The Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the bulky Bunyoro escarpment merges into the vast plains of Acholi land.
One of Uganda’s oldest conservation areas, it was initially gazetted as a game reserve in 1926 to protect a savanna that Winston Churchill described in 1907 as ‘Kew Gardens and the zoo combined on an unlimited scale’.
The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile which first races down 80km of white-water rapids before plunging 40m over the remnant rift valley wall at Murchison Falls, the centre piece of the park.
The Falls drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor for 55km to Lake Albert.
This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most memorable wildlife spectacles on a Uganda safari. Regular visitors include elephant, giraffe and buffalo while hippopotamus and Nile crocodile are permanent residents.
Kidepo Valley National park
Located in Northern extern Uganda in the Karamoja region, Kidepo Valley National park is a must-visit in the northern circuit. Kidepo Park is the most isolated and less visited national park in Uganda that offers travelers with unbeaten kind of experience.
Kidepo Valley is a true wilderness with a high concentration of animals and birds, which call it home. Day game drives through the Narus valley offer you great views of animals which include lions, leopards, giraffes Uganda kobs, water-bucks, bush-bucks, elephants, cheetahs and Topis among others.
For birders, the national park is home to the famous ostriches, little bee-eater, Drake chanting goshawk, Kori bustard, Abyssinia ground hornbill, African Swallow-tailed kite, White-faced scoops Owl, Red-winged Lark, Black-breasted barbets and Singing bush lark among others.
Also, the park is a cultural center for Uganda tourism. Visit the Manyata cultural village to experience the traditions, norms, and beliefs of local people. Also, the park is home to the Kanangorok hot springs, which you ought to visit.
Budongo forest is Uganda’s largest natural forest. The forest is home to over 465 tree species, 36 bird species, 130 moths, 24 mammals, 290 butterflies, and 9 primates which make it a must-visit destination in northern Uganda.
The forest has four natural streams namely, Waisoke, Kamirambwa, Sonso, Waisoke, and Siba, which are the permanent water sources for the plants and animals in the forest. Chimpanzee trekking is the most done tourist activity in the forest.
Pian Upe Game Reserve
Located in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda, the Pian Upe game reserve is Uganda’s second-largest protected area after Murchison falls national park. The game reserve spreads over 2,788 square kilometers in the borders of Matheniko and Bokora wildlife reserves.
The top things to do and see in Pian Upe game reserve include game viewing, bird watching, nature walk, rock climbing, cave exploration and cultural encounters among others.