Uganda's largest national park protects a chunk of untamed African savannah bisected by the mighty river Nile. It is named for the dramatic Murchison Falls, where the world's longest river explodes violently through a six metres wide cleft in the Rift Valley forming cascading waves that thunder against the rocks 43 metres (141 feet) below.


Wildlife populations have largely recovered from the poaching of the 1980s; in the lush borassus grassland to the north of the Nile, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and a variety of antelope are regularly encountered on game drives, while lions are seen with increasing frequency.


The vegetation is characterized by savannah, riverine forest and woodland. Wildlife includes lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hartebeests, orbis, Uganda Kobs, chimpanzees and many bird species. In the cool early morning, before the sun rises too high, one can see plenty of game on the Buligi, Albert and Queen tracks north of the river Nile.

In the southeast, Rabongo Forest is home to chimps and other rainforest creatures. One can explore the forest on foot, spotting primates like the black and white colobus, red-tailed monkey, baboons, and chimpanzees; identifying animals, birds and medicinal plants and trees. The Nile itself hosts one of Africa's most dense hippo and crocodile populations, and a dazzling variety of water birds including the world's most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork.


One of the highlights of a visit to Murchison falls National Park is the launch trip from Paraa to the foot of the Murchison Falls. Hippos and crocodiles are abundant and one can also see elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks and a variety of birds like herons, cormorants, ducks, bee-eaters fish eagles, kingfishers and sometimes the rare shoebill.







Anglers can also enjoy a chance to catch the legendary Nile perch which weighs up to more than 100 kilos. For nature lovers there are opportunities to explore the wild on foot. Animals, birds and plants can be closely and quietly observed. Trails around the top of the falls go right up to the water’s edge. One can get close to the narrow gorge through which the river explodes into the falls.