Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s largest conservation area situated in the northern part of Uganda in Nwoya district, the park is one place to find the so-called big four of the wilderness (lions, leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes) in the 1990s the park used to be home to Rhinos however following a lot of poaching and political issues there was poaching which led to the elimination of the animal species, Murchison is named after the greatest feature of the park Murchison, it is bisected into two by the  Victoria Nile forming the northern bank of Pakuba and southern part, at a certain time the park’s name changed to Kabalega national park during the reign of Idi Amin Dada however later following his downfall, it was named back to Murchison falls national park.

Murchison falls national park is well known for the great Murchison Falls, the magnificent falls is one of the world’s most powerful fall, the water dramatically squeezes itself into the 7-meter slit along the gorge, the plunge fall make a loud roar sound that can be heard even at a distance, the park is home to a number of wildlife species including waterbucks, bushbucks, Rothchild’s giraffes, oribi, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeests, hippos, Nile crocodiles, civet cats, jackals, and over 400 species of birds, most of them are endemics of the Albertine rift valley region. The hospital people around the park in the communities of Bulisa and Mubaku go the extra mile to put a smile on travelers’ faces.

Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park include game drives, these are done in sessions beginning in the morning at 6:30 am in order to catch early morning risers, this is the best time to do game drives, it is also a busy time for animals as most of them come out to graze and hunt for the carnivores. The afternoon game drive begins at 2:30 p.m. in search of games through the well-distributed game tracks of the national park. This is one of the few places where doing night game drives is allowed with guidance from a Uganda Wildlife Authority team. Game drives are conducted using 4*4 vehicles in order to beat the tough terrain of the African wilderness.

A boat cruise to the bottom of the falls is a must-do activity while in the park, it is one of the best ways to experience the Nile, the cruise goes to experience the fall of the famous Murchison feature, it is done on motorized boats starting at 2:00 pm, it takes -3 hours on the waters passing across the walls of the metamorphic rocks, together with basking hippos and Nile crocodiles along the sandy banks of the river, in the marshy swampy areas, you might be chanced to see the critically endangered species of the shoe bill stock.

Birding in Murchison Falls National Park, of the 1030species of birds that have been recorded to date, over 400 species have been listed in the region including the Albertine endemics, savannah and forest birds, popular species that may be encountered include giant kingfishers, Abyssinian ground horn bill, Malachite kingfisher, African martial eagles, sunbirds, piapiac, pelicans to mention a few.

In addition to the above things to do in the Murchison Falls National Park, guests can enjoy a balloon safari raised above the wilderness, cultural encounters with the local communities, guided nature walks, and chimpanzee tracking in the Budongo forest. There is available accommodation in the park and surrounding areas ranging from the best budget to luxury, Examples of facilities include the Chobe Safari lodge, Para safari lodge, Murchison river lodge, and fort Murchison among other facilities.

What do mountain gorillas eat?

Mountain gorillas are primate species in a few ecosystems of Africa, they are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla’s gorilla beringei beringei living in mountainous areas in Uganda they are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Mghainga National Park, in Rwanda they are situated in the volcanoes national park while in the democratic republic of Congo in the Virunga national park, these are the only places of the world to see the critically endangered species, they roam freely in the conservation areas without being captivated. The Bwindi impenetrable national park in the southwestern corner of Uganda hosts half the population of the gorillas they love within the four sectors of the park Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija.

What do gorillas eat? This is a question that lingers so many times, mountain gorillas are mostly herbivores in nature, being the world’s largest primates they need lots of food to survive, they feed on forest plants, dead tree backs, leaves stems, fruits, mushrooms and occasionally insects, since it is a high altitude zone, there is less of fruit and more of plants, the primates are specific on what they want to eat on a particular plant type, for example, they have been sighted stripping plants in order for them to get the inner part of the stem other plants like mimlopsis they take on the leaves. An adult mountain gorilla eats about 18 kilograms of food.

Mountain gorillas are not so water friendly and hence it is hard to drink water however the plants which they feed on are succulent enough for them to have enough water in their bodies for survival. Gorillas do not feed in one point but rather after consuming, they move to the next part to allow the regrow of the vegetation. They live in families of up to 20 members led by a male silverback, baby gorillas are taken care of by their mothers until the age of 2 years. The primates are territorial in nature hence it is hard to find more than 1 silverback in the same group, families consist of blackbacks, juveniles, and females, they nest on the ground which sometimes makes it easy for travelers to know the actual number of the primates as each one of them makes a nest except for the babies who share with females. They are playful jumping from one tree to another.

Mountain gorillas present an opportunity to experience mountain gorillas, trekking is one of the amazing things to do while in Uganda, it takes place beginning at the park headquarters, in groups of 8 you will be allocated a gorilla family to track, it takes 2-8 hours in search depending on how far the gorilla families have moved. Gorilla trekking is a strenuous activity that will need preparation both mentally and physically, upon meeting the primates an hour is allowed while with them later which you return to be awarded a gorilla trekking certificate, for travelers who would like to spend more time with the primate’s gorilla habituation experience is the most ideal thing to do as it allows am all day experience.

Golden monkey trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.

Golden monkey trekking activities are some of the fascinating touristic activities that have taken shape and gained popularity in the past two decades among travelers in East Africa. This activity takes place in the Virunga Mountain ranges where these primates are endemic to. Golden monkeys are a subspecies of the blue monkey and there are other monkeys in Eastern Africa that almost look like these orange- and gold-colored primates. They inhabit the forests in central Africa, especially in the highlands. Golden monkeys prefer bamboo habitats and that is where they are usually trekked.

Golden monkey trekking national parks in Uganda and Rwanda.

Uganda and Rwanda host the endangered golden monkeys. They can be found in the thick rainforests where national parks have been gazetted in the past two decades to ensure they are protected and conserved for the next generations. The national parks encompass;

Mgahinga national park.

Mgahinga National Park is the only National Park in Uganda that hosts golden monkeys. The park is located in the southwest of Uganda in Kisoro district and occupies an area of approximately 33.7 square kilometers. Mgahinga spans 3 of the 8 Virunga mountains that are great habitat for the golden monkeys. It is on the slopes of the mountains that the golden monkey’s exciting adventure takes place.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park is comprised of two thick primeval rainforests that is to say Gishwati and Mukura after which the park is named. The park occupies an area of about 34 square kilometers in the northwest of Rwanda. It is a renowned home to several primates and golden monkeys are a section of them. Serious tourism in the park started in 2019 and it is now booming due to the popularity of the activities therein, a reason why an adventure-seeking traveler should check it out whenever in Rwanda.

Volcanoes National Park.

Sitting on an area of approximately 160 square kilometers in the north of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is a portion of the huge Virunga conservation area. It is home to five of the 8 Virunga mountains which are the exact place where the golden monkeys reside and their trekking activities are hosted.

Volcanoes are home to not only golden monkeys but other primates too, especially the black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, l’hoests, blue monkeys and owl-faced monkeys not forgetting the beautiful bird species too, especially the East African endemics. They encompass green turacos, green breasted pitta, bar-tailed trogon, bush shrikes, African paradise flycatcher, African fish eagles, African green pigeons, African darters and jacanas.

Volcanoes National Park is a renowned one-stop center for golden monkey trekking in Rwanda and offers extremely sensational experiences.

How it is done and what it costs.

The golden monkey trekking activity enables the visitor to explore the forests in East Africa, moving through various landscapes on foot in search of exciting creatures.

Once encountered, visitors are allowed to spend at least an hour observing the golden monkeys. Taking pictures of them and learning several things about them. The tourist guides provide information about the genetics and other aspects of the lives of the golden monkeys which even make the trip more exciting and informative.

Golden Monkey trekking permits in Uganda can be purchased at $60.00 for foreign nonresidents, $60.00 for foreign residents, and Uganda shillings 40,000 for East African citizens and in addition to this you add the park entry fees. In Rwanda, the Golden Monkey permits cost $100 for the foreign nonresidents, $65 for the foreign residents, and Rwandan francs 4000 for the Rwandan citizens.

The most appropriate time to visit and trek golden monkeys.

Uganda and Rwanda are closely located near the equator though Rwanda is not crossed by it like Uganda. Due to that fact, they are blessed with two seasons every year that is to say the dry and wet seasons. The dry seasons are the best to traverse through the rainforests and mountainous terrain.

The dry seasons occur from May to September and December to early March.