Overview

Lake Mburo National Park is a smaller park in the western part of Uganda. It covers an area of about 260 km2. It is one of the parks close to Kampala city. Lake Mburo National Park’s distance from Kampala is 240 km. It is an excellent destination for viewing wildlife.

Wildlife

Predators are among the animals in Lake Mburo National Park. You can spot leopards, lions, jackals, hyenas, serval cats, and civets. You can spot primates such as baboons and vervet monkeys. The park is home to many antelopes such as impalas, elands, klipspringer, kob, bushbucks, and waterbucks. Other common mammals are buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, and giraffes. It is easier to see these animals during the dry season. Most of them are around water sources. But you can also spot them during the wet season. They are spread out across the park.

Birdlife

One of Lake Mburo National Park’s activities is watching birds. The park is home to over 310 species. You can spot famous birds such as African fin foot, shoebill, pelican, heron, stork, and crested crane. You can spot other species such as papyrus gonolek, black-collared barbet, and blue-headed coucal. Migratory birds are present between November and April. Birding is good at any time of the year. But during the wet season, hiking trails and roads may be slippery. This may interfere with bird-watching and other activities in the park.

Scenery

Apart from the animals in Lake Mburo National Park, tourists love its scenery. Lake Mburo is itself a beautiful feature. The park has other four lakes that form the wetland area. It has forested gorges and rocky ridges, riparian woodland, and bands of lush. These sceneries are attractive to tourists from across the world.

Climate

Lake Mburo National Park has a mild climate. The rainy season is between March to June and September to December. Temperatures range between 15°C and 26°C. Roads in the park and forest trails may be slippery. The dry season is between July to August and January to February. Temperatures range between 13°C and 27°C. This is the best time to enjoy most of the Lake Mburo National Park activities.

Local culture

Lake Mburo National Park is in the Ankole region. This region is famous for its cultivators and cattle keepers. Tourists can enjoy cultural tours to learn more about African cultures. Tour operators can arrange for cultural safaris.

FAQs About Lake Mburo National Park

• Where is Lake Mburo National Park located?

Lake Mburo National Park is located in Kiruhira District in Uganda. This is in the western part of the country. It is about 240 km west of Kampala and 30 km east of Mbarara. Its coordinates are 0.5805° S and 30.9919° E. It is easily accessible by road or air.

• Why visit Lake Mburo National Park?

Tourists enjoy many activities in Lake Mburo National Park. Game drives allow visitors to enjoy the sightings of diverse wildlife in the park. There are day and night game drives. Other common activities are bird watching, nature walks, hiking, boat cruises, fishing, and cultural safaris.

• Which is the best time to visit Lake Mburo National Park?

You can visit Lake Mburo National Park at any time across the year. But rain during the wet season can interfere with game drives and other activities. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season (July to August and January to February).

• How to get to Lake Mburo National Park?

It is easy to get there. Lake Mburo National Park’s distance from Kampala is about 235 km. It takes about 4 hours to reach the park from Kampala via road transport. From Entebbe, it takes about 4.5 hours to reach the park. You can also choose air travel to the park. There is a flight from Entebbe to Mbarara airstrip that takes less than an hour. Your tour operator will then pick you up for your safari in the park.