Lake Mburo National Park is located in western Uganda. The park is situated about 30 kilometres east of Mbarara town. Lake Mburo is the largest of the five lakes which, together with the nearby wetlands, make up 20% of the park’s surface area of 260 square kilometers. However, having an area of 260 square kilometers only, makes it the smallest of the Uganda’s savanna National Parks. This type of nature makes this park very perfect and thrilling for bird watching (over 310 species) throughout the year. Lake Mburo has a variety of habitats, dry hillside, rocky outcrops, bushes thickets, open and the savanna forests, lakes and swamps which are homes to a range of plants and animals.
Mburo accommodates several species of mammals like antelopes Zebras, Impala, Buffaloes and many bird species including the bill storks. The park’s landscape has softly sloping green hills and enjoyable lake shores with various habitats in the forest galleries, seasonal and permanent swamps and rich acacia wood valleys which all provide a wealth of flora and fauna. The park is the only place in Uganda where the impala still live and it is the most exceptional place to see the eland, Africa’s biggest antelope. Bigger buffalo and zebra herds are common in this park. The western part of the park consists of Savannah intermingled with rock-strewn ridges and forested gorges, while pieces of papyrus swamp and small bands of green riparian woodland make the edges of the different lakes.
Lake Mburo National Park Safari Activities.
Lake Mburo National Park is amongst Uganda’s most charming wildlife destinations and exceptionally enjoyable for game viewing tours, birding safaris, forest walks (on foot in Rubanga forest), guided nature walks, boat trips, fishing, salt licks as well as game hunting.
1. Bird Watching
There are about 313 various bird species encompassing the rare Shoebill stork and White-winged Warbler in Lake Mburo National Park. Other bird species are the Crested Francolin, common Quails, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Greenwood Hoopoe, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away bird, Blue-napped Mousebird, Red necked Spur, Black-billed Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola a drive towards Rwonyo camp may show Coqui Francolin, Red necked spur fowl, Black Bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African-wattle Plover Rufous napped and Flappet larks, Rufuos chested Swallow, Southern Red Bishop and Yellow-throated Long claw.
2. Forest walk
Forest Walk is done through Rubanga Forest; a walk in this small forest on the western side of Lake Mburo gives an understanding of a tropical elevated forest with sunshade and a watch of a collection of good-looking bird species (40 bird species). Birding in the park is done superlatively with the guiding services of a park warden.
3. Lake Mburo Boat trips
Lake Mburo is rich in fauna and flora species spotted flawlessly from a boat ride starting from a lakeside campsite near Rwonyo. The crocodiles, hippopotamuses and birds like pelicans, black crake, heron, Cormorant, Fish Eagle and the rare shoebill stork among the fauna that can be seen in a two-hour boat cruise. The interval of each boat cruise is to be discussed with the park administration.
4. Salt Lick Guided walks, one explores the park around Rwonyo, leading to a visit to a natural salt lick regularly visited by animals. This kind of viewing is facilitated by a timber watching stand. From a platform made of wood, visitors have an opportunity to see at least four different species of animals at any one time as they lick the saline ground. This is made to the animal’s unawareness since the wooden podium works as a disguise.
5. Nature trail
On the trail, a visitor gets a chance to understand the natural world, walking with supreme liberty in the company of an armed guide.
6. Fishing
Lake Mburo has about six fish species, common there consist of tilapia, lung fish, mud fish, haplochromes and others fished by means of hooks. Shades for rest for visitors are open at the campsite near the lake.
ACCOMMODATION
The park has accommodation facilities in form of tents at Rwonyo park headquarters and at three public camp sites. Another luxury accommodation is at the tented Mantana Luxury Camp and Mihingo Lodge. Travelers from Kampala can make a stopover and sleep at the various Lyantonde Hotels or those coming from western Uganda can stay in Mbarara town after leaving or before going on to the national park.
ACCESSING LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo National Park is in Mbarara district. It is a 3 to 4 hours drive from Kampala. Then turn left at 13 km at Akageti after Lyantonde town taking you to Sanga gate. The road is tarmac from Kampala with some comfort. Another drive of 13 kms from Sanga trading center of Sanga gate, then 5 kms from the main road to Nshara gate and a 20-minute drive from Rwonyo Park Head Quarters.
