Lake Mburo

The relatively small national park encompasses Lake Mburo and a number of other smaller lakes. The park is home to a number of big game animals and many different species of birds. Here you can find a good population of zebra, which can otherwise only be seen in Uganda in the much more inaccessible Kidepo Valley National Park far to the north west. The Lake Mburo National Park is also home to many buffalo, warthog, baboons, meerkats and a number of species of antelope, of which the large waterbuck is perhaps the most prominent and numerous.

It is possible to enjoy an exciting boat safari on the lake, where there are many hippos and crocodiles, and it teems with beautiful birds including kingfishers, herons, storks and African fish eagle. There are also many otters living here, of three different species, but it takes time and a little bit of luck to see them. Walking safaris are also possible here, and it is one of the only places in Uganda you can go on a game drive at night, using spotlights to see some of the parks nocturnal animals including leopards, which are regularly seen here.

In the district around the park you can often see the local breed of cattle, Ankole cattle, which is a very spectacular breed with extraordinarily large horns. Lake Mburo is a perfect place to stop and stay the night on a driven safari through Uganda, around halfway along the 500km drive between the more famous parks to the west, and the capital city of Kampala and the airport at Entebbe to the east.

Highlights:

• Boat safari amongst hippos and crocodiles and an impressive range of birds
• Night safari drives, on which you can see the park’s exciting nocturnal animals.

High season: December to February and June to August