Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s most popular and largest nature reserve, Murchison Falls National Park’s beautiful location and impressive animal populations (the park is home to over 15,000 elephants) makes it a wonderful stop for any traveller hoping to glimpse Uganda’s rich wildlife. Straddling the Victoria Nile, the park contains numerous rapids and waterfalls, including the powerful Murchison Falls. Visitors can get up-close to the falls, before enjoying a world-class safari on the shores of Lake Albert.
Of particular note just to the south of Murchison Falls is Budongo Forest. Home to six habituated chimpanzee groups totalling around 700 primates in total, Budongo offers chimpanzee treks year round.
The forest is an attraction in itself, owing to its huge mahogany trees and incredible biodiversity, with blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and olive baboons all viewable on a trek. Its location — an easy stop-off point on the road from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park — makes Budongo a popular place for chimpanzee trekking, although its smaller population of primates means your less likely to see the animals than in Kibale.
Hidden gems in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park
Easy-going chimp trekking in Budongo Forest
Effectively a southern extension of Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo is a vast and biodiverse rainforest that is home to around 800 chimpanzees. This includes one very well habituated community whose core territory lies within easy walking distance of a main road. Despite Budongo’s convenient location for those doing a Murchison Falls safari, it receives relatively few visitors, making it a good alternative to Kibale for those hoping to avoid crowding. Other wildlife often seen from the road includes large troop of olive baboons, smaller monkeys such as black-and-white colobus, and the spectacular Abyssinian ground hornbill. Pros: Chimp trekking in Budongo can easily be done en route to or from the popular Murchison Falls National Park, or as a half-day excursion from one of its camps or lodges Budongo is a good choice if you are worried about your fitness. It’s the flattest of East Africa’s chimp-trekking destinations, and most of the time you'll be walking on a well-maintained grid of researchers’ paths. Cons: The success rate, though greater than 80%, is lower than in Kibale or Kalinzu, and it may drop lower when the habituated community moves outside its core territory.
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