The top of the falls
White water underfoot.
Yakov Fedorov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jedesto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rod Waddington — CC BY-SA 2.0 · NANTUMBWEJ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · NANTUMBWEJ — CC BY-SA 4.0
Murchison Falls National Park is a large reserve in north-west Uganda, running from the shore of Lake Albert up to Karuma Falls, with the Nile cutting it in two. The star is the waterfall itself, where the river is forced through a rock gap only 7 metres wide before dropping 43 metres. It is among the country's leading parks. The explorers Speke and Grant reached the area in 1862, and Samuel and Florence Baker explored it more fully in 1863 and 1864, naming the falls for the geologist Roderick Murchison. The falls are also called Kabalega. Some historians think Roman soldiers sent by Nero may have got here in 61 AD, but the idea is much disputed. A boat trip from below shows the falls bursting out between green walls, with hippos and crocodiles along the banks. From above, a short path leads to the edge, where white water roars under your feet and a rainbow can form in the spray. In the savanna north of the river you can see elephants, giraffes and buffalo. It is about 62 km from Masindi in a straight line and about 93 km from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, so both fit on one route. A ferry crosses the river at Paraa, so check its times. Early morning suits a game drive, and the afternoon suits the boat. Watch for mosquitoes, and bring a hat and sunscreen.
White water underfoot.
Hippos and crocodiles.
Elephants and giraffes.
North-west Uganda
They differ, the boat for wildlife and the distant view, the top for the force of the water, and many do both.
At least two, as the road from Kampala is long and the park has two halves.