Lake Mburo National Park is one of Uganda’s loveliest wildlife safari destinations. It is important for game viewing tours, Birding safaris; foot safaris (guided nature walks ) as well as sport hunting . Lake Mburo National Park is a gem of a park, conveniently located close to the western highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. Though the park is just 370km2 in size, its landscapes are varied and even a short drive is alive with interest and colour. Interesting mammal species in the park include impala, Burchell’s zebra, and eland that are not found elsewhere in western Uganda.
TRIP ITINERARY
Day One: Drive to Lake Mburo / Canoe Ride
After breakfast at your Hotel, drive to Mbarara District for about 4 hours to reach the park in the afternoon. Lake Mburo National Park is famous for its richness in biodiversity and it has about 68 different species of mammals. On reaching the park you will go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo and this will reward you with game like hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and plenty of birds. Dinner and overnight at Mantana tented Camp / Rwonyo Rest Camp.
Day Two: Game Drive
In the morning after breakfast you will go for a game drive in the park to search for predators and other animal species like the hyenas, leopards, jackals, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, Topis and eland to mention. After the game drive you will return to the Lodge for late lunch and then relax. You will have stops at the equator for photographs to reach the park in the afternoon.
Day Three: Return to Kampala
After breakfast, escapade the region which has many crater lakes, and later proceed to Kampala with lunch en route. You will have stops at the equator for photographs too. Shop for souvenirs and have an evening tour of Kampala.
ABOUT LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo National Park is one of Uganda’s loveliest wildlife safari destinations. It is important for game viewing tours, Birding safaris; foot safaris (guided nature walks ) as well as sport hunting . Lake Mburo National Park is a gem of a park, conveniently located close to the western highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. Though the park is just 370km2 in size, its landscapes are varied and even a short drive is alive with interest and colour. Interesting mammal species in the park include impala, Burchell’s zebra, and eland that are not found elsewhere in western Uganda.
Flora and fauna
A variety of vegetative habitats surround the open water of Lake Mburo. The lake’s western side is dominated by a grassy escarpment rising above a shoreline fringed with acacia forest and the closed canopy Rubanga forest. To the north and east, grassy valley floors, made seasonally lush and soggy by rain, drain between undulating hills. These seep through expanses of wetland into the lake. Rock kopjes are found along the eastern margins of the park.
These varied habitats support an impressive variety of wildlife including 68 mammal species. These include some rarities. Lake Mburo is the only park in Uganda to contain impala and the only one in the rift region to host Burchell’s zebra and eland. In Uganda, topi are only found in Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Commoner species include warthog, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and reedbuck. Leopard and hyena are also present while hippo and crocodile are found in the lake.
Safari Activities at the Park
Forest Walks: Though small, this tract of forest on the western side of Mburo provides a taste of a tropical high forest with c canopy and is home to a variety of forest bird species. Rut can be explored with a ranger guide.
Boat Trips: The eastern shores of Lake Mburo can be explored by boat, departing from a jetty at the lakeside campsite near Rwonyo. Watch out for crocodile and hippopotamus during the 2-hour voyage, as well as birds including pelicans, heron, cormorant and fish eagle and perhaps even the rare shoebill stork.
Salt Lick Guided walks explore the park around Rwonyo, culminating in a visit to a natural salt lick frequented by wildlife. Viewing is facilitated by a timber observation platform.
Game Tracks: The eastern hinterland of Lake Mburo is served by a network of game tracks along which a variety of savanna animals and birds can be sighted. Impala are most commonly seen along the Impala Track while zebra frequent the grassy valley floors traversed by the Zebra Track. This connects to the Ruroko Track which passes rock kopjes that are home to the elusive klipspringer.