Night game drives in Lake Mburo national park
Night game drives in Lake Mburo national park: So many activities do take place in Lake Mburo national park and the night game drive is one of the activities every traveler would wish to do. Lake Mburo national park is one of the lucky protected areas where night game drives are possible in Uganda. Tourists that love nocturnal animals are those that want to see animals like bush babies, lions, leopards, bush pigs, hyenas, galago, civets, and different birds like night jars.
Night game viewing safaris in this park are really fun because you will get to see animals looking for their prey or even find them eating fresh meat and sucking blood. The birds will be singing different sounds while competing from different areas of Lake Mburo national park. The night game drives in Lake Mburo national park are much rewarding because you are led by a team of rangers from Uganda Wildlife Authority who are well-trained on what to do.
The night game drive in Lake Mburo national park
At about 6:00 pm the night game drives start and tourists are expecting to see nocturnal animals and birds. The tourists meet their driver guide and UWA armed ranger guides to protect them during the night game drive. The tourists are having spotlights which are strong enough to light different areas of the park.
Even though Lake Mburo is a savannah park with most of the areas easily accessible, the night game drives are done in a few areas where the animals normally hang in the night. The UWA ranger guides know these areas and will instruct the driver guides where to pass. The night game drives also for 1 to 3 hours and tourists have chances of meeting some of the nocturnal animals.
Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides are well-trained and know all corners of the park where they can find animals. The most common nocturnal animals in Lake Mburo national park are lions, hippos, leopards, bush babies, spotted hyenas, porcupines, side-stripped jackals, galago, and zebras among others. The nocturnal birds to see in this park include black shouldered night jar, and square tailed nightjar among others.
Night game drives are carried out to see animals you could have missed out during the day and also see those that are only active at night. After hours of going around the park and seeing different animals, you will drive to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay. Tourists that are going for nocturnal animals can carry good cameras to picture the animals seen during the drive.
How much are night game drives in Lake Mburo national park?
Night game viewing safaris in Lake Mburo national park need an UWA ranger guide for protection since it’s done in the night hours. A night game viewing in Lake Mburo national park does cost $30 for foreign non-residents, $15 for foreign residents, and UGX50,000 members of East African states when using a private vehicle. When using an UWA vehicle, it’s $40 for foreign non-residents, $30 for foreign residents, and UGX40,000 citizens of East African member states.
When to visit Lake Mburo national park
Tourists can visit Lake Mburo national park and have night game drive activities at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry season months of June to September and December to February are the best for night game drives in Lake Mburo because of the good weather conditions. During that period, the game tracks are dry, and driving through is easy, vegetation is short and this gives good views of nocturnal animals.
Tourists can still the park during the rainy season from March to May and October to November because the park will be open. Night game viewing in the national park during the rainy season are not as good as those in the dry season. This is because too much rainfall received in the park makes game trucks slippery so access to some of the park areas are always hard, and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of nocturnal animals.
Where to stay in Lake Mburo national park after night game drives?
After night game viewing safaris, you need a lodge to stay for the night since you are not allowed to move out of the park in the night hours for it’s very dangerous. The lodges are budget, mid-range, and luxury with where to stay depending on your budget. Lodges of Lake Mburo national park include Rwakobo Rock Lodge, Mburo Safari Lodge, Mihingo Lodge, Kigambira Safari Lodge, Hyena Hill Lodge, Arcadia Cottages, Rwonyo Rest Camp, Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge, and Kasenyi Lake Retreat Lodge and Campsite among others.
Getting to Lake Mburo national park for game viewing
Tourists can get to Lake Mburo national park using road transport. The national park is the closest to the capital city and getting there takes 3 to 4 hours. The journey from Kampala/Entebbe goes through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, and the Sanga where you branch off to the park. The route from Sanga to the park is not well constructed therefore one needs to use good safari vehicles especially if they are visiting in the rainy season when the road is muddy and slippery.
