Nile delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park
The Nile delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park: One of the interesting places to visit in Uganda is Murchison falls national park. The national park is found in the northwestern part of the country in Bulisa, Nyowa, Kiryandongo, and Bulisa districts. The national park is the largest in the country harboring 76 mammal species, 451 bird species, and 13 primate species.
Different activities attract tourists to Murchison falls national park because lots of attractions are within the park. Among the activities that happen in Murchison falls national park include boat cruises on the mighty River Nile. The River Nile is the longest river in the world and it happens to pass through Murchison falls national park dividing it into two parts.
Boat cruises on River Nile can be to the bottom of the falls where one gets an opportunity to see how these falls are formed and the second one is a boat cruise to the Nile delta west of Paraa. The River Nile comes from Lake Kyoga passes through Murchison falls and continues to Lake Albert while getting its way to the Mediterranean sea.
Nile delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park is done on a large boat in groups and the boat is always having a guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority. These guides know almost every piece of information about River Nile and the Murchison falls. They know every animal they will come across while exploring the Nile and they will always give you the history of the park, the River Nile, and also answer any question you will ask.
A boat launch to the Nile delta in the park gives tourists a close view of aquatic animals such as hippos, crocodiles, and water birds such as shoebill stork, swamp flycatcher, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black-headed gonolek, African jacana, grey crowned crane, malachite kingfisher and many more. Tourists are also able to see primates in the swamp for example blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and grey-checked mangabeys among others.
The Nile delta boat cruise gives tourists an opportunity to see most of the park animals at the river banks which come to drink water or graze the fresh vegetation. At the Nile delta, you will meet animals such as Jackson’s heart beast, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, bushbucks, giraffes, oribis, and giant forest hogs among others.
During the boat cruise, tourists will be able to have a spectacular view of canoes and fishermen in on Lake Albert catching fish like tilapia. After reaching the Nile delta, the boat will drive back to the starting point Para and the whole activity can take about 4-5 hours. The boat cruise can be in the morning or in the evening and there is no difference in the experience.
Apart from the Nile delta boat cruise, another opportunity is taking a boat to the falls which is called the bottom of the falls boat cruise. Here you start from Paraa and do upstream to the bottom of the falls which are the most powerful falls in the whole world. The bottom of the falls bottom cruise is done to enable tourists to have a closer view of the falls which are made by the waters that pass through a narrow gorge to 40 km downwards hence forming a loud sound.
Just like the Nile delta boat cruise, the bottom of the falls boat cruise gives tourists an opportunity to encounter animals like hippos, and crocodiles in the waters of the Nile. They are also able to see aquatic birds such as papyrus gonoleck, goliath heron, shoebill stork, African jacana, marabou stork, and malachite kingfisher among others.
How much is the Nile delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park?
The Nile delta boat cruise in this mighty park comes at a fee which is paid at the park headquarters. You will be given a ticket to enable you be part of the activity after you have paid. A permit to be part of the Nile delta boat cruise costs $30 for foreign non-residents and foreign residents and UGX30,000 East African citizens.
Best time to visit Murchison falls national park for a Nile delta boat cruise.
Murchison falls national park can be visited at any time of the year for different activities among which include the Nile delta boat cruise. The dry months from June to September and December to February are the best to have the Nile delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park and this is because these months are characterized by little or no rainfall which leaves the water levels normal for boat cruises. During the dry seasons, the vegetation is short with good views of the park animals as most of them are at the river banks trying to drink water or graze.
Travelers can still visit Murchison falls national park and have a boat cruise to the Nile delta during the rainy season however this month is characterized by too much rainfall which can even delay or make the boat cruise postponed in case the water levels. The park animals are few at the river bank because food and water is plenty in the park. The roads leading to the park are impassable, especially the murram roads.
Alternative activities to do in Murchison falls national park.
There is much tourists can do in Murchison falls national park apart from the Nile delta boat cruise and these include game drives where over 76 mammal species and 13 primate species can be spotted, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest next to Murchison falls national park, bird9nmg where a good birder can spot over 451 bird species, and nature walks which are done to explore the park on foot.
