Murchison Falls National Park is not only the largest in Uganda but also one of its oldest (having been commissioned together with Queen Elizabeth National Park in 1952). The high Bunyoro escarpment meets the broad palm-dotted plains at the northern extremity of the Albertine Rift Valley.
With savanna and Borassus palms to the north, woodland, and forest to the south, and acacia trees and riverine woodlands to the north, the park's terrain is diversified. The stunning sight of Murchison Falls, on the other hand, draws visitors to this park. The Nile, which is 50 meters wide, presses through a canyon 6-8 meters wide before dropping 43 meters into Lake Albert, the "Devil's Cauldron," generating an impenetrable mist and a beautiful rainbow.
The park was popular with royalty. Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, and various British royals have all visited the park. Moreover, Humphrey Bogart's 1951 film "The African Queen" was filmed on Lake Albert and the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park.
It hosts 76 species of mammals such as elephants, Rothschild giraffes, lions, Ugandan kobs (antelope), waterbucks, buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles, not to mention some 451 bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork, and the rare Shoebill stork. Hippos, Nile crocodiles, and aquatic birds inhabit the riverbank.
A scenic boat ride to the waterfall's base offers a great chance for game viewing. For the brave visitor, white water rafting through the hazardous currents would be an interesting experience.
Additional activities include:
- Hikes in the woods
- Fishing Nile Perch, Barbel, Electric Catfish, and Tiger Fish.
- A ride in a hot air balloon
