance of spotting the animals and good possibility that every drive will turn up significant populations of impala, zebra, waterbuck, topi, and buffalo. The Kazuma and Ruroko paths offer the best views of the reintroduced giraffes. Additionally, the timid eland, now numbering over 100, might be seen. Now, visitors can take two to three-hour night game drives to explore the park after dark. These often begin around 6:30 p.m. and are a great way to observe nocturnal species like bushbabies and potto, as well as leopard and hyena, at their busiest.
Walking Safari
Walking on foot in the park, is the most exciting way to explore whole park as long as you have a guide with you. You will explore the entire park and view the park animals at a close range. Since sight is frequently obstructed by tall growing vegetation which makes it slightly challenging to view the animals while on the game drive therefore, the walking safari, stands to be the most thrilling way to explore the park and view the animals hiding in the tall grass.
The pathways lead to the Rwonyo salt lick, lakeshores, Rubanga Forest, and vantage point hilltops. Offering the best viewing point to locate the wild game.
Walking safari, is also the best way for birding activity, for bird lovers, walking enables you hear the sounds and track down the birds and view them at a close range.
Birding.
Bird watching in lake Mburo, has increasing become one top attractions in the park with the huge bird species frequently storming the park with the increasing number of birds in the park which has facilitated an excellent bird watching experience. The wetlands and acacia woods of Mburo make and the Viewing platforms built inside the forest and salt licks aid in sightings when searching for the birds on foot, The greatest places to see birds are in the marshy valleys of Waruki and Miriti, and some seen on the sides of roads leading up to the jetty. Some of the birds spotted here include; rufous-bellied heron, bateleur, black-bellied bustard, and red-faced barbet, the latter of which is unique to Lake Mburo National Park, are among others.
Boat cruise
Boat boat cruise on Lake Mburo during which you will come up close with the animals feeding and drinking water along the shores of the lake, besides animals, you will also encounter bird’s species such as; African wattled lapwing, Bare-faced go-away bird, Black-bellied bustard., Greater painted-snipe, Saddle-billed stork some of which are common and others are seasonal birds.
Horseback riding
Horseback riding in Lake Mburo national park, is one of the fascinating and unique experience to many travellers visiting the park, horse back riding gives you an opportunity explore the whole park and come up close with the animals on horseback.
Cycling in Lake Mburo national park
Cycling in Lake Mburo National Park is one of the top activities done by many travellers who visit the park. This is where by the travellers explore the wildlife and the surroundings areas in the park on a bicycle, the ride brings you closer with stunning clear views of the huge and small animals that could be covered by the grass vegetation, cycling id unique and one of best activities you ought not to miss when you visit the park.
Sport Fishing In Lake Mburo
One of the best places to go sport fishing in Uganda is Lake Mburo National Park. The journey there by road takes three hours, making it the nearest national park to Kampala. Five lakes make up the park, although Lake Mburo, the largest, is where most fishing is done. There are six primary fish species in Lake Mburo. The most prevalent species in this area is tilapia. The absence of crocodiles and hippos makes the Mazinga site the ideal fishing location in Lake Mburo.
Plan Your Safari to Lake Mburo National Park
This national park is over 370 sq km as being the smallest park in Uganda, and it has got a mosaic habitat, the rocky outcrops, dry hillside, the open wooded savannah forest, the bush thickets, lakes as well as the swamps that are home to variety of animals and plants. This national park also lies with in a rain shadow that is between Lake Victoria and the great Rwenzori Mountains and this gives a very good stop to the attractions of the south west as Lake Bunyonyi and Queen Elizabeth National park.
Best Time To Go For Horse Riding
Lake Mburo National Park can be visited thought the year however for the better riding experience tourist are advised to have it during the dry season of the year, which typically happens between June and August or December and February,
During dry seasons the trailheads are dry firmer ground with clear views of the surrounding area, making rides smoother and safe for both horses and riders
Where to Stay
The accommodation facilities are also available at the rwonyo park headquarters with the three campsites that are public. There is also a luxury facility that provides high quality services at Mantana Luxury tented camp and another up market place to stay in Mihingo Lodge.