Lake Mburo national park.
The park is located in southwestern Uganda spanning both kiruhura and mbarara districts. Its best placed along Kampala – masaka high way. The park is 30 km by road east of mbarara. The location is approximately 240 km by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city.
Lake Mburo national park was first gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area and later to a game reserve in 1963. The park contains an extensive area of wetland and harbors several species of mammals not found anywhere else in Uganda zebras and impalas. The banyakole pastoralists (known as bahima) dominantly occupied the area and continued to their cattle and other live stock in the reserve until it was granted as national park in 1983byb the Obote regime.
Attractions in Lake Mburo national park.
Animals
The park has more than 68 mammal species including zebra, impala, topi, eland, bush duck, buffalo, warthog, leopard, hyena and jackal. There are no elephants in the park, which makes it an ideal place for walking Uganda safaris. The park is the best place in Uganda to see the leopard, especially during the night game safaris, and drives. The lake and its lush fringing vegetation also support a healthy population of buffaloes, warthogs, bush pigs and hippos.
Birds.
The park has more than 315 different species of birds including the rare shoebill stork, papyrus yellow warbler, African fin foot, saddle billed stork, African fish eagle among others. Birding in the park is best done in the morning and late afternoon when the temperatures are relatively cooler and the birds are more active. The woody vegetation of Lake Mburo is dominated by Acacia species, olea species and boscia species. The fringing swamps in the park also hide secretive papyrus specialists such as the red, black and yellow papyrus gonnalek you would want to miss.
Lake Mburo national park birding is generally done in the swamps in the swamps of warukiri and miriti.
Lakes.
Five spectacular lakes lies within the boundary on Mburo national park. The most important of these is Lake Mburo from which the park derives its name. Lake Mburo is also the largest of the five lakes. The lake has 6 species, tilapia, is the most commonly caught species other species including catfish, lungfish, tiger fish, Angara fish and barbell.
Rubango forest.
The forest is a haven for approximately 40 bird species often referred to as forest birds making it a haven of bird watchers. The forest is a hidden gem nestled within the boundaries of the park. It’s an integral part of the park intricate ecosystem offering an array of activities for visitors to this compact yet captivating park. Some of the forests avian residents the green pigeon, harrier hawk, the narina trigon among others. Access to the forest is upon prior arrangements with the Uganda wild life authority officials at the park headquarters.
Activities in Lake Mburo national park.
Game drives
Game drives in Lake Mburo national park can be done early in the morning and in the afternoon with a 4WD vehicle. Visitors will follow different game tracks such as zebra track, kazumu track and kigambira loop with scenic views of the park. The park also offers night game drives where visitors will be able to explore the park at night with a park ranger in a 4WD vehicle with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals like genetic cats, bush pigs, white tailed mongoose among others.
Bird watching.
The park is a home of more than 315 recorded bird species including endemic species, water birds, savannah birds and forest birds hence making the park one of the birders paradise. Bird watching in The Park is done in different areas such as Rubanga forest, swampy valleys of miriti and warukiri roadsides between rwonya camps among others. During the bird watching which can be done through game drives, boat cruise, and guided walks, the visitors will be able to spot different bird species including; African wattled lapwing, blue breasted kingfisher, white winged swamp warbler, African fish eagle among others.
Hiking
This is an exciting activity which gives you a chance to explore the parks animals, birds and different primates. You will be able to follow different trails during their guided nature walk like the trails to the salt lick where you will encounter animals that come to lick salt, trails to kanzuma hill where you will have a panoramic view of the parks and the lakes around the park, trails to Rubanga forest where you view a variety of bird species among others. You will be able to get close to different wild species during the guided nature walks including buffalos, zebras, waterbucks, warthogs, hippos among others.
Sport fishing.
This is another activity done in the park. The activity is carried out on designated areas Mazinga. Visitors who want to take part in the activity must first obtain a sport fishing permit from the Uganda wild life authority and also carry their own fishing equipments. Lake Mburo Park has 6 fish species of fish including the lung fish, mud fish, tilapia, and cat fish, among others. The tilapia fish species are the most common fish species caught.
Horseback riding
The activity is regarded as the most epic activity that you will not experience in any of the other 9 national parks in Uganda. Riding on a horse as you appreciate the variety, interest and color of Mburo is truly special. Horseback riding in Lake Mburo national park is an extra ordinary experience offering a perfect blend of adventure and game viewing. Riding on the bark of the horse as you penetrate into the deep wilderness of Lake Mburo national park is one of the most memorable experiences in life. Visitors shall be sighting wildlife such as zebra, warthogs, and impalas among others.
Accommodation in Lake Mburo national park
Lake Mburo has got one of the best and affordable accommodations among all the national parks in Uganda which are categorized inform of luxury, midrange, and budget lodges.
For an unforgettable luxury stay, consider options nestled within the park itself. Imagine waking up to the sounds of zebras grazing and hippos splashing in a distance at mihingo lodge, a renowned haven perched atop a hill.
Midrange lodges offer a comfortable and stylish base for exploring the park. Rwakobo rock lodge, perched on a scenic out crop, boasts panoramic vistas and refreshing swimming pool.
For a more rustic experience, consider arcadia cottages, located outside the park entrance. These charming cottages provide a cozy retreat after a day of exploring the park on foot or horseback riding.
Best time to visit Lake Mburo national park.
During the dry seasons i.e., June to august and December to February, these seasons offer comfortable, relatively cool weather for the outdoor activities. During these seasons, animals tend to gather around water sources enhancing wild life spotting activities, making it the best time to visit Lake Mburo national park.
How to get to Lake Mburo national park
The most common way of accessing the park is by use of road transport.
Getting to the park is easy since it’s the nearest park from the capital city Kampala. It takes 4 hours and 20 mins (290km) to drive from Entebbe to Lake Mburo national park.
One can opt to fly from Entebbe-kajansi to mbarara airstrip taking less an hour. Using air transport is the easiest means and quickest to reach the park.
