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#UgTravelMonth Destination of The Week: Murchison Falls National Park

The independence weekend is going to be celebrated in the beautiful Murchison Falls National Park for some Ugandans who are taking part in the #UgTravelMonth that is happening throughout the month of October, where travellers travel to different parts of the country on an endeavour to push domestic tourism in the country.

The first trip happened on the 2nd where people were served with delicious dishes of everything that Queen Elizabeth National Park has to offer and a side of roadside beauties whilst on the road.

The second trip is happening on the 8th of October and is going to be a journey to the Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison National Park is one of the oldest wildlife reserves in Uganda and was established in 1926 but was officially a park from 1952. The park is located in the North- Western regions of Uganda running an estimate of over 3,840km at the end of the Albertine Rift Valley. The Victoria Nile or White Nile as it is commonly known, passes through the park and falls over the rift valley which creates the glorious Murchison falls that are the most visited section of the park.

The park has over 76 species of wild animals within its confines and boasts of 451 bird life that can be identified around the park.

Meaning there is a huge feast for the eyes when you make your way into the park this weekend. If you are not joining the #UgTravelMonth bus to the park, there are other ways you can get to the park and have a weekend there too. The park is located between Buliisa district within the Bunyooro Kingdom of western Uganda and Nwoya district in the Acholi region on the Northern side of the country.

If driving from Kampala to the park, it is easier to access the park by going through Bombo- Luweero, Nakasongola to Karuma right off the Northern Bypass route.

The most superb and eye-catching area of the park is where the falls are located and it doubles as the the park’s most requested for item on the game drive and sightseeing treks.

Mostly referred to as the Kabalega falls, the location has a breathtaking effect on visitors due the formation of the falls. The falls are 43 metres high and tumble down in a thunderous roar into a beautiful fall coupled with dancing rays of light that form a rainbow, especially during the sunset when the sun has reached its peak.

Visiting the park means getting sightful of many animals that range from Giraffes, leopards, Oribi, buffalo, crocodiles, elephants and lions among many others including birds such as; Red-throated Bee-eater, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver and African Quailfinch. For anyone interested in the African study of herbs, the park as the other of its kind is home to so many different species of flora especially those used for herbal purposes for generations in Uganda, for the people living nearby who do not have immediate access to emergency medical supplies.

If in any way you have not had a good fill of mammals, the park has a number of primate species in the Rabongo- Kaniyo Pabidi forest reserve and the savanna. On the several nature walks organised by the parks, you might catch a glimpse of the Olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus including chimpanzees which are estimated to be over 800 in number from the last census. And because they are a very naughty lot, it is advisable for all visitors to avoid feeding the primates or leaving their windows open during the drives or one might lose their lunch to them.

The travel month trip is all about communing with the wild, so every traveller is equipped with a tent in a well lit campsite at the Nile Safari Lodge that is well guarded by park rangers but if you want to spend a night at the lodges, you will get a 20% discount when you book via Jumia Travel one of the sponsors of the #UgTravelMonth.

Credit: travel.jumia.com

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Written by Ev Lyn (0)

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