Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s easiest park to reach being that it is the closest to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda and Entebbe International Airport. The park is located in Nyabushozi country, Kiruhura district in western Uganda and happens to best safari destination for tourists who despise long distances and would like to enjoy wildlife viewing. Lake Mburo National Park boasts being home to the highest number of zebras (major tourist attraction in the park) in Uganda that can be spotted almost everywhere in the park hence the tittle “Home of Zebras”. Lake Mburo National Park derives its name from one of its major tourist attraction Lake Mburo located with in the park, the park is also underlined by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years.

Lake Mburo National Park has an area coverage of 260 sq km (100 sq mi) making the smallest Savannah Ugandan National Park yet one of the most rewarding Safari destinations in the country, despite its small area coverage it hosts 5 lakes within its boundaries together with Lake Mburo and other 8 lakes they form a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp, almost fifth of the park’s area is covered with swamps with both seasonal and permanent swamps harboring a health papyrus growth, hippos and crocodiles. Lake Mburo National Park is covered with open savannah, woodland due to the absence of elephants. The park is home to 68 mammal species and over 320 bird species

Lake Mburo National Park is very close to the Ugandan president’s home town in Kiruhura district and its only a 2 hour drive from the park offering tourists an opportunity to explore the village.

HISTORY

The area covered by the park was first gazetted as a controlled hunting area and in 1963 it was upgraded to a game reserve level, before gazetteing the area it has inhabited by the Banyankole also known as the Bahima pastoralists who used to herd their Ankole cattle in the area.

In 1983 the park was upgraded to a national park and the main reason for gazetteing the park was partially to punish the Bahima who where believed to have collaborated with the anti-government rebels to over through Obote’s government and the other reason was to protect the wildlife in the area which were being hunted by the locals because they used to attack them and their cattle. The locals protested against the formation of the park because they where never compensated for their lost land. 1985 following the fall of the second Obote regime the the previous park residents re-occupied park’s land divided it into small and subsistence farming plots, expelling park staff, killing wild animals and also destroying infrastructure. In 1986 the National Resistance Movement re-gazetted less than half of the Park’s original land area which is the current park area to date.

ATTRACTIONS

WILDLIFE

Lake Mburo National Park is home to over 68 mammal species with abundance in Zebras, Elands are only found in this park in Uganda, impalas, herds of Buffaloes, Bushbucks, Warthogs, Oribi, deffasa water back, leopards, hyenas, hippos, Crocodiles, reed back etc. Although elephants and lions are absent in the park it is still a great Safari destination.

BIRD SPECIES

Lake Mburo National Park is great destination for bird lovers, it harbors over 320 recorded bird species in the area with migratory and permanent residents, swamp birds, Lake Mburo is the best place to view acacia-associated birds some of which include Red-necked spurfowl, African Wattled plover, Flapper Larks, Rufous-chested Swallow, Red Bishop among others, Rwonyo is the best place for watching Mosque swallow, black bellied bustard, bare-faced-go away bird and Ruppell’s starling. Other bird species include the following: rare shoebill, stork, African fin foot, Papyrus, Yellow warbler, Saddle billed stork, Brown chested wattled plover , Great snipe, White winged warbler to mention but a few.

Lake Mburo

Lake Mburo is the major tourist attraction in the park gifted with abundant flora and Fauna, the banks of the lake teem with wild animals and birds namely crocodiles and hippopotamus are permanent residents in its waters, buffaloes just come for water and go and various bird species on the lake include African Fish Eagle, Rufous Long-tailed Starling, Blue-headed weavers, Malachite Kingfisher, Green-necked Doves to mention but a few.

ACTIVITIES IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK

Game drive

Game drives are a prime activity one can carry out in Lake Mburo National park, the park offers morning, afternoon and night game drives are the best way to spot the park’s wild animals carried out in 4x 4 WD Safari Vehicle, tourists are in position to spot animals like impalas, herds of Buffaloes, Bushbucks, Warthogs, Oribi, deffasa water back, leopards, hyenas, hippos, Zebras and many others.

Boat cruise

Boat cruises are another interesting activity that offer visitors an opportunity to explore the park on water and view more wild animals like hippos, crocodiles and different bird species. During a boat cruise you can carry out spot fishing or just chill on water and admire the shorelines for about 2-3 hours. This is an activity one shouldn’t miss out on.

Bird watching

Lake Mburo is one of the best birding destinations with endemic, migratory, water birds, savanna and forest birds. Birdwatching can be done along or done during other activities like game drives, boat cruises, nature walks. Some of the bird species one can spot include Rufous-chested Swallow, Red Bishop, Rwonyo is the best place to watch Mosque swallow, black bellied bustard, bare-faced-go-away bird and Ruppell’s starling, rare shoebill, stork, African fin foot, Papyrus, Yellow warbler, saddle billed stork, Brown chested wattled plover, Great snipe, White winged warbler to mention but a few.

Natural walks

This is another amazing adventurous activity offered in the park, visitors get a chance to explore the park on foot and get a chance to get close to the wild animals because the park is lion free, hike up to the salt link and watch as animals come to lick some salt, Trail to Kazinga hill where you will have a panoramic view of the park and five lakes with in the park. You will view bird species from the trail to Rubanga forest.

Sport fishing

Sport fishing is very interesting and requires one to have a fishing permit and their own fishing gear, its only carried out in Mazinga, a designated area for sport fishing. You will be accompanied with an experienced guide who will guide you during the activity. Any fish caught you free to take it for cooking or roasting.

Horseback riding

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the few parks in Uganda that offers horseback riding, you will ride the horse across the Savannah plains giving you more opportunity to spot wildlife in the park.

Cycling

Lake Mburo National Park offers bicycle riding in established cycling routes which go through open plains of Savannah grasslands, this activity is lead by guides who know the park best. Bicycle are availed for hire at the park headquarters.

BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PARK

Lake Mburo National Park is open to visitors all year round though the best time to visit is during the dry months of June to September and December to February, during this season rains are little and vegetation is thin, animals gather around water bodies to quench their thirst making it easy to spot them.

HOW TO GET TO THE PARK

The park can be accessed both by road and air transport.

By Road;

Tourists can drive in a safari vehicle from Kampala via the Masaka-Mbarara high way and reach the park headquarters for about 4 to 5 hours of driving.

By Air;

You can book a scheduled or charter flight form Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield and land to Mbarara airstrip and then drive to the park.

ACCOMMODATION IN THE PARKS

Tourist shouldn’t worry about where to rest off the night in Lake Mburo National Park because it has a number of accommodation facilities ranging form Luxury, Mid-range and Budget and they’re all affordable compared to all accommodation in other Uganda National Park which include Rwonyo Rest Camp, Eagle Nest Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Rwakobo Rock Lodge, Mihingo Lodge, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge and more others.