Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo national park is located in the western part of Uganda, in the district of Kiruhura. It has 260 square kilometers of lakes, wetlands, grassland, and acacia forest. It is reminiscent of portions of southern Africa and Akagera National Park in Rwanda, with low hills rising from the lakeshore.
Lake Mburo is spaced evenly between Bwindi Forest and Entebbe and provides an ideal stop to break down the long journey. If you’re returning from gorilla trekking, Mburo is a great location to relax as well as explore. Although the national park lacks big mammals like lions, rhinos and elephants, there are big herds of impala, Burchell’s zebra, eland, buffalo, leopard, and an overabundance of wildlife. The sceneries and animals may be explored via game drives, boat, horseback, and mountain biking. Mburo is now a fairly contemporary safari location, appealing to guests with a wide range of interests.
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Wildlife in Lake Mburo
Mburo is home to numerous species that, while abundant elsewhere in Africa, are exclusively found in the park or very seldom elsewhere in Uganda. It is the only spot in the country where you can see impala and one of only 2 destinations where you can see Burchell’s zebra and eland. There are 68 different types of mammals. Other common antelope species include topi, Defasa waterbuck, common duiker, oribi, Bohor reedbuck, and bushbuck, in addition to buffalo, hippo, giraffe, warthog, zebra and eland. Eland are secretive, yet plentiful, and a magnificent sight when encountered. Sitatunga inhabit swamps near the lake, whereas klipspringer can be found among rocky outcrops.
Vervet monkeys and olive baboons will be seen. When staying at Mihingo Lodge, guests are lucky enough to observe the incredibly uncommon greater galago. There are a lot of predators around. Nonetheless, spotted hyenas are frequently observed in big groups, and leopards are becoming more prominent. To present, 315 bird species have been documented. The marshes and acacia woodlands have the largest diversity of ecosystems. The Red-faced Barbet can only be found in Lake Mburo, the unique African Finfoot is common, and the wetlands are home to 6 papyrus endemics.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park
Game drives
There is a circuit of game drive trails across the park. The density of species will vary according to the time of year, and the absence of elephants is allowing heavy scrub to grow where previously were green plains. Yet, each drive offers a good potential of discovering large herds of impala, zebra, waterbuck, topi, and buffalo. Giraffes that have been reintroduced are usually spotted from the Kazuma and Ruroko trails. You may also witness the shy eland, which has a population of over 100. During 2-3-hour night game drives, visitors may now experience the park in complete darkness. They usually begin about 6:30 p.m. and are an excellent opportunity to watch nocturnal creatures like as bushbabies and potto, as well as leopard and hyena, at their most active.
Nature walks
With an armed ranger, you will explore the park on foot in Mburo. Favorite paths include; Rwonyo’s salt lick, the lake shorelines, viewpoint hill tops, and Rubanga Forest. The smell of the African wilderness, and the close encounters with zebras, giraffes, warthogs and elands is thrilling. Nature Walks are also the greatest approach for birders to locate elusive species.
Boat safaris
Getting out on the water is usually a relaxing and enjoyable element of any safari. You get away from the dust, the confines of a safari vehicle and get a different perspective on life in the wild. A 90-minute morning boat safari around Lake Mburo’s shorelines offers glimpses of crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, kingfishers, fish eagles, and hammerkops. The boat safaris begin at 11 a.m. and run every two hours until 4 p.m.
Birding
Mburo’s acacia woods and ponds make it a popular birding site. Sightings are made easier by observation platforms built inside the forest and salt-licks, which are accessible by car and on foot. The best birding areas are the marshy valleys of Waruki and Miriti, as well as the roadsides near the jetty. The Rufous-bellied heron, black-bellied bustard, bateleur and red-faced barbet, which is exclusively found in Lake Mburo National Park, are among the species spotted here.
Horseback Riding
Mburo is the only national park in Uganda where you can go horse back riding. All levels and ages are cared for at the Mihingo Lodge stable. Because buffalo and zebra react significantly differently to a human on horseback, this is a unique method to go among the wildlife. The rides will go up to 4 hours long and sometimes include hilltop sundowners or bush brunches.
Mountain Biking
Rwakobo Rock has a nice assortment of well-maintained mountain bikes and provides guided rides across the park’s savanna. This is a great way to get some exercise while also seeing animals and meeting people of the local community.
When Should You Go and How Should You Get There?
The dry seasons of June-August and December-January are ideal for general wildlife observation. Nonetheless, Lake Mburo National Park is still a fantastic place to explore throughout the rainy seasons of March to May and September to November. Mburo can only be reached by car. The travel from Entebbe to Kampala takes roughly 4-5 hours.
Lake Mburo Accommodation
Mburo’s popularity has increased in recent years, prompting the development of a number of accommodation options. Rwakobo Rock, Lake Mburo Camp, and Mihingo Lodge are three of the most popular.
Rwakobo Rock
Rwakobo Rock is a rocky outcrop on the park’s boundary, 1km from the Nshara Gate, and offers stunning views into Mburo. There are eight comfortable and large cabins made of local materials. The huge dining area and bar offer wonderful views of the swimming pool. Rwakobo also organizes mountain bike excursions of the savanna beyond the park border, which is a terrific way to stretch your legs after a game drive while also viewing some of the local species.
Lake Mburo Camp
Lake Mburo Camp is a typical tented bush camp in the park’s heart. The tents are placed on wooden platforms from which to observe life on the savanna. A comfortable dining area and bar are ideal places to unwind at the end of the day. Lake Mburo Camp is a sibling resort of Buhoma’s ever-popular Engagi Lodge.
The Mihingo Lodge
Mihingo Lodge is a stunning luxury lodge located on a 97-acre private reserve adjoining the park. Like Rwakobo, the lodge has been lovingly constructed into a large rocky outcrop. The 12 tented cabins were planned and erected with great care to ensure they blend in with the surrounding environment. One of the most calming experiences in Uganda is an hour or two in the infinity pool. Mihingo also operates the park’s high-quality horse safaris.
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