Attractions in Lake Mburo national park
Attractions in Lake Mburo national park : Lake Mburo national park is one of the smallest national park in Uganda and it is located in the western part of the country.
The different attractions which can be seen during tours around Lake Mburo national park include the following;
- Lake Mburo
Lake Mburo covers a big part of the national park and is among the attractions which can be visited during safaris at the destination.
Around the lake, a variety of wildlife and bird species can be seen including hippos, Nile crocodiles, and buffalos. Some of the bird species around Lake Mburo include Cormorants, Herons, Pelicans, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish eagles, Malachite kingfishers, Hamerkops, Blue Headed weavers among others.
The lake covers about 13 square kilometers and is surrounded by papyrus swamps and also woodland which make up part of the habitat for the wildlife species. There are also various fish species found in the lake including Tigerfish, lungfish, catfish among others.
- Wildlife species
Wildlife species are among the major attractions which can be seen during Uganda safaris in Lake Mburo national park.
Some of the wildlife species in Lake Mburo national park include common elands, hippos, zebras, impalas, side striped jackals, white tailed mongoose, spotted hyenas, leopards, Rothschild giraffes, buffalos, warthogs, bushpigs, oribi, sitatunga, common duiker, reedbucks, defassa waterbucks, topi, klipspringer among others.
Lake Mburo national park is home to over 68species of mammals which can be encountered during wildlife safaris around the destination throughout the year. The wildlife species can be seen during activities like game drives and nature walks which are done around the destination.
The animals in Lake Mburo national park can be seen around the savannah plains, woodlands and around the shores of Lake Mburo. Primates like vervet monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys among others are also found in the national park and can be seen during safaris.
During safaris in Lake Mburo national park, tourists’ engage in game drives at different times of day to search for the animals found at the destination. These game drives take place in the morning, afternoon or evening and also during the night.
Morning game drives in Lake Mburo national park provide the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife species such as buffalos, waterbucks, impalas, topi, reedbucks, elands, giraffes among others roaming around the savannah plains since they are very active. Different routes are followed in the wilderness as tourists look out for the animals found in the park.
Nocturnal wildlife species are also commonly done during safaris in Lake Mburo national park which is one of the destinations where tourists can enjoy night game viewing experiences in search for wildlife species like leopards and many others.
Wildlife species in Lake Mburo national park including hippos, antelopes, zebras and buffalos among others can also be seen during boat rides on Lake Mburo which can be done in the morning and afternoon hours. During the boat tours which can go for about 2 hours, tourists can also see different bird species while taking in the scenic views of the national park.
When visiting Lake Mburo national park, wildlife species can also be seen during horse riding experiences which take place at different times of day. Watching the animals like zebras, giraffes, buffalos among others in the wilderness of the park while on horseback is an exciting safari activity which is only done at this destination.
- Bird species
Lake Mburo national park is also a destination where a variety of bird species can be seen during Uganda wildlife safaris. Over 350 bird species are found at the national park.
Some of the bird species found in Lake Mburo national park include African Fish eagles, White Backed Night Heron, Cormorants, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Malachite Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, African Finfoot, Pelicans, Black collared Barbet, Black Crake, African Wattled Plover among others.
There are different spots for bird watching around Lake Mburo national park and they include the Lake Mburo area and also the wetland area, woodland area and around the savannah plains. Bird watching experiences can be done as a full day experience or half day tour around the destination.
Some of the items to bring for the bird watching experience in lake Mburo national park include binoculars and bird guide books and check lists to keep track of the various bird species spotted while on safari.
- Rubanga forest
The Rubanga forest is among the attractions found in Lake Mburo national park and it is located in the western part of the national park.
It is a tropical rainforest which is home to various bird species and primates with viewing platform where tourists can enjoy views of Lake Mburo national park. Tourists are accompanied by ranger guides during the tours in the Rubanga forest.
Some of the bird species which can be seen around the Rubanga forest include Double-toothed Barbet, Harrier Hawk, Green pigeons among others. Apart from bird watching, forest walks can also be done around the forest.
The nature walks around the Rubanga forest bring tourists close to the natural surroundings of Lake Mburo national park and are a good way to relax in nature and see wildlife and bird species on foot.
Best time to visit Lake Mburo national park
To see the different attractions around Lake Mburo national park, tourists can engage in safaris at anytime of the year.
The dry season which is experienced two times a year is considered the best time for safaris in Lake Mburo national park. the months in the dry season include June, July, August, September and October and also December to February which is a time when wildlife species are easy to spot during safari especially around the water sources.
Tourists can also visit Lake Mburo national park during the rainy season in the months of March, April and May and also in November.
How to get to Lake Mburo national park
Tourists can access Lake Mburo national park by driving for about 3 to 4 hours from Kampala using the Kampala-Mbarara route. The national park is located about 240 kilometers from Kampala.
