Lake Mburo national park is located in the western part of Kampala and it’s found alongside Kampala-Mbarara highway which is estimated to be a 5hours drive from Kampala. The park was gazetted in 1983 with a mission of protecting wild games that were being killed by the settlers by then as they were conserving land for grazing their cattle. The park covers an area of 370km² and its occupied with a water body from which the park was named after that’s Lake Mburo.
The park is commonly known for its amazing wildlife which has attracted many visitors to have a look at and compare with those in their home countries hence offering game drives being the major interesting activity that many tourists engage in while at the park. Among the major wild animals found in this park include, the Impala, Zebra, Eland, Buffaloes, Oribi, and Defassa Water buck, leopards, Hyena and the reed buck.
Birding is another interesting activity in the park and most of the bird species are endemic to this park. Bonus for birders is the swamps, in which six papyrus endemics are resident, including the spectacular papyrus gonolek and the blue-headed coucal.
Lake Mburo is also a place to find southern species at the northern limit of their range, including the black-collared barbet and southern ground horn bill, including other species which migrate into the park hence making birders. The rare shoe bills stork, brown chested wattled plover, Caruthers’s cist cola, great snipe, Abyssinian ground horn bill, and African fish eagle and the Saddle billed stork are also among the 350 species reported in the park.
Launch cruising, on Lake Mburo where visitors can enjoy sailing on the calm waters while enjoying entertainments and some beers and at the same time enjoying the interesting stories from the experienced guides on the issues relating the park. Birds that hide in the swamps can also be seen white on the boat and including the mighty crocodiles and hippos as they enjoy their territories on the lake shores and from here photos can be taken.
Fishing activity can also be done on request, equipments used during fishing can be got at an extra fee from the local and some of the different fish species includes the Nile perch, tilapia, mud fish plus other species which are always caught by fish lovers from the lake. Fishermen sail on the waters while in the engine boats which is the best experience that shouldn’t be missed by the nature lovers.
