Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is located in Kiruhura District in the Western Region of Uganda. The park is about 30 kilometers, by road, east of Mbarara, the largest city in the sub-region. This location is approximately 240 kilometers, by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city.
The park has a variety of animals such as zebra, hippopotamus, impala, warthog, common eland, African buffalo, jackal, African leopard, and over three hundred bird species. At 260 square kilometers, the park is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks. The park has camp grounds and permanent tent facilities for visitors and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which manages the park announced plans to introduce balloon tourism in the park.
Top Activities & Attractions in Lake Mburo
Lake mburo national park has a lot to offer to visitors on tour in Uganda ranging from wildlife viewing to bird watching and here are some of activities that you can take while in the park.
Birding Watching
The best spots for birding in this park include; the swampy valleys of Miriti and the Warukiri as well as the roadsides between Rwonyo camps. 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
Nature Guided Walks
This national park is also open to the walkers as well as they are followed by the ranger guide. At Rwonyo, the guided walk will lead you to the salt lick and observe animals licking the salty soil found there. Uganda Wildlife Authority has erected wooden platform hideaway where visitor can stand and observe the animals below them without the animals being aware and this is a great opportunity to observe, antelopes, zebras and also presents great photo – opportunities.
Fishing in Lake Mburo
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. The most fishing spot is at Mazinga, which is a safe area along Lake where you do not have to worry about crocodiles and hippos.
Wildlife Viewing
The game drives through the park will allow you see many of the animal species as well as birds and they include the Impala, Antelopes, Eland Antelopes, Burchell Zebras, Rothschild Giraffes. You can spot Warthogs, Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Reedbucks, Leopards and a few Lions in recent years, Hyenas, Crocodiles and Hippos.
Boat Cruise
This boat cruise will get you to come face to face with the flora and fauna of the lake. And along the bank, you will also see many animals that come to the water especially in the dry season such as crocodiles, buffalo, and hippos as well as colorful Kingfishers, magnificent Fish Eagles and Hammerkops with their enormous nests
Horseback Riding
Lake Mburo National Park is the only park in Uganda where one can do a game drive from the back of a horse which is one of the best ways to view the wildlife found in the park. Mihingo Lodge has a stable and trained staff that take you out on a horseback riding safari of Lake Mburo. Horseback Riding Safaris can last from one hour to three and in recent times even overnight horseback riding safaris have been offered with tenting and meals in the wild.