LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake mburo National Park is one of the exciting and dramatic park in uganda,comfortably located close to the western highway that connects kampala to the parks of western uganda.Even if the park is just about 370km2 in size,its landscape are varied and even a short drive is alive with interest as well as colour.Furthermore you will pass gallery forest, open savanna as well as acacia woodland,rick kopjes, seasonal and permanent swamps, and open water, while you search for the wealth of wildlife they support. these in most cases include species such as impala as well as Burchell's zebra
Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park
HOW TO GET THERE
Lake mburo National Park lies just between the towns of masaka in western uganda, approximately 228km from kampala-about three and a half hours drive.The two gates happen to entre the park from mbarara road.Approaching from kampala, the turning to Nshara gate is 13kms past lyantonde.The junction for sanga gate is at sanga trading centre,27kms past Lyantonde.Remember both junctions are clearly signposted. it is about 20 minutes drive from either gate to Rwonyo.
SAFARI ACCOMODATION IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo has convient accomodation and Uganda Wildlife Authority offers a rang of budget accomodation in the park.Furthermore, on the eastern side of lake mburo, permanent tents are accessible at Rwonyo Rest Camp as Beautiful campsite is positioned on the lakeshore,just 1km to the south. lakeside chalets will soon be available nearby at Arcadia cottages.
For those interested in upmarket accomodation, its found at the mantana Tented Camp.which takes pleasure in ahilltop location just about 3.5km north of Rwonyo, as well as at mihingo lodge which stands on arocky kopje outside the eastern boundary of the park.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND SAFARI ACTIVITIES IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Flora and fauna
The scenery of lake mburo has a variety of vegetative habitats surrounded by the open water.The lake's western side is dominated by a grasssy escarpment rising above a shoreline fringed with acacia forest as well as the closed canopy Rubanga forest.To the north and east, grassy valley floors, made seasonally lush and soggy by raindrain between undulating hills. These seep through expanses of wetland into the lake. Rock kopjes are found along the eastern margins of the park.
These varied habitats tend to support an impressive variety of wildlife including 68 mammal species. among which include some rarities. Lake Mburo is the only park in Uganda to contain impala as well as the only one in the rift region to host
Burchell's zebra and eland. Furthermore In Uganda, topi are only found in Lake Mburo in addition to Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Commoner species include warthog, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and reedbuck. Leopard along with hyena are also present while hippo as well as crocodile are also found in the lake.
The park has several tourist attractions and among which include the very respectable birdlist with around 315 species recorded to date including the shoebill, papyrus yellow warbler, African finfoot, saddle billed stork, brown chested wattled plover, carruther's cisticola, Tabora cisticola,great snip, Abyssinian ground horn bill as well as white winged warbler. Acacia woodland bird species are particurally well represented while forest speices may well be found in Rubanga forest
AROUND LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Rubanga Forest
Even though small, this tract of forest on the western side of Mburo gives a taste of a tropical high forest with canopy as well as a home to a variety of forest bird species. Rut may well be explored with a ranger guide.
Rwonyo Rest Camp
Rwonyo is the centre as well as the most exciting for tourism activities in the park. The Rest Camp is the starting point for nature walks and also an interpretation centre on the hilltop behind the rest camp describes the park's history in addition to its biodiversity.
Conservation Education Centre
Due to the many activites, the park has a conservation education centre,just about 1km sanga gate.This offers accomodation as well as an education hall for school groups, visitors seminars as well as workshops
Lake Mburo
The eastern shores of Lake Mburo may wellbe explored by boat, departing from a jetty at the lakeside campsite near Rwonyo.
Watch out for crocodile as well as hippopotamus during the 2-hour voyage, in addition to birds including pelicans, heron, cormorant along with fish eagle and perhaps even the rare shoebill stork
Salt Lick
As a result of guided walks,One explores the park around Rwonyo, culminating in a visit to a natural salt lick surrounded by wildlife.Furthermore Viewing is facititated by a timber obervation platform.
Game Tracks
The eastern hinterland of Lake Mburo is served by a network of game tracks along with a variety of savanna animals as well as birds that may perhaps be sighted.Among the common animals include the impala which is along the impala Track as the zebra frequent the grassy valley floors traversed by the zebra Track. This connects to the Rukoro Track which runs through rock kopjes that are home to the elusive klipspringer.
In the south of the park, the Lakeside Track passes through dense woodland - home to bush buck as well as bush duiker - to Kigambira Hill which gives a panoramic view of lake mburo.This lake, in addition to seven more, may possibly still be seen from the kazuma Hill lookout close to the kazuma Track.
