The closest national park to Kampala, the country’s capital, is Lake Mburo National Park, which is 230 kilometres away in the Kiruhura District of western Uganda and takes around 4 hours to reach. With an area of 370 km², Lake Mburo National Park is the second-smallest park after Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The park’s boundaries are home to around five lakes. Since there are no elephants to tame the unusual vegetation, Lake Mburo National Park contains woods that was originally covered in open savannah. The savannah is also distributed throughout the park’s western region, with steep peaks, forested gorges, areas of papyrus, and narrow strips of rich riparian woods bordering numerous lakes. Lake Mburo National Park is situated in the southern climatic zone of Ankole and has a tropical climate. The lake is situated between Lake Victoria and the Rwenzori Mountains, in a location that receives rain shadows. There are two seasons in Lake Mburo National Park: the dry and the rainy. The dry season receives bimodal low rainfall, which varies from 500 to 1000 mm.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park
There are more than ten exhilarating activities available at Lake Mburo National Park, making it one of the parks with the most activities to offer guests that constantly leaves them wanting more. Game drives, boat cruises on Lake Mburo, birding and bird watching, nature walks, the unusual horseback riding to see wildlife, fishing, cultural tours, visiting salt licks, and cycling are some of the most popular tourist activities in Lake Mburo. There are two gates through which one can enter the park: Sanga gate, which is accessible from the Kampala side, and Nshara gate, which is accessible from the Mbarara side.
Game Drive
The best activity in Lake Mburo National Park is game driving, which takes you through several locations within the park. In addition to being the only park in Uganda where impalas remain until they are relocated to Kidepo Valley National Park, game viewing in Lake Mburo National Park provides a unique opportunity to see wildlife animals like elands, antelopes, buffaloes, topis, warthogs, giraffes, bird species, and impalas. The only other National Park that is close enough to the second one to see giraffes is Lake Mburo National Park. You may get a chance to observe nocturnal creatures like porcupines, leopards, and bush babies during the night wildlife drive.
Bird Watching
One of the most exciting things to do at Lake Mburo National Park is to go bird watching. There are currently approximately 320 different species of birds that may be viewed throughout the Park. In addition to other notable bird species, you may be able to spot rare bird species like the White-winged Warbler and Shoebill stork during your bird watching safari in Lake Mburo National Park. Other notable bird species that you may spot include African fish eagles, ross turaco, white headed barbet, Nubian wood pecker, white parot, red-shouldered tit, black bellied bustard, yellow-breasted apalis, long-tailed cisticola, king fisher, and bare-faced go-away birds.
Boat Cruise
While on safari in Lake Mburo National Park, take a boat ride on Lake Mburo, which gives the park its name. Sailing on Lake Mburo is a fantastic experience that you shouldn’t miss. Approximately two hours pass during the boat ride on Lake Mburo while you take in the refreshing lake breeze and breathtaking views of incredible wildlife, including hippos, crocodiles, and water birds like kingfishers, pelicans, African fish eagles, African fish eagles, cormorants, rare shoe bills, and hammer Kobs.
Fishing at Lake Mburo
Although it is more popular at Lake Mburo, there are over six lakes in the park where visitors can go fishing. Fishing is an exciting activity that visitors partake in while on safari in Lake Mburo National Park. Tilapia, catfish, lungfish, tiger fish, Angara fish, and barbell are among the most commonly caught fish in the park. The fishing techniques used here are still native, although we strongly advise guests to bring their own fishing gear and equipment. A licence from the Uganda Wildlife Authority is also required.
Horse Riding
There are no other national parks in Uganda that provide horseback riding like Lake Mburo National Park. The most incredible experience in Lake Mburo National Park is horseback riding, which is available year-round and typically takes place in the morning or the evening and lasts for one to more than three hours while enjoying the company of wild animals. This is an amazing experience that is carried out on a horseback ride without the sound of an engine. You can expect to see a variety of wildlife species, including zebras, antelopes, giraffes, and buffalos, as well as bird species like rufous-bellied herons, crowned cranes, barefaced go away birds, ross turacos, white headed barbets, Nubian wood peckers, white parots, red-shouldered tits, black-bellied bustards, yellow-breasted apalis, long-tailed cisticolas, king fisher, and African fish eagles. At Mihingo Lodge, an incredible activity is carried out under the supervision of skilled personnel in collaboration with park rangers.
Guided Nature Walks
You may experience the park’s breeze while walking barefoot on guided nature hikes at Lake Mburo National Park. One of the few national parks in East Africa where you can freely stroll through a wild animal’s habitat with a ranger guidance is Lake Mburo National Park. Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park typically begin at 7:00 am and last for two hours. They pass through the park centre, Rwonyo, and a salt lick, which is thought to be a favourite spot for many animals. A variety of animals congregate at this location to savour the taste of the salty licks, which are composed of soil and water. The more thrilling nature walk takes you through the forest, where you can see the birds that live there. Other walks through the woodland give you the chance to see other mammals, and hikes up to the hill give you a view of the park’s nine sections, which are topped off by its fourteen lakes.
Bicycle Tours
A bicycle tour is a stunning and excellent way to explore Lake Mburo National Park while cycling through the park. It’s also a great way to get some exercise in the park. A bicycle tour lasts more than an hour and allows you to see a variety of wildlife, including zebras, elands, buffaloes, antelopes, bushbucks, and many more.
Best Time to Visit Lake Mburo National Park
Since Lake Mburo National Park is open savannah grassland with two distinct seasons, visitors can explore the park year-round. The dry season, which lasts from June to August, and December to February, are the ideal times to explore Lake Mburo National Park. Alternatively, one may choose to visit Lake Mburo National Park during the wet seasons, which run from September to November and from March to May. The park is lush and picturesque at these times.