Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake mburo national park can be your en route destination before queen Elizabeth national park, as, it is located conveniently close to the kampala- mbarara highway. Lake mburo, unlike queen Elizabeth national park, is a small protected area on an area of just 370 sq.km, however, 20% of the parks land is occupied with wetlands. Lake mburo national park lies on an altitude of 1220m to 1828m above sea level. Lake mburo national park is not so populated with wild animals due to rampant poaching, and encroachment when making farm lands for cattle.
However, Lake Mburo national park is a gem of wonders since it is the only national park where you can do a nature walk in any part of the park. Lake mburo national park is also a home of about 350 bird species and other wildlife like zebras, eland, buffaloes, oribi, defassa, waterbucks, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi, and reedbucks among others.
There are thirteen other lakes with in Lake Mburo national park, which create the 50km long wetland system joined by a swamp. Among the 13 lakes in Lake Mburo national park, 5 lakes border the park. And they are habitats for crocodiles and hippos, these lakes are also waterholes during the dry season.
Lake mburo national park is a mixture of beauty in its natural way with designed with forest gorges, ridges, patches of papyrus swamps and areas of riparian woodland. There are many activities you can do from this medley of nature like birding, supported by a variety of bird species like bate Lear, coqui francolin, and grey crowned crane among others. You can also enjoy the launch trips in Lake Mburo national park, game drives where you can spot the zebras beautifully feeding in the plains, hiking and nature walks, and spot fishing among others.
After, Lake Mburo, you can proceed with Queen Elizabeth national park, which is located in western Uganda in kasese district spanning to kamwenge, rukungiri and rubirizi district. Queen Elizabeth national park is the most visited national park in Uganda possibly due to the wide range of wild animals and bird life that dwell in the habitats distributed in all the national park.
When you visit Queen Elizabeth national park, don’t forget to get involved in many activity tailored just for visitors’ pleasure. The famous kazinga boat cruise will bring the whole national at a glance. Kazinga channel is the main water source in Queen Elizabeth national park, and so, it attracts almost every animal during the dry season. During the cruise you can have a chance to spot a number of elephants showering on the showers, hippos mourning in the water, crocodiles, and buffaloes wallowing in the mud and quiet a number of birds.
There is still so much more for you in Queen Elizabeth national park; besides the tranquil accommodation facilities in the park, you can enjoy the chimpanzee trekking in kyambura gorge and have some excitement with the chimpanzees, monkeys and baboons that inhabit the gorge. The game drive is so magical that you will have to meet a lot of wildlife along the trucks. You, fortunate enough, can spot elephant mating and a pride of lions feasting on their days hunt.
The 27 km crater lakes drive from the queen pavilion will expose your sight to a “one in a million” view of Queen Elizabeth national park. From the queen’s pavilion, you are able to see a vast savannah plain dotted with the acacia trees. You can also have a good view of the rwenzori mountain ranges over the vast area of undulating hills and savannah grassland of Queen Elizabeth national park. On the other hand, the crater lakes are the most beautiful feature in Queen Elizabeth national park; according to visitors review.
A visit to the old katwe salt works will have you eagerly listening to the life changing stories as told by the women miners at the katwe salt mines. Plus, you can visit katwe town and pass by the craft shops and get a chance to buy yourself some nice African crafted art pieces, and also support the livelihood of the miners indirectly.
Other activities include tree climbing lions, lion research in kasenyi plains, mongoose tracking, birding, nature walks in maramagambo forest and also visit the significant bat caves where you can see millions of bats inside the cave and, perhaps, the giant pythons that prey them. There was news that the bat caves had infected some tourists with Marburg who entered inside, but now no worries, there is a visitors’ view point a distance away from the caves to ensure safety.
The culture of the people that live in the communities around Queen Elizabeth national park, will enlighten your understanding of the local African culture, for example the fishing villages and the farm lands in the southern part of queen Elizabeth national park. Lake mburo national park combined with queen Elizabeth national park possibly results into a satisfying African safari experience; the zebras in lake mburo national park and the tree climbing lion of ishasha in queen Elizabeth national park, garnished with the hospitality of the service providers, is the essence of a true African safari.
