About Murchision Falls

Murchison Falls, also known as Kabalega Falls, is a waterfall at the apex of Lake Albert on the Victoria Nile in Uganda. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks, only 7 m (23 ft) wide, and tumbles 43 m (141 ft), before flowing westward into Lake Albert. The outlet of Lake Victoria sends around 300 cubic meters per second (11,000 ft³/s) of water over the falls, squeezed into a gorge less than 10 m (33 ft) wide.

Some historians believe that a party of Roman legionaries dispatched by Nero may have reached the Murchison Falls in 61 AD, but there is major controversy about the feasibility of what would have been a very difficult achievement.

Samuel Baker and Florence Baker were the first Europeans who definitely sighted them. Baker named them after Roderick Murchison, the President of the Royal Geographical Society. The falls lend their name to the surrounding Murchison Falls National Park. During the regime of Idi Amin in the 1970s, the name was changed to Kabalega Falls, after the Omukama (King) Kabalega of Bunyoro, although this was never legally promulgated. The name reverted to Murchison Falls following the downfall of Amin. It is still sometimes referred to as Kabalega Falls.

Ernest Hemingway crashed a plane just downriver from Murchison Falls in 1954. In August 2019, Uganda rejected a hydropower project by South Africa’s Bonang Power and Energy in order to preserve the Falls, one of the country's most lucrative tourism sites. Murchison Falls National Park is located in the Northwestern side of Uganda, occupying the districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryadongo and Masindi. The driving distance from Masindi to Murchison is 3 hrs. and 19 minutes. The nearest town to the Kibanda area of the park is 72 kilometers(45mi). Murchison falls is 41 kilometers from Buliisa district, 40.2 kilometers from Nwoya to Murchison, 41.8 kilometers from Kiryadongo to Murchison and 52.3 kilometers from Masindi. The distance from Kampala to Murchison falls while driving is 5 hrs.

Species

Murchison Falls is located on the Western side of Uganda just north of the midway part of the country. The park covers an area of 1,503 square miles (3,893 sq km) creating the largest national park in Uganda. The national park is part of the larger Murchison Falls Conservation Area which includes Bugungu wildlife Reserve and Karuma wildlife Reserve creating over 2,072 square miles (5,366sq km) of protected wilderness Although the park is renowned for the stunningly powerful Murchison Falls, it is an amazing place to take a safari and witness some of Africa`s incredible wildlife.

The falls are on the Victoria or White Nile River. The park is home to the largest population of crocodiles, there are around 75 species of mammals. Some of the larger and more popular wildlife species include Lions, Leopards, Giraffe, Elephants, Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Buffalo, Hippopotamus and Chimpanzees living across the national park boundaries. Murchison Falls National Park is also a haven for bird watchers with over 450 species of birds that nest or migrate through the park. The Goliath Heron is a nice treat to see since it is the largest heron the world. Many of the species are waterfowl, however, there are many other species such as the red-throated bee-eater.

Activities

This Park is home to a wide variety of animals including, lions, elephants and many others. Visitors can take guided tours to see these animals up close or take a boat to the kazinga channel to see hippos

During Our adventure, we get involved in activities such as;   

Accomodation

The Game Park has various hotels that cater for all the services required by both Africans and Foreigners. They provide unique and lovely services that are never regrettable. The following are the most flexible and mostly known hotels at the Murchison national park. Red Chilli Rest Camp / Chobe Safari Lodge / Pakuba Safari Lodge / Fort Murchison / Nile Safari Lodge / Paraa Safari.