Lake Mburo National Park is an excellent wildlife area in its own right. Although small in size, its rich biodiversity, scenic beauty, and cultural significance offer the discerning traveler nothing short of an authentic African safari experience.
The park is a short drive from the capital, Kampala, making it the country’s closest wildlife park and a wonderful trip highlight. With this guide, you won’t need to struggle to find your way to this hidden capital of impalas. Herein are essential details to help you plan an unforgettable safari in Lake Mburo National Park.
Lake Mburo National Park at a Glance
Located in Western Uganda, 240 km (150 mi) west of Kampala and 30 km (19 mi) east of Mbarara town, Lake Mburo National Park spans only 260km², making it Uganda’s smallest savanna park.
Its strategic location off the highway connecting Kampala to wildlife parks of the western circuit makes it a perfect stop for a quick safari on long drives to these parks, ensuring an accessible yet immersive safari experience.
The park was first gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area and awarded national park status in 1983. Today, it’s the only protected area in southwestern Uganda known to host zebras and the only place in Uganda with a high density of Impalas as well as slender mongooses, giant bush rats, and large herds of giraffes.
The landscape of Lake Mburo National Park is a safari dream featuring rich acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, and both seasonal and permanent wetlands. A vast expanse of the park is covered in woodland since there are no elephants to tame the vegetation.
The dominant lake, fringed by forest-lined shores and rolling green hills on all sides, is scenically reminiscent of Kenya’s celebrated Lake Naivasha.
Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is home to over 68 mammal species, including large herds of Burchell’s zebra, impala (found only here in Uganda), buffalos, elands, endangered Rothschild’s giraffes, Defassa waterbucks, topis, sitatunga, reedbucks, and hippos. Predators include leopards, hyenas, genets, civets, jackals, and serval cats.
With 25 to 50 individuals, the park hosts one of the highest concentrations of leopards in East Africa. This is due to the lack of lions, combined with a high prey density (thousands of impalas and zebras), making it a premier park to spot these elusive creatures.
There are over 315 species of birds in the park, including many acacia-associated species. Rwonyo is a top birding spot for spotting the mosque swallow, black-bellied bustard, bare-faced go-away bird, Rüppell’s starling, African finfoot, and white-backed heron.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park
- Game drives: A network of tracks allows you to spot substantial concentrations of impala, zebra, waterbuck, topi, and buffalo.
- Birding: The acacia woodland and wetlands are popular spots for birdwatching in Lake Mburo, whether by vehicle or on foot. Sightings are also facilitated by viewing platforms constructed within the forest and at salt licks.
- Walking safaris: Lake Mburo National Park is ideal for walking safaris, with favourite trails leading to the salt lick at Rwonyo, the lake shorelines, Rubanga Forest, and viewpoint hilltops.
- Boat trips: A 90-minute morning boat ride takes you along the shore of Lake Mburo, allowing you to spot a host of wildlife including crocodile, buffalo, hippo, kingfishers, fish eagles and hammerkops.
- Horseback riding: Horseback riding in Lake Mburo National Park is safe due to the absence of elephants and lions. It is the only protected area in Uganda offering this activity, operated out of the Mihingo Lodge stable, catering to all ages and abilities.
- Night drives: Leopards, bushpigs (widespread but rarely seen), jennet cats, white-tailed mongooses and hyenas are usually sighted during night game drives.
Best time to Visit Lake Mburo National Park
The best time to visit Lake Mburo National Park is during the dry seasons of June to August and December to February, as most travelers prefer to avoid the high chances of getting drenched in the rain during the wet seasons. Wildlife viewing is excellent during these dry months, as animals are mostly concentrated around waterholes, making them easy to spot.
While the wet seasons of March to May and September to November offer excellent wildlife viewing and bird watching, they can make travel rather more challenging.
Getting to Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is roughly 240 km and a 3.5 – 4 hour drive from Kampala, making it the closest of all Uganda’s national parks. It is accessed through two main gates: Nshara Gate, located 5 km from the main road, and Sanga Gate, which is about 13 km from Sanga Trading Center.
While there are no scheduled flights to Lake Mburo National Park, visitors can charter flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Mbarara Airstrip, followed by a road transfer to the park. The flight is approximately 1½ hours.
Where to stay in Lake Mburo National Park
Accommodation in Lake Mburo ranges from budget, mid-range, to luxury categories. This great diversity caters for all travel styles within the park, irrespective of their safari budget. Visitors can find accommodation within the game park and in nearby towns like Mbarara and Lyantonde.
- Manatana Luxury tented camp: An intimate, luxury, eco-friendly camp nestled within Lake Mburo National Park offers a truly idyllic location atop Rwamahungu Hill with breathtaking panoramic vistas and the traditional safari tent experience.
- Mihingo Lodge: Located on the outskirts of Lake Mburo National Park, this peaceful, secluded wilderness retreat offers great views of the valley below, its lake, and tranquil forests.
- Rwonyo Rest Camp: A budget-friendly facility in Rwonyo park headquarters offers rustic wooden bandas, tented rooms, and a campsite, allowing a close-to-nature experience. It is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Sample Trips
