Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the various savannah national parks of Uganda perfect for game drives amongst other activities in Lake Mburo National Park that travellers would do while in the park, on their Uganda safari tours. Lake Mburo National Park is a little compact gem, and is one of the smallest national parks of Uganda and yet the closest for 1 day safaris from Kampala. If you are in Uganda and would like to experience the wildlife safaris in Uganda, as well as birding safaris in your tight schedule with limited time to offer, then Lake Mburo National Park is the place for you. Lake Mburo National Park covers about 370 square kilometers, and yet has about 5 lakes within which make the park a great scenic beauty.

Where is Lake Mburo National Park located?

Lake Mburo National Park is located in the western region of Uganda, neighbouring districts like Lyantonde, Isingiro, Kiruhura and Mbarara. Lake Mburo National Park is about 30km away from Mbarara town, the nearest and largest town. Lake Mburo National Park is the nearest national park from Kampala and Entebbe, about 290km away with a driving time of roughly 4 hours.

When was Lake Mburo National Park gazetted?

Lake Mburo National Park was first gazetted as a hunting ground in 1933, and was late upgraded to the status of a game reserve in 1963. It was however in 1983 that Lake Mburo National Park was declared a national park, having previously been used as a herding ground by the Bahima people.

Lake Mburo National Park asides being a savannah park also inhabits wetlands which contribute about 20% of the park’s surface. There are 13 lakes in the area, with Lake Mburo National Park hosting 5 of the lakes in her boundaries, with Lake Mburo being the largest. The scenery of Lake Mburo National Park is perfect, with great landscape which is perfect for photography and even walking safaris in the park. There are a number of attractions in Lake Mburo National Park which tourists could visit and enjoy while in the park, and they include;

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park is spread through the park, ranging from a high population of zebras, eland, buffalo, hyena, hippo, oribis, hyenas, reed back, among so many others. Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park can be spotted on various activities in the park, throughout the year.

Birds

There are over 135 bird species recorded to inhabit Lake Mburo National Park. Birds in Lake Mburo National Park include the famous shoebill stork, African fin foot, crested crane, mong so many others. Birds in Lake Mburo National Park can be seen while on various activities in the park like game drives, birding safaris, boat safaris, among so many others.

Lake Mburo National Park
birding in lake Mburo

Lake Mburo

Lake Mburo, from where the park derives her name, is a haven for flora and fauna, with the banks having various animal and bird species coming for a drink. Crocodiles and hippos are permanent residents in Lake Mburo National Park, with other animals like buffaloes and zebras coming for a drink at the shores. Bird species easily spotted on and near the lake include pelicans, herons, the rare shoebill stork, pied kingfishers, among others.

Activities in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is a beautiful gem with so many attractions that travellers can do on various activities in Lake Mburo National Park like;

Game drives

Game drives in Lake Mburo National Park are one of the best and done activity in the park which see travellers driving through the savannah plains of the park in search of the various animals in the park. Game drives in Lake Mburo National Park can be done throughout the day, with early morning and evening game drives being the most recommended.

Night game drives

Night game drives in Lake Mburo National Park are best done for opportunities to spot the otherwise missed animals in the park, especially the nocturnal game including civets. Night game drives in Lake Mburo National Park are done in the company of a ranger guide, and on designated trucks.

Boat safaris

Boat safaris in Lake Mburo National Park take travellers cruising on the Lake Mburo, with opportunities to see the various animals in Lake Mburo National Park like crocodiles, hippos, as well as different bird species.

Sport fishing

Sport fishing is an activity that has travellers fishing on the various water bodies in Lake Mburo National Park like Lake Mburo. Sport fishing in Lake Mburo National Park has travellers enjoying fishing along with other locals, catching any of the various fish species in the park including tilapia, mud fish, and lung fish among others.

Lake Mburo National Park
Sport fishing at Lake Mburo

Birding safaris

There are a variety of birds in Lake Mburo National Park which travellers can spot with birding safaris in the park. Birding safaris are done in the company of an experienced bird guide, on well-developed trails. The best birding spots in Lake Mburo National Park include the swampy valleys of Miriti and Warukiri. Be sure to have a good pair of binoculars.

Cultural tours, horseback riding, biking safaris as well as hiking and nature walks are among the other activities in Lake Mburo National Park which tourists can do while in the park.

How to get to Lake Mburo National Park

Getting to Lake Mburo National Park is an easy activity given the park is strategically located along the Kampala-Mbarara high way. Lake Mburo National Park can be accessed by both road and air. By road, Lake Mburo National Park is 290km from Kampala the capital city of Uganda, with a drive time of roughly 4 hours. By air, travellers can fly from Entebbe or Kajjansi to any of the airstrips that service Lake Mburo National Park like Mbarara airstrip, and then be transferred to your lodge of stay.

Best time to visit Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park can be visited all throughout the year, with the best time to visit being in the dry season which is also the best time for game drives in the park. The best time for birding safaris in Lake Mburo National Park however is during the wet season, which has a number of migrant birds visiting and giving a variety of bird species to spot while on birding safaris in the park.

Lake Mburo National Park accommodation

Accommodation in Lake Mburo National Park can be found both inside and outside the park. These Lake Mburo national Park accommodation do cater for all kinds of travellers, ranging from luxury, to mid-range as well as budget lodging options catering for all kinds of travellers. Some of the accommodation in Lake Mburo National park which you can choose from include Mihingo Lodge, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Arcadia Cottages, Eagles Nest Lodges, and Rwakobo Rock Lodge among so many others.

Lake Mburo National Park is a little gem just a stone throw away from Kampala, making it one of the best safari destinations for short safari tours in Uganda. 1 day Lake Mburo safaris are available, and the park is a great stop point for further drives to queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for the much sought after Uganda gorilla safaris. Planning a Uganda gorilla safari and would like to make a stop to cut the long drive time, Lake Mburo National Park is a great option. Get in touch with a reputable tour operator like Focus East Africa Tours and Achieve Global Safaris for amazing and affordable Uganda safari tours.

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