Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park : Lake Mburo National Park is one of the beautiful national parks in Uganda and is the smallest savannah park at a size of 370 square kilometers, Lake Mburo national park is also the only national park in Uganda situated close to Uganda’s capital city – Kampala which is in a drive of only 4 hours along Kampala – Mbarara Highway.
Despite of its small size, Lake Mburo National Park hosts a rich variety of wildlife with 69 mammal species and a rich birdlife with 332 bird species, the park is made up of an extensive rich acacia woodland, savannah woodland, forest, lakes, season and permanent swamps, rocky hills and bushy thickets.
About 20% of Lake Mburo National Park is covered by wetlands and a chain of 14 lakes with Lake Mburo as the biggest lake.
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park is a magical bush experience through which you will get to explore the park and reach in areas which cannot be reached by a vehicle, nature walks are the most eco-friendly way to explore the savannah plains of Uganda as there is no noisy and emitting of chemicals.
Nature Walks offers visitors an opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Lake Mburo National park, this exhilarating activity takes you off of the main paths and go deeper into the bush trails of the park. Expect to encounter and see many animals such as zebras, cape buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, hyenas, hippos, reedbucks, elands and many birds.
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park takes for about 2 – 4 hours
Guided walks in Lake Mburo National Park are conducted along with an armed park ranger guide, this experience starts from Rwonyo – the park center and they take you to the salt lick which is the best place to see wildlife in the park.
Animals parade themselves at the Salt licks to enjoy the taste of salty licks which are made up of water and soil.
Another nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park is done in the western part of the park providing visitors excellent encounters with the hippos as they come out of the waters and hyenas as they return to their dens. This nature walk starts at 07:00 am and runs for 2 hours.
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park are also takes you through the Rubaga forest (The best place for birders in Lake Mburo) were you will discover and encounter forest creatures including birds such as Nubian, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared, and the Grey Woodpeckers, Trilling, Stout, and Wing-snapping Cisticolas, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African-wattled Plover, Rufous napped among others. This trail also leads you to the woodlands where you have excellent sightings of mammals and to the top of the hill where you have views of 9 of the 14 lakes dotted around the park.
What you need to know about walking safaris in Lake Mburo National park
- Nature walks are done on foot
- All visitors on this activity are escorted by an armed park ranger
- Chances of approaching dangerous wildlife like hippos and buffaloes are high
- Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park are best done in the morning and late evening
- A maximum of 6 people in each group are allocated one armed ranger
- Nature walks offer you a chance to encounter animals and see them from a close ranger
- To get to prime sports for nature walks in the park, you may need a vehicle
What to Carry for Nature Walks safaris in Lake Mburo National Park
To enjoy nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park, you need to carry the right items, some of the must items are as below
A bag pack – to carry all the items you will need during the nature walk such as cameras and their batteries, clothes, bottled water, clothes among others
Good hiking boots – they must be sturdy and well fitting for a great nature walk
A cup or hut – to protect you from the scotching sun light
Long trousers and long sleeved shorts – for protection for thorny plants and scratches while walking to the thicket vegetation cover
Enough drinking water and energizer – to keep you hydrated through the nature walk experience
Camera and binocular – you need to have a good camera with good zooming lens to capture amazing pictures and videos of the park and its endowments. A good pair of binoculars will help you see birds and animals from a far.
Insect repellent – the thick vegetation in the park is breeding grounds for biting insects such as bugs and mosquitoes which is why you need to carry a good insect repellent to protect you from these bites.
Where to stay in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park offers a range of accommodation options ranging from budget, midrange to luxury including
- Mihingo lodge
- Mantana tented Camp
- Kigambira Safari Lodge
- Rwakobo Rock lodge
- Arcadia cottages and Mburo safari lodge
- Leopard rest camp
- Rwonyo rest camp among others
Getting to Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park can be accessed by either road or air
By road – Lake Mburo National Park lies between the towns of Masaka and Mbarara in western Uganda and is approximately 228 kilometers from Kampala which is a drive of about 4 hours. The park is accessed by two main gates from Kampala – Mbarara road, from visitors getting to the park from Kampala. Nshara gate is the best option and it is approximately 13 kilometers past Lyantonde. For visitors getting to the park from Mbarara City, Sanga Gate is the best option and you turn off at a junction at Sanga trading center.
By air – there domestic and chartered flights from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi airstrip to Mbarara Airstrip and connect to the park by road.
