Page 33 - April-May-2019 Edition

NATIONAL PARKS
30 57E (Latitude: 0.6000; Longitude: 30.9500). LMNP is home to 350 bird species as well
as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena,
topi and reedbuck. Once continuous with the plains of Northern Tanzania, Lake Mburo
National Park host’s diversity found nowhere else in Uganda. The Ruizi River feeds 14
lakes and wetlands that support abundant herds of antelope. Enchanting Acacia
woodland is increasingly a major part of the landscape. Alongside all the wildlife,
LMNP is home to the Ankole cattle cared for traditionally by the Bahima pastoralists.
Magnificent herds graze peacefully alongside the wildlife. There are distinct dry and
wet seasons that determine animal movements. ACCOMMODATION: Mihingo Safari
Lodge, Rwakobo Rock, Mburo Safari Lodge, Mantana Tented Safari Camp, Arcadia
Cottages, Leopard Rest Camp, Mburo Eagles Nest Camp
MOUNT ELGON NATIONAL PARK
At 4,000km² Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the
Uganda-Kenya border it is also the oldest and largest solitary, volcanic mountain in
East Africa. Its vast form, 80km in diameter, rises more than 3,000m above the surround-
ing plains. The mountain’s cool heights offer respite from the hot plains below, with
the higher altitudes providing a refuge for flora and fauna. Mount Elgon National Park
is home to over 300 species of birds, including the endangered Lammergeyer. Small
antelopes, forest monkeys, elephants and buffalos also live on the mountainside. The
higher slopes are protected by national parks in Uganda and Kenya, creating an
extensive trans-boundary conservation area that has been declared a UNESCO Man
& Biosphere Reserve. A climb on Mt. Elgon’s deserted moorlands unveils a magnificent
and uncluttered wilderness without the summit-oriented approach common to many
mountains: the ultimate goal on reaching the top of Mt. Elgon is not the final ascent to
the 4321m Wagagai Peak, but the descent into the vast 40km² caldera.
ACCOMMODATION: Masai Backpackers (Kapkwai Village), The Crows Nest (Sipi Falls),
Twalight Sipi Campsite (Kapchorwa), Sipi Coffee Lodge (Kapchorwa)

MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between
2,227m and 4,127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain
gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the
endangered golden monkey. As well as being important for wildlife, the park also
has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This
tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of
its secrets remains unrivalled. Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical,
extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border
region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. Mgahinga forms part of the much larger
Virunga Conservation area that includes adjacent parks in these countries. The volca-
noes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks
provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.
ACCOMMODATION: Amajambere Iwacu Camp (Ntebeko), Bird Nest at Bunyonyi Re-
sort (Bunyonyi), Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Bunyonyi), Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge

MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where
the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. First ga-
zette as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area,
hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile,
which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchi-
son Falls, the centerpiece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids.
The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad,
placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of
river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to
the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles
and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
ACCOMMODATION: Bakers Lodge, Budongo Eco Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge,

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