Night Game Drive Safaris in Murchison Falls National Park: Night game drives safaris in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda are ideal for those seeking to view nocturnal wildlife. The national park is the Uganda’s largest national park and is located in the country’s northwest. It is also one of Uganda’s most visited national parks, second only to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the south-western part of Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park draws a big number of people on a wildlife safari in Uganda since it is home to a diverse range of wildlife animal species. During a game drive in the park, you may see elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda Kob, hippos, crocodiles, bushbucks, primates such as chimps, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and bird species such as the shoebill stork, and the Papyrus Gonolek marabou Stork among others.
The park is separated into two sectors by the Nile, the northern sector and the southern part. The northern sector is where most activities, such as game drives, take place since it has the greatest concentration of animal species.
The national park only allows night game drives safaris with the assistance of an expert park guide. A night game drive in the park is one of the thrilling things that visitors to the park should not miss since it allows you to see nocturnal species that cannot be seen during the day game drive.
A night game drive safari at Murchison Falls National Park is held around 7:00 p.m. after dinner, with an armed park ranger and spotlight torches to assist you see different predators as they hunt. The park’s night game drives last around 2 hours and take place on wide savannah grassland. During the night game drive, you will be able to see creatures such as hyenas, lions, leopards, civet, genets, porcupines, bush infants, night jar, hippos feasting, and other animals relaxing, among others.
Night game drives safaris are also available in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park. A night game drive in Murchison Falls National Park can be combined with other activities such as day game drives, a Nile River boat cruise, and bird watching, chimp trekking in Budongo forest, sport fishing, hot air balloon safaris, guided nature walks, community cultural tours, and a hike to the top of Murchison Falls.
How much is a night game drive safari in Murchison Falls National Park?
Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda charges USD $40 per person for night game drives. Night game drives in the park may be done in either a Uganda Wildlife Authority vehicle or a private vehicle with an armed park guide; therefore the fee varies depending on which vehicle you choose. A private night game drive safari costs $100 for foreign non-residents and residents and UGX 100,000 for East African nationals. The night game drive permit, on the other hand, is only available to adults over the age of 15 years.
How to book night game drive safaris in Murchison Falls National Park?
A night game drive at Murchison Falls National Park may be booked through a reputable tour operator such as Explore Rwanda Tours. Visitors can also make reservations through the Uganda Wildlife Authority reservations office, either at the headquarters in Kampala or at park offices.
Booking through a reputable tour operator is the best option because we will not only book a night game drive but your entire safari, including activities you can participate in while in the national park, where to stay, and transportation, among other things, making your safari exciting and memorable.
You can also consider hiring a UWA safari vehicle, which is suitable for night game drives because it is weather-proof, spacious, and comfortable. You can also use your own vehicle, but it must be raised so that predators do not jump on it, spot light torches to clearly spot the animals, and an armed park ranger for protection.
How to Get to Murchison Falls National Park in Northern Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park in Northern Uganda is 305 kilometers from Kampala and may be reached by road or plane. Traveling from Kampala to the National Park through Masindi will take around 5 to 6 hours, with a possible layover at the Ziwa Rhino refuge in Masindi.
Air travel from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airport to Chobe, Pakuba, or Bugungu airstrips in Murchison Falls National Park is also possible. Depending on aircraft scheduling, flying to the national park might take one or two hours.
What to Pack for Night Game Drive Safaris at Murchison Falls National Park.
- Wear clothing that fit in with the surroundings, such as army green and grey, so as not to distract the animals in their natural environment.
- Insect repellent, because at night there are a lot of insects that are active, such as mosquitos, it is good to have an insect repellent.
- Camera, even if night images are tough to get, it is important to bring a camera so that you may take lots of photos and record films of the predators as they try to make a hunt, which is an exciting experience.
- Sweater, it can become cold at night, so bring a sweater to keep warm.
- Spotlight torches, the spotlights will be attached on the safari vehicle to offer you a clear view while finding nocturnal creatures in their hiding habitats.
