1. The New In-Plant Payment System at the UWA Reservations Office 

Gone are the days of trekking back and forth to external commercial banks to settle permit fees. UWA has integrated an in-plant banking machine directly within the Reservations Office at its Kampala headquarters.

This newly introduced facility operates from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays and offers a half-day window on Saturdays (9:00 AM – 1:00 PM).

However much you can pay on site, the 24-hour rule still applies. Your payment needs a full day to reflect in the bank’s system before your permit is officially cleared, and any other service

Plan to settle your balance at least 48 hours before your trek to avoid any last-minute stress at the park gates.

2. Happy And Nshanjare Groups Now Added to the Tracking Roster

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has now added two gorilla groups, the Happy Group from Buhoma and the Nshanjare Group in the rugged Rushaga Sector, to the tracking roster.

With these new groups now integrated in the digital booking system, UWA has officially ceased the issuance of extra gorilla permits. You are now required to monitor real-time availability in the system and book your slots well in advance.

3. African Golden Cat Tracking: A New Kanyanchu Expedition 

UWA introduced specialized tracking experience for the rare and elusive African Golden Cat in the Kanyanchu region in Kibale National Park along Ngogo Road.

This isn’t a quick morning walk but rather a 5-day immersive tracking experience priced at $350 USD per person for foreign non-residents and foreign residents and UGX 350,000 for the East African citizens.

Since this niche experience isn’t yet available on the digital portal, all bookings must be made on the ground. You must initiate your request 24 to 48 hours before your desired start date.

While UWA will provide armed Rangers for security and tracking expertise, tourists are required to bring their own private guides. Ensure your guide is briefed on the 5-day duration before you head into the deep forest.

These updates mark a smarter, streamlined administration and a stronger push for conservation tourism. With more new booking opportunities, more habitats, and unforgettable wildlife experiences, be ready to book a safari and enjoy the benefits of expanded conservation tourism.

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The former wildlife and forest reserves were in different regions of the country, and some of these were part of the traditional parks like Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The Ugandan cabinet confirmed these new national parks on September 19, 2025, and they include Kigezi, Bukaleba, Echuya, Kyambura, Katonga, and Toro National Parks.

An Overview of The Six New National Parks 

Kigezi National Park

Kigezi National Park borders Queen Elizabeth National Park, and it is one of the largest grazing areas for wild animals that call Queen Elizabeth NP their home. This new park was created to expand the savannah corridors.

Some of the animals in this new national park include elephants, buffalo, antelopes, and predators, among others.

This new park promises interesting safari drives, cultural experiences with locals living near the park, photography, and bird watching, among other activities.

Bukaleba National Park 

Bukaleba, initially a forest reserve, was also elevated to the level of a national park. This wildlife area is located in the Mayuge District, along the shores of Lake Victoria.

In an area of about 97 km², Bukaleba National Park provides habitat to diverse wildlife, which includes reptiles, antelopes, birds, monkey species, and aquatic life.

Echuya National Park

Echuya National Park is among the newly gazetted national parks of Uganda, located in the Kisoro and Rubanda districts in the southwestern part of the country, near Uganda’s border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This wildlife area is a blend of montane and bamboo-forest vegetation from the Albertine Rift, making it one of Africa’s most endangered and biodiverse ecoregions.

It beautifully complements the gorilla tourism available in Mgahinga National Park, thereby offering a unique experience for nature lovers.

Kyambura National Park

Kyambura Park is renowned for its stunning gorge (Kyambura Gorge) that is home to chimpanzees, monkey species like the red-tailed monkeys, and numerous bird species.

Upgrading Kyambura Game Reserve to a national park was done to have legal protection of wildlife and to promote primate tourism, especially chimpanzee trekking tours.

Toro National Park

Toro National Park was formerly Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve, and it was elevated to the status of national park for improved safeguarding of woodlands, grasslands, rivers, and the wildlife inhabitants.

This elevation makes this wildlife area a wonderful place for game drives, birding, and nature walks in its grasslands and woodlands.

Katonga National Park 

In a recent upgrade, the former Katonga Wildlife Reserve has been officially designated as Katonga National Park.

This new park, known for its extensive wetlands and savannah grasslands, is situated in the Kyenjojo and Kamwenge districts and follows the course of the Katonga River.

It is home to over 150 bird species and wild animals, including sitatunga, waterbuck, elephants, otters, warthogs, and reedbuck, among others.

The Reason Behind the Creation of The Six New National Parks in Uganda 

The creation of the six new national parks in Uganda is aimed at curbing the encroachment and human-wildlife conflict, which is a result of the increasing human population.

To broaden Uganda’s tourism portfolio beyond chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park, mountaineering in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, and other activities in other traditional parks.

To increase the chances of year-round safaris, because diverse ecosystems attract more visitors to Uganda during different seasons.

This initiative is aimed to offering unique and authentic wildlife experiences that are far from the crowded traditional national parks.

In conclusion, the creation of these new national parks represents a strategic move by Uganda to strengthen its conservation efforts, expand its tourism, and promote sustainable development through community engagement.

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There are a variety of things to see or tourist attractions in Lake Mburo National Park including;

• Over 68 animal species
• 350 bird species
• Lakes
• Rubanga forest
• People and Community Culture

Below is a detailed description of all attractions in Lake Mburo National Park during your safari in Uganda.

A. Animals In Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is home to more than 68 mammal species. It supports Uganda’s only substantial population of Impalas, a graceful antelope after which Kampala was named and one of the peculiar tourist attractions in Lake Mburo National Park. Lake Mburo has one of only two populations of Burchell’s zebra (the others being in Kidepo Valley National Park).

Besides impalas, the park hosts a variety of antelope species including;

• Common eland
• Topi
• Defassa waterbuck
• Bushbuck
• Common duiker
• Bohor reedbuck
• Oribi
• Sitatunga
• Klipspringer

Large herds of majestic Common Elands move seasonally through parts of the park. The semi-aquatic sitatunga antelopes are confined to the interior of the swamps, while the rock-loving klipspringer is occasionally observed on the hills notably on the grounds of Mihingo lodge.

The lake and its lush fringing vegetation also support a healthy population of Buffaloes, Warthogs, Bushpigs, and hippos.

Some 15 Rothschild’s Giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park were introduced in Lake Mburo National Park in 2015; the herds have since settled well into the savannah northeast of Lake Mburo where is often seen on game drives, and the first calf was born in 2018.

Only two diurnal primate species exist in the park; Vervet Monkeys and Olive Baboons, but Lake Mburo is one of the very few places in Uganda where the Greater Galago has been recorded. Up to eight of these cat-sized nocturnal primates make a nightly appearance at a feeding table at a Mihingo Lodge.

As for predators, the lions for which Lake Mburo National Park was once famed had been hunted to local extinction by the late 1970s, but odd individuals still find their way there. Leopards are quite commonly seen on night game drives out of Mihingo lodge.

The eerie, rising, nocturnal call of the spotted hyena is often heard from the camps and individuals can be observed crossing the road at night.

Side-striped Jackal and several small predators are also present, most visibly white-tailed mongoose and three otter species reside in the lakes.

1. Impalas In Lake Mburo National Park

One of the most elegant of all of Africa’s antelope is the impala, after which Uganda’s capital Kampala is named. Lake Mburo National Game Park is the only National Park in Uganda where you can see impalas. The park harbors a population of more than 30,000 impalas.

How Do Impalas Look Like?

• The Impala is a handsome, slender antelope with a smooth coat that seems to shimmer in the sunlight.
• The upper parts are rich reddish-brown, the lower flanks are light-tan brown and the belly is white.
• There are distinctive black stripes on the back of each thigh and down the center of the upper side of the tail that form three vertical lines when seen from behind.
• The edges of the tail are reddish-brown and the underside is white, the long white hairs flaring outwards when the tail is held up.
• The ear tips are black, and little tufts of wiry black hair cover scent glands on the ankles of the hind legs.
• Only males have horns, which are S-curved/lyre-shaped and heavily ridged (56-83cm long).
• Impalas are medium-sized antelopes; reach 70-92cm at the shoulder and weigh 40-76kg.

2. Zebras In Lake Mburo National Park

One of the top Uganda safari attractions in Lake Mburo National Park is the beautiful Zebras. This park hosts a population of over 20, 000 zebras.

Nearly all the animals that share the yellow and green plains of Lake Mburo Park are the muted colors of dust and soil and blend easily into the waving savannah grasses which help them to escape the pursuers.

Compared to their neighbors, zebras seem out of place. Herds of them match across the plains in a dizzying array of black and white stripes.

In fact, most of us know that the stripe pattern of a zebra is much like our fingerprints – no two are alike and even the left side is different from the right.

Different species also have distinctly different stripe patterns, in other words, you can tell their ‘nationality’, for example;

• If you see a zebra with a gridiron pattern on its rump and stripes down its legs, you’ll be in Angola, Namibia, or South Africa looking at the Mountain Zebra
• If you spot one with very narrow stripes and an apparent bull’s eye on its rump and you’ll be looking at the massive Grevy’s Zebra in the arid areas of Ethiopia, Somalia, or Kenya.
• While on safari in Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park, you will see Burchell’s Zebra. This zebra has shadow stripes that run between the black stripes on its torso.

3. Common Elands In Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo is home to around 1500 elands. This ox-like antelope is the largest in the world. It is a member of the ‘spiral-horned’ subfamily, along with the kudu and bushbuck. There are two species of elands; the common eland and the giant eland (slightly larger).

The species of eland you will see during your Uganda wildlife safari in Lake Mburo Game Park is the common eland (Taurotragus oryx).

Elands are shy and quick to retreat from disturbance, so sighting them on Uganda safari in Lake Mburo is always something special.

Listen closely and you’ll hear a distinct clicking sound as they approach. This is thought to come from their hooves, which splay apart and click back together under the animals’ great weight.

How Do The Common Eland Look Like?

• The common eland is a spiral-horned antelope.
• It weighs up to 1000 kilograms and reaches up to 2 meters at the shoulder (6.5 feet).
• Apart from the rough mane, the coat is smooth.
• Females have a tan/light brown color while the coat of males is darker with a brownish-grey-tinge.
• Bulls may have a series of vertical stripes on their sides.
• The males have dense fur on their foreheads and large dewlap on their throats.
• Both sexes have horns.

How Fast Can Elands Run?

• Elands are the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of 40km per hour that tires them quickly.
• However, they are great jumpers, capable of leaping up to 2.5m/8ft from a standing start when startled.

4. Hippos In Lake Mburo Park

The hippopotamus is one of the most powerful, heavy, and very impressive Uganda animals and one of the interesting things to see in lake Mburo National Park. Over 300 hippos are found in Lake Mburo Park.

Hippos love water, which is why the Greeks named them the “river horse.”  They spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in water to keep their massive bodies cool under the hot African sun but emerge at night to graze.

It is something of a safari cliché that the hippo is ‘the deadliest animal in Africa’. While there may be more than a little hyperbole in such a claim, it is nonetheless true that behind the friendly smile lies an aggressive disposition and mouthful of lethal teeth.

In fact, besides mosquitos and the tsetse fly, hippos are the most deadly African animals. They are highly aggressive and unpredictable, especially when their calves are present.

Also, due to their sluggish appearance, many people take them for granted and always see hippos as gentle giants, but they are far from that. They can charge without a moment’s hesitation and do serious damage.

These massive creatures can bite you into two pieces or drown you by overturning your boat. They have huge mouths with super sharp teeth and tusks.  Despite their size and short legs, they are agile and can run fast.

Scientists once believed that the hippo’s closest relatives were pigs. DNA evidence has since established that the hippo shares a common semi-aquatic ancestor with whales and dolphins.  About 55 million years ago, they diverged from them.

Size Of Hippos

• After the elephant and white rhino, this heavyweight herbivore is the third largest of the land animals in Africa.
• Hippo measures up to 16.6 feet long, including a tail of about 1.84 ft in length.
• They stand up to 5.4 feet tall at the shoulder.
• The mean weight of adult male hippos is about 1,500 kg and 1,300 kg for females.
• Large males reach 2,000 kg and exceptional males weigh 2,660 kg, 3,200 kg in the wild, and 4,500 kg in captivity.

5. Warthog In Lake Mburo National Park

• The endearing Warthog is among the commonly seen Uganda animals in the bush in Lake Mburo Park; over 3000 reside here. These funny little animals resemble pigs.
• They kneel when feeding and run away with their tails sticking straight up in the air when startled.
• But don’t let their cute appearance fool you completely – the tusks on a male warthog can rip open a lion.
• Warthogs have usually seen grazing or running in family groups with 2-4 young. Older male warthogs may become solitary over time.

B. Birds In Lake Mburo National Park

Uganda’s Lake Mburo is one of the finest destinations for bird-watching safaris in Uganda. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded in this park. These form one of the best attractions in Lake Mburo Park. The park is one of the most reliable sites in Uganda for seeing the elusive African finfoot.

Lake Mburo National Park is also the best place in Uganda to see acacia-associated birds. Rwonyo Rest Camp is a perfect place to search for the likes of;

• Mosque swallow
• Black-billed bustard
• Bare-faced go-away bird, and
• Rüppell’s starling

Several bird species in Lake Mburo National Park are essentially southern species at the very northern limit of their range, for example;

• Southern ground hornbill
• Black-collared barbets
• Back-throated barbets
• Green-capped eremomela

Of special interest to twitches are the swamps, in which 6 papyrus endemics are resident, such as;

• The brilliantly colored Papyrus Gonolek
• The striking blue-headed coucal
• The highly localized white-winged warbler, and
• The papyrus yellow warbler.

Other key bird species to look for during your Uganda birding safari in Lake Mburo National Park include;

• African scops owl
• Blue-breasted Kingfisher
• Grey-crowned cranes
• Saddle-billed Stork
• Brown-chested lapwing
• African-wattled lapwing
• African Fish Eagle
• Caruthers’s Cisticola
• Greater painted-snipe
• Red-faced barbet
• Shoebill stork
• Yellow-rumped tinkerbird
• Narina Trogon

C. Lakes In Lake Mburo National Park

Five spectacular lakes lie within the boundary of Lake Mburo National Park. The most important of these is Lake Mburo from which the park derives its name.

Lake Mburo is also the largest of the five lakes. It extends over 13 square kilometers and is fringed by lush riparian woodland with significant areas of papyrus swamp.

Lake Mburo is a natural haven for fauna and flora. The bank teems with animals and birds. Crocodiles and hippopotami are permanent residents, and buffalos come to drink during the dry season.

The wide variety of resident birds includes Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagles, Rufous Long-tailed Starlings, Blue-headed Weavers, Green-necked Doves, Hammerkops, Pelicans, Herons, Cormorants, even rare Shoebills.

The Lake has 6 fish species, tilapia is the most commonly caught species. Other species include catfish, lungfish, Tigerfish, Angara fish, and barbell. Sports fishing is done here albeit with a license.

D. Rubanga Forest In Lake Mburo National Game Park

Though small, this tract of forest on the western side of Lake Mburo provides a taste of tropical high forest with a closed canopy and a viewing platform for visitors.  It is home to a variety of forest birds; commoner species include;

• Harrier Hawk
• Green Pigeon
• Narina Trogon
• Grey-backed Camaroptera, and
• Double-toothed Barbet

E. People And Culture At Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is surrounded by many people. The dominant tribe around the park is Banyankole, famously known for rearing long-horned cattle called Ankole cattle. These cows are one of the most amazing things to see/attractions in Lake Mburo National Park.

1. Igongo Cultural Center And Museum

Igongo Cultural Center and Museum, locally known as a ‘Eriijukiro’ are located about 4km from Lake Mburo National Park Sanga gate.

The center incorporates a modern and well-organized museum that achieves its goal of preserving and promoting the history of the Ankole kingdom and other traditional societies of western Uganda.

It houses several detailed and well-annotated displays covering everything from the development of currency in Uganda to traditional Ankole and Bakiga dresses, drums and other musical instruments, agricultural practices, and herbal medicine.

They are also several informative displays relating to the foundation and the history of the Ankole kingdom, and its rules, and the 19^th-century warrior queen Kitami Kya Nyawera, whose murder by a rival king presage a series of local disasters and led to the establishment of the Nyabingi cult at her shrine in the vicinity of Lake Bunyonyi.

2. Traditional Bahima Homestead

Take a walk or a bike ride over to a traditional Bahima homestead to learn about their cultural traditions and their way of life.

Activities include learning about the Ankole long-horned cows with an opportunity to try your hand at milking, understand the ghee-making process, taste milk, and much more.

This experience includes a nature walk or bike ride across grazing land, where wildlife and livestock mingle together, to the homestead and back again. Alternatively, you can ride a mountain bike to a nearby fishing village and see how the people live.

To those interested in visiting this park, you have a great variety of attractions in Lake Mburo National Park for to see for a memorable safari in Uganda. For your wonderful adventure in this tourist destination, please contact us and we shall give you expert advice whenever you need it with ease and promptly at no cost!!

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With a game drive, you dont get close to the animals, you only see them from a far. That is why you should include Lake Mburo National Park in your Uganda wildlife safari itinerary for your horse riding safari Uganda.

Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s smallest savannah park but the most beautiful of them blessed with numerous small lakes, deep valleys, rolling hills and woodland vegetation which act as habitat to wild animals like zebras, buffaloes, elands, impala, elephants, lions, warthogs, hippos among others plus a recorded 300 bird species for the ardent bird lovers.

This Lake Mburo National Park Uganda horse riding safari takes you for a wildlife safari adventure without noise of an engine making you feel part of nature. Riding a horse on your wildlife safari in Uganda gets chance to see the more timid animals.

During your ride inside the park,  you may see elands, Impalas, Burchelle Zebras, warthog, topi, duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck and others.

Watching animals from a horse is so peaceful and a totally different experience from being on a game drive; zebras come towards you to check out the strange relative without stripes.

Even the eland that are usually very shy, look curiously at the horses without running away, but keep their distance. The excitement you get makes you have the best ultimate safari memories.

Horseback riding is an initiative of Mihingo lodge, one of the best safari lodges in Lake Mburo National Park. Whether you are a learner or experienced rider, you will definitely enjoy the rare experience of being around wild animals on top of a horse.

Uganda Horseback Safaris are very safe and are led by our highly skilled tour guide who will be our team-leaders on this adventure in Lake Mburo National Park.

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The present-day Lake Mburo National Park after the history of two loving brothers who once lived there. Years ago there lived two loving brothers; Mburo and Kigarama. Mburo and Kigarama lived together on this land for a long time. Their life depended much on cattle which they always grazed in the nearby rolling hills. One-night, Kigarama had a dream about heavy rainfall that caused severe floods in the area where they lived and destroyed all their property.

The next day, he decided to tell his brother about the dream he had the previous night and advised him to leave the place before this dream came true. Ignorantly, Mburo ignored his brother’s advice. Kigarama decided to relocate and find a new home to stay in one of the nearby hills that was later named Kigarama hill leaving Mburo behind. Unfortunately, the dream came true and it rained extremely with water filling the huge valley where they lived destroying all of Mburo’s property and his life too.

The today Lake Mburo was named so in honor of Mburo and the history has lived until today. A number of tourists Safari Uganda to Lake Mburo National Park for experience, fun and wildlife habitat encounters accompanied with the great history.

During the 1990’s, Lake Mburo National Park was used as a hunting area for the Ankole especially by the Bahima that reside around it. In order to protect the countless wildlife that exists in this park, it was gazetted as a game reserve in 1963 until 1986 when the Uganda Wildlife Authority turned it into a park.

A Uganda safari to Lake Mburo National Park exposes a tourist to the beauty bound in its small setting. Resting on an area of about 370Km2, Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest Savannah park conveniently located in western Uganda in Kiruhura district. Its flora is characterized by acacia dotted savanna of Olea and boccia, and papyrus swamps.

Impalas

Lake Mburo National Park is an incredible little park perfect for Uganda wildlife safaris; these include both Long Uganda wildlife safaris or short Uganda wildlife safaris and 1 day Lake Mburo National Park safari.

Lake Mburo National Park is home to over 69 mammals, and about 350 species of birds. Lake Mburo National Park is a distinct place with unique wildlife for example; its the only home of the impalas in Uganda, with a high concentration of the Burchell’s zebras, Elands that are only found here, Kidepo Valley National Park and Pian Upe wildlife game reserve. Other animals to encounter include; Buffaloes, leopards, Oribi, Warthogs, Waterbucks, Defassa, Hyenas, Reedbucks, and Topis. Leopards and hyenas are also present and very few lions.

The Endemic African Foot

Lake Mburo also gives birders interested in Uganda birding safaris a good Uganda birding safari experience as they will encounter several bird species hidden in the Savannah vegetation of this park. Birds the different bird species in the park expect to see the ancient magnificent shoe-bill, the endemic African Finfoot, the fish Eagle, Pelican, Heron, Red faced Barbet, Papyrus yellow warbler, long tailed cisticola, Red chested Lapwing, and other acacia associated birds.

Besides the wildlife, Lake Mburo National Park is a distinct place with exciting unique features such as the old Precambrian rocks that have existed for over 500 million years ago. Besides the rocks, this park has over 5 lakes bordering it including Lake Mburo from which its name was derived.

Safaris Uganda give chance to tourists to have proud rights of being among the few fortunate visitors to have a game foot walk in the wild, listening to the whispers of the blowing wind, as well as encounter with the peaceful residents of Lake Mburo National Park.

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A Brief History Of The Ankole People

The Banyankole are people who belong to the Ankole tribe which falls under the Bantu ethnic group. The Banyankole are further subdivided into the Bahima- these are cattle keepers and the Bairu –these are agriculturalists. Long ago, both the Bahima and the Bairu belonged to a kingdom of Ankole whose king was referred to as the Omugabe but in 1966 when the then president of Uganda Milton Obote abolished all cultural institutions in Uganda, the Ankole kingdom also suffered the same fate and until now it hasn’t been restored even though most of the other traditional institutions have been restored. As of the last census in Uganda of 2014, the Banyankole people are the 2nd largest group of people with an estimated population of 3.216 million people of which 2.6 million lived in the Ankole kingdom region. The Banyankole people are found in the western districts of Mbarara, Ntungamo, Ibanda, Kiruhura and Insingiro about 250km away from the capital city.

The Road To Marriage

Marriage was and is still up to now seen as an important institution among these people and when a child is born, the parents will begin a mammoth tusk of having this child prepared for marriage right for a kinder age because it is a point of pride to the parents if their kids get married and have a successful marriage story. All children had to be appropriately brought up in preparation for this important stage of life.  The boys had to be well-groomed by their fathers and uncles on issues like how to build and rule a family, herding cattle, defending the homestead and providing for the family. For the girls, they had to be groomed by their mothers but mostly their aunties who had to pass on all the techniques that a woman was supposed to have in order to manage their marital homes. The aunt had to ensure that the girl maintained her virginity until marriage and was aware of how to satisfy her husband’s to be sexual desires.

Courtship

Marriage among the Banyankole isn’t a 1 or 2 part event but rather a long process which involves quite a number of rituals and ceremonies before a man and a woman are really pronounced husband and wife. Although there was no courtship between a girl and a boy among the Banyankole, it was the father’s role to look for a bride for his son. When the father found a suitable partner for his son, he used a go through a person called Katerarume, Katerarume is a person who is well known by both the family of groom and bride to be. It was the Katerarume by the groom’s family to advance their wishes to the family of the potential bride to be and when the girl’s family accepted the proposal, the bridal price had to be agreed on by both families.

The Art Of Bargaining For Bride Price

After the Katerarume successfully convincing the bride’s family of their interesting in having her hand in marriage, a day is set where a few close relatives of the groom’s family visit the bride’s family and have a candid discussion about the bride price that is to be paid for the girl. Since these people are cattle keepers and are famous for their long-horned cattle, bride price is usually determined in terms of heads of cattle. Usually bride price ranges anywhere between 5-15 cows depending on the level of wealth of both the bride and groom’s families. After a really heated haggling, the families settle on an amicable number of cattle to be paid by the groom’s family.

Fetching The Bride Price.

The bride’s family organize a group of elders and visit the groom’s family. This, therefore, requires the groom’s family to organize a feast for the entourage of in-laws that are visiting. After exchanging all pleasantries and having a meal. The in-laws have to go the groom’s heard of cattle and pick out some of the best cattle from the groom’s kraal to be exchanged for the bride as agreed during the processing of determining the bride price. The groom’s family has to transfer the cattle that were specifically picked out by the bride’s family and in case you decide to take to the cows which they didn’t pick this can cause the girl’s family to reject the cow’s brought by the groom’s family and sometimes call of the entire wedding since this was viewed as a sign of disrespect to them.

Kuhingira

“Kuhingira” or the “give away ceremony” is the wedding ceremony among the Banyankole, this ceremony is organized at the grounds of the bride’s home and the entire community is invited to attend the girl’s send-off and a great feast is organized to send off the bride. During the Kuhingira ceremony, the girl is veiled and she never dears to shows her face to the public although this ritual is increasing fading as the younger people are embracing “modernity”. The newly wedded couple (culturally wedded) is given a lot of gifts by various relatives of the bride’s as a way of ensuring that their daughter gets comfortable in her new marital home. In modern times, after the Kuhingira, the day after is a church wedding called “okugeitwa” and it is organized by the groom’s family. The wedding sees the bride who is still having her veiled and groom go to church to be officially wedded in the eyes of God as well. From the church, another feast is organized by the groom’s family at his home and this feast is expected to be bigger and better than the Kuhingira feast that was organized by the bride’s family because the groom has to show off his potential as an able provider to the bride.  Long ago, on the night after the wedding the bride met his husband for the first time to consummate their love and usually the aunt to the bride would be in an adjacent room listening to prove that they both have what it takes to satisfy each other’s sexual desires or would check the beddings which they slept on to check for blood stains as a symbol to prove that her niece was still a virgin before marriage. However, this is no longer done in modern times as people have evolved away from that tradition. The next day, the bride returned to her parents’ house where she was now an unveiled for the whole world to see her face. After a few days, the bride was escorted to her new marital home by a group of relatives called “enshangarizi”. The bride stayed indoors for a few days and at the end of these days a ritual by the agricultural Banyankole called “okukoza omuliro” which means “help her make a fire in the kitchen” was conducted then she officially became part of the family however the pastoral Banyankole carried out another ritual called “okutasya ekihara” which officially welcomed the bride to the her new family. Both these rituals symbolize that the bride has become part of the family and can now start full filling all her duties as a wife henceforth and this marks the end of the marriage process for this newlyweds

In order for you to have an encounter with Banyankole and have a listen to more of these stories make a Uganda safari to Lake Mburo National Park. Lake Mburo National Park Uganda is located in the western district of Kiruhura which inhabited by many Banyankole people who will give you a one on one experience with their culture.  What’s so interesting about undertaking this Uganda wildlife safari to Lake Mburo national park is because its gives you an opportunity to not only to listen to first-hand information from the very people who live these stories every day of their lives but also encounter some of the attractions in Lake Mburo National Park Uganda that will definitely allure your attention such as the numerous Burchels zebras that roam the vast savanna plains Lake Mburo. On a lucky day, you can easily spot some of the big cats here like the leopards. Other Uganda safari attractions in Lake Mburo National Park include giraffes, hippos, Nile water crocodiles, 350 bird species, cape buffaloes and many more. While on a Uganda safaris here you got a myriad of Uganda safari activities in Lake Mburo National Park to engage in such as game drives, boat cruise over the Lake Mburo, birding, horse riding biking and many more. On your safari in Uganda to Lake Mburo, you can choose to stay in a variety of Uganda safari accommodations in Lake Mburo National Park such As Mihingo Lodge, Mburo Acardia Cottages, Eagle Nest Camp. How to get to Lake Mburo National Park? Getting to Lake Mburo National park shouldn’t worry to you as it lies only 250km or 3 hours journey from Kampala city Uganda’s capital.

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Getting to Lake Mburo national park should really be an easy task because this park is the closest Uganda wildlife safari destination as it is located in Kiruhura which is 277 km or 3 and ½ hour drive from Kampala city Uganda’s capital in the western district of Kiruhura and covers about 370 sq. km of land making it Uganda’s smallest savannah plains national park.

Conservation History Of Lake Mburo

Conservation in Lake Mburo National Park Uganda began in the 1930s when the Imperial British government designated Lake Mburo area as a controlled hunting area, it was upgraded to a game reserve in 1963. This park was originally occupied by the Banyokore, Bahima people who used its sprawling grasslands to graze their cattle. It was not until 1983 that this park was first gazetted as a game park, except for conservation purpose, the then government of president Obote also had an ulterior motive as to why they gazetted it into a game park and this was to punish the local residents who had supported the anti-regime rebels. During the eviction process, the locals were not compensated for their lost farm and grazing lands or were they helped in resettlement, this, therefore, left them bitter towards the newly created game park. In 1986, the Obote regime lost power, this resulted into the locals regaining power hence they decided to regain back their land which they had lost in 1983 due to creation of the game park. They attacked park officials, destroyed their infrastructure, chased them out of their ancestral lands and killed a lot of wild game. When the new government of the National Resistance Movement took shape, it decided to regazzatted the park but it could only manage to save less than half of the original land expanse that had been gazetted by the previous regime in 1983.

As you explore Lake Mburo national park on this Uganda safari tour, you will realize that this park occupies relatively flat lands with its highest elevation point being 1,828m above sea level and lowest elevation point is 1,220m above sea level and this makes a favorite place for wildlife to thrive to its fullest. The park consists of a number of hills that are dotted in the park and large basins that comprises of a chain of 5 lakes that are interconnected by a large swamp system, it also has varying vegetation types that range from tropical forests to tropical savannah plains and lowland wetland swamps.

What Awaits You On A Uganda Safari To Lake Mburo?

A safari Uganda to Lake Mburo puts you in the best position to see several of the amazing Uganda safari attractions in Lake Mburo National Park as it is gifted with a rich biodiversity that is evidenced by existence of mammals like zebras, hyenas, topi, reedbucks, deffassa waterbucks, impala, elands, leopards, hippos and oribis. wild mammals aren’t the only tourist attractions in lake Mburo that make this Uganda tour to Lake Mburo a must-do for every Africa safari wildlife enthusiast but it is also about 350 bird species and a Uganda birding safari trip to Lake Mburo gives a chance to see several of bird species such as Shoebill Stork, African Finfoot, White Winged Warbler, Crested Francolin, Barefaced Go Away Bird, Brown Parrot, Emerald Spotted Wood Dove, Nubian Woodpecker, Lilac Breasted Roller, Southern Red Bishop, Black Billed Barbet, Yellow Throated Longclaw. With all these attractions in Lake Mburo National park, a Uganda safaris to lake Mburo National Park should be nothing less than epic because you’re guaranteed a beautiful time as you get to engage in a wide range of tourist activities in Lake Mburo with the commonest Uganda safari activity in lake Mburo National Park being game drives, boat cruise over the Lake Mburo, birding and horse riding biking. Finally, don’t miss out on an epic cultural encounter as you visit the local Banyakole communities that are found adjacent to Lake Mburo Park as part of a series of your safari activities in Lake Mburo National Park Uganda. Would you like to engage in several of the activities mentioned above? Then plan for an overnight stay while on your safari in Uganda to Lake Mburo. Choosing where to stay in Lake Mburo shouldn’t get you rattled because this park has a wide variety of Uganda safari accommodations in Lake Mburo National Park where you can stay as you explore this tropical savanna paradise. Regardless of your class, Lake Mburo has got you covered with an accommodation type that fits within your budget type and class. Africa safari tourists on a high-end budget can stay in any of the luxury safari lodges in Lake Mburo Park such as Mihingo Lodge and Matan Tented Camp. Those on a standard budget can stay in mid-range safari lodges in Lake Mburo like Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Rwakobo Rock Safari Lodge, Acardia Cottages, those on a small budget can stay in any numerous budget safari lodges in Mburo such as Eagle Nest Camp and Rwonyo safari camp.

Get Your Weather Updates In Lake Mburo Right

As you finally get yourself ready for thrilling Uganda wildlife safaris to Lake Mburo its only right to be in the know of the weather patterns that you’re expected to experience as you visit Lake Mburo National Park. The park experiences a tropical savanna type of climate with low amounts of rainfall- this is evidenced by short summer wet seasons where the area receives between 15-25 inches of rain per month and very long dry or winter seasons with less 5inches of rain per month, scattered umbrella trees, open savanna grasslands with short grass and relatively high temperatures which can rise to between 27-32oC

Who To Contact For A Safari To Lake Mburo National Park?

Besides being a destination that can be visited on short Uganda wildlife safaris, Lake Mburo can also easily be incorporated in a wide variety of Uganda safari tours such as long Uganda wildlife safaris as well as long gorilla safaris to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is possible because Lake Mburo is found along the route to these parks. As a result, many tour operators in Uganda offer both short Uganda gorilla safaris and long Uganda gorilla safaris with Lake Mburo Park being part of the package Some of these safaris companies in Uganda that can offer your Uganda tours to Lake Mburo include Prime Safaris & Tours Ltd, Wild Gorilla Safaris and many others.

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The launch of this newly created product was undertaken by Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Board, Lilly Ajarova and her Deputy Bradford Ochieng alongside Tourism police and the media.

The maiden trip started from Roots restaurant Nakasero, through Pearl of Africa hotel, Mulago, Acacia, Ntinda, Club Guvnor, over to Kabalagala and ended at Lugogo.

The party on the night bus has been set for weekends, Friday to Sunday with five hours of partying starting from 9 pm-2 am at a cost of Ugx 50,000 per head.  However, this new product doesn’t render the 1 day Kampala city tour excursion invalid.

You can still ably enjoy a Kampala tour or 1 Kampala day tour and this will still get you in position to visit to several historical, cultural and art and craft sites such as Kasubi tombs, Bulange Mengo Uganda museum and Uganda martyrs shrine in Namugongo.

However, this new nighttime city adventure will give everyone an opportunity whether domestic or international to see the beauty and experience Kampala in a different way.

“Kampala is one city bursting with all kinds of pubs, lots of historical and cultural sites, the architecture of the city is so diverse, the foods of different kinds in restaurants, so during day the buses take people to these different places to experience what the city offers.”

“As we launch the night tour, it is more of a nightlife experience where the different stop points are where there entertainments like night clubs such as club Govunor, clubs in Kabalagala. It’s more appealing for those who want to enjoy their nightlife.”

Ajarova explained on the expectations of this initiative highlighting the need to diversify the tourism products and the available investment opportunities.

“We need to look at the origin of this which is to diversify the tourism products that we have, to show Ugandans the opportunities that we have available for investment in the tourism sector.

This investment in buses has been made by a private sector person and a Ugandan and as Uganda Tourism Board, we’ve come in to support,” she explained

She further added that, “We took this initiative when we realized that there are very few people in the city who have had this experience, so we would like to help push a little bit more with the promotion of this experience so that Ugandans can know about it and get to enjoy it.”

However, Kampala isn’t the only destination in Uganda which you can visit in a 1 day Uganda tour, there are numerous other Uganda safari destinations that can be visited in case you have only got a single day in off your busy schedule in Uganda these include a 1 day source of the Nile tour in Jinja  or Jinja city tour.

This Jinja day tour gives you a unique opportunity to visit a myriad of attraction sites in Jinja which include the source of the longest river on the planet river Nile.

Itanda falls- these falls are home to all the 5 grades of white waters than will thrill you with their white water rafting prowess and also the Mabira forests which are a hub for the glorious zip lining experience.

Other activities you can engage in include a relaxed sundowner boat cruise along the impeccably stunning Lake Victoria, for sport fishing enthusiast would intend to make a 1 day trip to Jinja, you can fancy your chances of landing a monstrous Nile perch and when you’re lucky you can land a really big one which weighs over 100kg.

For birders, a 1-day Mabamba birding safari to the Mabamba islands is all you need to fancy your chances of landing incredible sightings of the elusive shoebill stork coupled with several other bird species. Are you a primatologist?

If you are in loves with man’s closest relatives the chimps, Uganda has got an astounding opportunity for you to meet these humans of the wild with whom we share 99% of our DNA with when you make a 1 day Uganda chimpanzee trekking safari to the Ngamba island which lies on the beautiful Victoria Island.

Finally, if you are in love with wilderness, you can make a 1 day Uganda wildlife safari to Lake Mburo National park.

Regarded as the true whisperers of the wild, a Uganda wildlife safari to Lake Mburo National Park will leave you in total ecstasy as Lake Mburo national park Uganda is home to wide biodiversity of wildlife within its domain.

Some of the attractions in Lake Mburo National Park Uganda that will definitely allure your attention are the numerous Burchels zebras that roam the vast savanna plains Lake Mburo, you can easily spot some of the big cats here like the leopards and lions.

Other Uganda safari attractions in Lake Mburo National Park include giraffes, hippos, Nile water crocodiles, 350 bird species, cape buffaloes and many more.

While on Uganda safaris here you got a myriad of Uganda safari activities in Lake Mburo National Park to engage in such as game drives, boat cruise over the Lake Mburo, birding, horse riding biking and many more. However, in case, you would wish to enjoy a stay over in this tropical savanna paradise while on this safari in Uganda to Lake Mburo, you can choose to stay in a variety of Uganda safari accommodations in Lake Mburo National Park such As Mihingo Lodge, Mburo Acardia Cottages, Eagle Nest Camp.

How to get to Lake Mburo National Park? Getting to Lake Mburo National park shouldn’t worry to you as it lies only 250km or 3 hours journey from Kampala city Uganda’s capital.

Lake Mburo isn’t the only Uganda wildlife safaris destinations that offers you exciting short Uganda wildlife safari or long Uganda wildlife safari encounters on your Uganda safari tour as there are several other safari Uganda destinations that you should seriously consider on your next Africa wildlife safari in Uganda.

These destinations include Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park will give you an encounter with some of the finest African savanna mammals like you have never seen before.

Many of these destinations have 4 or 5 out of the 5 Africa big game which include African bush elephants, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards and rhinos. On top of these expect to encounter numerous other mammals such as Roth child giraffes, Burchell zebras, elands, Jackson hartebeests, topis, and wide variety antelopes.

With all these, you might think that Uganda is done as a destination, but I am sorry to burst your bubble because Uganda is still a destination to reckon with when it comes to Africa gorilla safaris. Uganda is home to the incredible gorillas.

Experience a magical gorilla trekking Uganda tour with a memorable gorilla trekking Uganda safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. During this gorilla safari Uganda, you are awarded with an hour to gaze and photograph these magical beings in their natural habitat as they go about their daily rounds. This gorilla trek safari Uganda experience still offers you a chance to site several of the 350 bird species in this tropical paradise.

Take a memorable nature walk as you explore this pristine jungle during this Uganda gorilla tour, also don’t miss out on an epic Batwa cultural mash-up during this out of the world gorilla safari in Uganda. Choose to engage in any of these activities on your gorilla tours Uganda by choosing any of our gorilla safaris Uganda packages such as 3 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari, 4 days Uganda gorilla tour with wildlife to Queen Elizabeth and a 7 days Uganda gorilla safari chimpanzee trekking tour.

If you feel like ever making a Uganda safari either to encounter the magical gorillas or the beautiful wildlife or even birds, think Prime safaris and tours ltd. Prime safaris is a local tour company that specializes in customizing a wide range of Uganda safari tour packages with a single aim of giving the ultimate Africa safari memories. Some of these come in short Uganda wildlife safaris/short gorilla tours Uganda, Uganda mountaineering safaris, Uganda birding safaris, Kampala city tours/ 1 day Kampala city tour/ Jinja city tour/ 1 day Jinja city tour/ long Uganda wildlife safaris, long gorilla safaris Uganda.

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For  those of us that haven’t been there yet, lets me take you through what it feels like to get there. Mbarara is located about 260km from Kampala city taking an average of about 4-5 hours to get there. A Uganda tour to Mbarara especially in the public means is quite an experience that you would only wish to undertake if you’ve got a lot of time on your hands. This is because it involves visiting the Kasenyi bus terminal where many of the bus companies that ply this route park and load their passengers from. The bus fare for this tour Uganda road adventure is quite affordable as a one-way bus ticket costs 20000ugx which is about 6 USD. However, during the festive season, this fare easily shoots up to over 80000Ugx or 21USD given the influx of travellers who would wish to travel back to their ancestral countryside homes to spend their festive seasons with their families.

However, all this is about to change for the better for both safari Uganda goers and local travellers who intend to travel to Mbarara city because word reaching us is that Aerolink flight company is scheduled to start flying to Mbarara beginning next year.

This new air route is aimed at easing tourist access to Lake Mburo National Park, as it will now only require to spend one hour to get Mbarara from Entebbe, hence saving you a remarkable 3 hours in transit.  This flight will take place on daily departing from Entebbe international airport at 10:15hrs landing at Nsharara airstrip outside Mbarara city at 11:00hr. The return leg leaves Nsharara airstrip at 12:45hrs to 13:30hrs. this flight is going to cost 220USD for a one-way ticket and 330USD for a return ticket.

History Of Aero link

Aerolink is a domestic flight company that has dominated the air transport industry of Uganda as it operates flights to several Uganda tour destinations and major towns. This company has its roots in Kenya where it was established from in 2012. It is a sister company to Air Kenya and also Regional Air in Tanzania.

In Uganda, Aero link operates flights to several national parks such as Queen Elizabeth national park landing to Mweya airstrip and Kasese airstrip. Kidepo Valley National Park landing at Apoka airstrip. Murchison falls National park landing at chobe airstrip, Pakuba airstrip and Bugungu airstrip. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park landing at Kihihi airstrip and Semuliki National Park landing at Semuliki airstrip.

Destination Lake Mburo

A safari Uganda to Lake Mburo puts you in the best position to see several of the amazing Uganda safari attractions in Lake Mburo National Park as it is gifted with a rich biodiversity that is evidenced by existence of mammals like zebras, hyenas, topi, reedbucks, deffassa waterbucks, impala, elands, leopards, hippos and oribis. wild mammals aren’t the only tourist attractions in lake Mburo that make this Uganda tour to Lake Mburo a must-do for every Africa wildlife safari enthusiast but it is also about 350 bird species and a Uganda birding safari trip to Lake Mburo gives a chance to see several of bird species such as shoebill stork, African finfoot, white-winged warbler, crested francolin, barefaced go-away bird, brown parrot, emerald spotted wood dove, Nubian woodpecker, lilac-breasted roller, southern red bishop, black-billed barbet, yellow-throated longclaw.

With all these attractions in Lake Mburo National park, a Uganda safaris to lake Mburo National Park should be nothing less than epic because you’re guaranteed a beautiful time as you get to engage in a wide range of tourist activities in Lake Mburo with the commonest Uganda safari activities here being game drives, nature walks and boat cruises over the serene waters of Lake Mburo, birding and horse riding biking are also part of .

Finally, don’t miss out on an epic cultural encounter as you visit the local Banyakole communities that are found adjacent to Lake Mburo Park as part of a series of your safari activities in Lake Mburo National Park Uganda. Would you like to engage in several of the activities mentioned above? Then plan for an overnight stay while on your safari in Uganda to Lake Mburo. Choosing where to stay in Lake Mburo shouldn’t get you rattled because this park has a wide variety of Uganda safari accommodations in Lake Mburo National Park where you can stay as you explore this tropical savanna paradise.

of your class, Lake Mburo has got you covered with an accommodation type that fits within your budget type and class. Africa safari tourists on a high end budget can stay in any of the luxury safari lodges in Lake Mburo Park such as such As Mihingo Lodge and Matan Tented Camp. Those on a standard budget can stay in mid-range safari lodges in Lake Mburo like Lake Mburo safari Lodge, Rwakobo Rock Safari Lodge, Acardia Cottages, those on a small budget can stay in any numerous budget safari lodges in Mburo such as Eagle Nest Camp and Rwonyo safari camp.

Would you like to visit Lake Mburo National Park and any other Uganda safari destinations? Feel free to check out our website which ultimately gives you a preview of some of our safari in Uganda  packages to Lake Mburo that have been designed to lead you on an adventure to various parts of the country giving you unlimited access to the best of Africa safari attractions in Uganda. Our Uganda gorilla safaris packages that have been feature here are designed to give you an encounter with the magical gorillas while Uganda wildlife safari packages cater for those that are interested in epic Uganda savanna wildlife as well as culture and birds.

Regardless of your intended length of your stay in Uganda for a Uganda wildlife tour or Uganda gorilla tours experience, we’ve got you covered with our wide range of packages which include short Uganda wildlife safaris, these run from as low 2 days Uganda safari to Lake Mburo or 2 days Uganda wildlife tour to Queen Elizabeth. Long Uganda wildlife safaris, these run from 5 days to 18 days

For those on a Uganda gorilla trekking safari adventure we also have short Uganda gorilla tours that begin with a 3 days Uganda gorilla safari to Bwindi or a 4 days Bwindi gorilla safari and wildlife to Queen Elizabeth to long gorilla trekking Uganda tours that go to start from 6 days to 18 days for example 6 Days Uganda gorilla safari with chimpanzees. You can also try out our other signature Africa safaris that run through other Africa destinations such as Rwanda, Congo, Kenya and Tanzania and these include Rwanda gorilla safaris and these feature short Rwanda gorilla safaris as well as Long Rwanda gorilla safaris. Kenya wildlife safaris also feature both short Kenya wildlife safaris and Long Kenya wildlife safaris. Tanzania wildlife safaris and Congo gorilla and wildlife safaris have also been featured on this website.

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