Uganda | Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls National Park, the largest park in Uganda, is divided into two halves by the River Nile. The park offers a very varied landscape, from dense rainforest covering the hills to the southwest to rolling savannah in the northwest. The forests provide a safe haven for various different primates, while the river attracts buffaloes, Rothschild giraffes and elephants. The highlight of this area is a boat trip to the bottom of the waterfalls.
Murchison Falls is the most impressive place at which to view the Nile on its long journey from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. The world's longest river thunders 43 metres downwards over a breadth of no more than six metres in a cloud of foaming white water: a breathtakingly holistic experience. A boat trip to the bottom of the waterfalls will allow you to view the abundance of game and water birds that inhabit this area. Another very impressive option is a walk from the top to the bottom of the waterfalls, where you will be able to see and hear the thunderous falls from nearby.
It is here that the light aircraft in which Ernest and Mary Hemingway were travelling crashed in 1954. They were flying as low as possible in order to admire the torrentuous waters of Murchison Falls from nearby. When they then tried to fly away in the direction of Entebbe, their aircraft caught a telegraph cable and they landed in the bushes along the banks of the Nile. Mary was injured in the crash, yet their distress signal was not heard and after a sleepless night, Hemingway and the pilot carried Mary to a higher cliff in order to avoid the numerous elephants. They were discovered here by the very same pleasure boat on which Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart had filmed The African Queen, the SS Murchison. There was a doctor on board, who established that Mary had two broken ribs. Hemingway in particular fell on his feet, as the refrigerator on the boat contained an ample supply of various different beers.
The north of Murichison Falls National Park is particularly appealing, owing to the relatively high concentrations of game that roam that palm-covered grasslands above the Nile. Game drives early in the morning or at dusk will allow you to see the elephant, buffalo, antelope and giraffe that graze on the plains. These unintentionally also attract lions. Of the many birds that fill the skies here, the shoebill enjoys particular fame.
Rabongo Forest lies to the southeast of Murchison Falls National Park. This is a great place to participate in one of the organised walks and follow the trail of chimpanzees and other animals in the rainforest.
