Murchison Falls National Park is located in Masindi and lies at the core of the greater Murchison falls conservation area which also embraces the Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves and the Budongo forest. It is low lying by Ugandan standards and of those parts of the country that are regularly visited by tourists. It is the only one that regularly becomes stiflingly hot. The average annual rainfall of 1,085mm, though significantly lower than in the forests of the southwest, compares favorably to most other east African savanna ecosystems.
The Victoria Nile, flowing in western direction between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert, divides the park into two roughly equal parts. North of the river, the vegetation broadly consists of tall, green grassland interspersed with isolated stands of borassus palms, acacia trees and riverine woodland. South of the river, the park is characterized by denser woodland, giving way in the southeast to closed canopy forest around Rabongo Hill, the highest hill in the park.
There are a number of activities carried out in Murchison Falls National Park that is the Nile launch trip. The superb boat trip from Paraa to the base of the Murchison falls is the park’s most popular and longest-running attraction. On the way to the falls, the boat follow a stretch of the Nile with a compelling African atmosphere, fringed by borassus palms, acacia woodland and stands of mahogany and game viewing is also excellent. The best area for game drives is the circuit of tracks in the area between the Paraa-Pakwach road and the Victoria Nile delta. Forest walks are carried out in this park. Rabongo Forest, in the far southeast of the park is reached via a signposted and tsetse-infested road that branches from the main Paraa-Masindi road a few kilometers south of Sambiya Lodge. Forest walks are of interest mostly to birdwatchers though black and white-colobus and red tailed monkeys are also likely to be seen and the number and variety of butterflies is impressive.
Murchison Falls is an impressive sight from the boat, especially from the newer craft which can approach a bit closer than the UWA launch, but for sheer sensory overland be sure to visit the picnic site at the top of the falls, reached along a roughly 15km road that branches north from the main Masindi-Paraa road, a few hundred meters from sambiya lodge. There is good fishing from the banks of the Nile with large Nile perch.
There are a number of accommodation facilities that can be provided to the tourists during their stay in the park. For example Nile safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Chobe safari lodge for luxury, Murchison River lodge for mid range, Murchison safari lodge, Red Chilli Rest camp for budget and camping.
The direct route is 85km long and can be covered in two to three hours depending on the road conditions. The park can be approached from the three points north of the Nile along the Karuma-Pakwach road which branches off the kampala-Gulu road just north of Karuma Bridge.