Murchison Falls safaris

Uganda may be most famous for gorilla trekking adventures in mountainous rainforests but Murchison Falls National Park (sometimes referred to as Kabarega National Park) is the kind of place that is making safari travellers sit up and take notice.

Located close to Lake Albert in north-west Uganda, Murchison Falls provides the setting for a classic savannah safari featuring a familiar cast of elephant, hippo, buffalo and giraffe with lion, leopard, spotted hyena and the occasional cheetah making up the predator list.

But it is the Victoria Nile – dividing the park into northern and southern halves – that gives rise to the park’s greatest draw card, the Murchison Falls.

Tumbling along a rocky canyon, the river is squeezed through a 7-metre wide fissure to create a spectacular waterfall, making river cruises a must-do activity on a Murchison Falls safari. Not only can you take in the drama of the Falls, but you’ll enjoy good game viewing from the comfort of the boat – keep an eye out for hippos and crocodiles – plus (thanks to a bird list of over 500) amazing bird watching.

And while it’s these activities that have long attracted adventurous visitors to this corner of Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park is also home to several primate species. Baboon and colobus monkeys are commonly seen but it is the chimpanzee troops that provide the biggest thrills.

Head for the park’s Rabongo Forest or the next-door Bundongo Forest Reserve for a chimpanzee tracking safari and watch our closest living relatives close up and in their magisterial natural surroundings. There aren’t many places to see chimps safely and easily in Africa but Murchison Falls is one of them.

Explore Murchison Falls National Park on one of our packaged itineraries. There’s comfortable accommodation available in the park and it’s easy enough to combine with other great Uganda destinations. Search for more big game at Queen Elizabeth National Park or go gorilla trekking at the legendary Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – talk to us about the best combinations.