Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is an IUCN category II national park found in the western region of Uganda in Kiruhura district. Lake Mburo National Park, lying in the rain shadow of Lake Victoria and the Rwenzori Mountains, is a very special destination situated between Masaka and Mbarara districts, covering an area of 370 square kilometers. Lake Mburo National Park is considered the smallest savannah national park in Uganda, which is administered and operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Lake Mburo National Park is made up of over 500 million years old ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks, with 20 percent of its area covered by wetlands. The area is made up of 14 lakes, which form a 50-kilometer-long wetland system, which is likened to a swamp, with only 5 lakes found within the park (these lakes contribute 20% of the unique lakes found in western Uganda). Lake Mburo, as a park, was once covered by open short savannah vegetation, but due to a lack of elephants to tame the growing vegetation, the park is now majorly dominated by woodland vegetation. The park is composed of rocky outcrops, dry hills, open wooded savannah, bush thickets, rich acacia trees, grasslands, an acacia-dotted savannah of Olea and Boscia, and seasonal and permanent swamps
The topology of Lake Mburo is made up of Lake Mburo National Park in the western region of which is characterized by high hills, rocky eroded ridges, and deep valleys, which accommodate unique forests. The eastern region is characterized by rolling wooded hills, which are intersected by wild, flat-bottomed valleys, and during the rainy season, the valleys get drained into swamps and lakes. The southeast part of the western sector of Lake Mburo National Park is crossed by the river Ruizi, and generally, the park is associated with wetlands.
Lake Mburo National Park is one of the national parks in Uganda which are close to the capital city of Uganda, Kampala. The park is the best place to spot leopards, which makes it a prominent tourist destination. Lake Mburo is associated with conducive climatic conditions that favor tourist activities and the thriving of the wildlife. The park lies in the rain shadow and near the equator, which influences long rainfall seasons that take place in the months of March to June, with an average annual rainfall of 800 mm. Lake Mburo National Park also receives a short rainy season in the months of September to December. Though these months are known to receive rainfall, it is better to note that rain in Lake Mburo is unpredictable, which will require you as a tourist to carry rain gear, like a raincoat and waterproof jackets. Generally, Lake Mburo National Park is warm but not so hot; it is slightly hot during the day and colder in night, with a recorded average temperature range of 14° C to 32° C.
Note: July and August are the hottest months, and months of April and March receive too much rainfall.
Lake Mburo National Park is breath breathtaking Uganda tourist destination and the best place to see klipspringers and the only place where you get to spot impalas, elands, the largest zebra population in Uganda, which is approximately 5000 in number, and a concentration of leopards which are found nowhere in Uganda. Lake Mburo National Park also shelters wildlife species such as waterbuck, topi, warthog, bushbuck, reedbuck, Oribi, vervet monkey, baboon, several types of mongoose, rarely seen bush pig, and hyenas. There are also 15 endangered Rothschild’s giraffes, which were introduced in July 2015, and Lake Mburo National Park is a bird haven with over 315 different species of birds, including the rare shoebill stork, papyrus yellow warbler, African finfoot, saddle-billed stork, brown chested Wattled plover, and Carruthers, among others.
Apart from wildlife and landscape, Lake Mburo National Park has a rich historical Ankole tale, which adds to its beauty. This Ankole myth states that two brothers named Kigarama and Mburo used to live in the valley as their home. In one incident, Kigarama had a dream at night, and because of the dream, he made up his mind and told his brother to move and relocate to another place. This was ignored by his brother, Mburo, who chose to stay while Kigarama moved up into the hills. Days after, the valley was flooded with water, forming a lake which drowned Mburo. Because of this incident, the lake was named Mburo, and the hills were called Kigarama.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park offers memorable safari experiences through numerous breathtaking activities, such as
Birding: For bird Lovers Lake Mburo national park is the perfect national park to offer you the best birding experience, Lake Mburo national park is a home to over 315 recorded water birds, forest and land bird species such as Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagles, Rufous Long-tailed Starlings, Blue-headed Weavers, Green-necked Doves, Hammerkops, Pelicans, Herons which are seen while on game drives and guided nature walks.
Cultural experience: Cultural experience in Lake Mburo National Park takes place outside the park in Igongo Cultural Center. This cultural center is located 4 kilometers from saga main gate of Lake Mburo National Park. The center showcases different historical and cultural aspects of the Banyakitara people, Banyankole, Batooro, Bakiga, and. Among the cultural items showcased there is the Ankole cow, which was regarded as the king and queen by the Western people. The center also has a museum and restaurants where you will get to eat local food.
Nature guided walks
Guided nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park take place in the open valleys of the park. This safari activity offers the best way of enjoying the beautiful landscape filled with rolling hills and the nature of the park. Since the park shelters no elephants and lions in the park this makes the park more ideal and secure for nature walk safaris.
Fishing sports: Fishing sports in Lake Mburo National Park take place in the five beautiful lakes within the park, inn these lakes many fish species, such as the six types of tilapias, are caught. Fishing sports are more enjoyable during the evening time after the hectic game drives and nature walks, and are done as a way of relaxing.
Game drives: Lake Mburo National Park is ranked one of the top tourist destinations offering the best game drive safaris in Uganda and East Africa. Lake Mburo, as a park, is covered with short savannah vegetation with many trails that facilitate easy navigation through the park and offer a perfect spot for viewing the wildlife. On game drives, you encounter many wildlife within the park, such as leopards, a large population of zebras, warthogs as they gather at lake shores to drink water, and also many bird species, such as cisticola, tabora cisticola, great snipe, Abyssinian ground hornbill, African fish eagle, saddle-billed stork, and white winged. In Lake Mburo, two types of game drives are offered, that is, day and night game drives, which are charged differently. Night game drives are the more amazing of the two as you get to spot nocturnal animals like leopards, Hyena, genet, bush pigs, and white tailed mongoose as you drive through the open valleys.
Horseback rides: Horseback riding safari is one eco-friendly ways of touring the national park. This tour lasts 1- 3 hours on the back of a horse. This is the best way of viewing the animals, as you get to come up close to the animals and the rolling hills. Horseback riding is operated by Mihingo lodges.
Boat rides: Boat rides in Lake Mburo National Park take place on the five lakes found in the park. On the cruise, you come into contact with water flora and fauna, you get to encounter animals like antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, and otters while enjoying the view of rolling hills. You can also view many bird species such as African Fish eagles, blue-headed weavers, Rufous long-tailed starlings, the pied kingfishers, Hammerkops, Herons, pelican, and, more interesting of all is the rare shoebill.
To add on to your Lake Mburo safari, you can also visit the equator.
Lake Mburo National Park is about a 3.5-hour drive from Kampala, making it the closest national park to Kampala. While on a safari in Lake Mburo, you can get accommodation from Eagle’s Nest Camp Mburo, Hotel Triangle Mbarara, Palace Hotel, Pelican Hotel, and many more.
Current prices are:
| ACTIVITY | Foreign non- residents($) | Foreign residents ($) | EAC (UGX) |
| Park entrance | 40 | 30 | 20,000 |
Game Drive
|
30
20 |
30
20 |
50,000
20,000 |
| Nature walk | 30 | 15 | 10,000 |
| Cycling | 30 | 30 | 30,000 |
Boat ride
|
20
30 |
20
30 |
20,000
30,000 |
