Murchison Falls National Park is a vast park not just with a variety of wildlife but also vast landscapes offering amazingly varied sceneries. The fauna of the park includes; Kobs, oribis, Jackals, warthogs, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeests, giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants among others. As for flora, you will encounter the thorny whistling acacia – the Rothschild giraffes favourite meal, sausage trees, Borassus palms that dominate the park stretching further into neighbouring Sudan, and many more.
While Murchison Falls National Park is big on activities like game drives often done in vehicles, and water safaris done in boats. This park also has quite a few activities that can be done on foot. There are a number of interesting Nature walks and hiking trails within the park can be followed. While a few of these trails are open for travellers on a self-guided basis, we recommend taking a UWA ranger with you on these trail for both your safety (from wildlife) and also in order for you to get a better and knowledge-based interpretation of the things you may find on these trails.
NATURE WALKS & HIKING TRAILS IN MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Top of the Falls Hiking Trail
Also known as the bakers’ trail, this trail is a 5km long trails that runs from the shore of the Nile and can be accessed from two (02) directions; Drive to the top and hike downwards or Take an afternoon boat safari from the Paraa landing and hop off the boat and hike oneway all the way to the top where you will meet your driver guide who then transfers you back to your hotel.
Which is the Best way to hike this trail? The most common style is taking the scheduled afternoon boat trip to the base where you hop off the boat and hike to the top. However, you ought to have made an arrangement with your driver-guide to meet you at the top and transfer you back to your hotel otherwise you are stuck alone at the top and risk being attacked by wildlife – the ugly truth!
What to Expect on this hike: You will enjoy the sight of the untold waterfall called Uhuru Falls (a smaller waterfall currently under threat of vanishing with the proposed construction of a hydro dam on it), this 45 minutes walk is crowned up by the getting to the top of Murchison Falls and watching the water forcing its way through an 8-meter gap sending forth approximately 400 cubic litres of water per second – Making it the world most powerful waterfall – if you think am kidding, do some research!
Read More about The Hike to the top of the World’s Most powerful waterfall
Kaniyo Pabidi walk
Located approximately 8km from Kichumbanyobo gate along Paraa-Masindi route to Murchison Falls National Park. Kaniyo Pabidi is tucked Inside the famous Budongo Forest – home to a few chimpanzees and a butterfly haven for butterfly-lovers.
Kaniyo Pabidi is a great place for hikers and nature walks and mainly chimpanzee tracking is done here. Bird lovers also like to spend time on birding safaris.
Travellers wishing to explore Kaniyo Pabidi or Budongo forest for longer can stay at Budongo Eco-Forest Lodge. Alternatively, if interested in culture, stay at the Boomu Village for an African cultural experience.
Rabongo Forest
Located approximately a 1hour and 30minutes drive from Paraa. Rabongo Forest offers great nature walks and hiking trails for searching for birds, medicinal trees/plants and primates like vervet monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, chimpanzees among others. Travellers can also choose to camp by the shores of the stunning River Wairingo.
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