Uganda's smallest savannah park is three hours from Entebbe on the road west, which makes it the obvious place to break the drive to Bwindi. It is also the only park in the country where you can reliably see zebra, and one of very few where you are allowed to get out and walk.
- Size
- 370 sq km
- Known for
- Zebra, impala, eland — found in few other Ugandan parks
- Activities
- Walking, horseback, night drives, boat
- From Entebbe
- 3–4 hrs
- From Bwindi
- 4–5 hrs
- Best for
- Breaking a long drive properly
What lives there
Burchell's zebra in large numbers, impala — which occur almost nowhere else in Uganda — eland, topi, buffalo, warthog and Africa's second-largest antelope population of its kind. Leopard and hyena are present. There are no lion to speak of and elephant have only recently begun returning, which is precisely why walking is permitted.
Walking, horseback and night drives
A guided walk with an armed ranger changes the scale of everything: you notice dung beetles, termite architecture and the noise a zebra makes when it is annoyed with you. Horseback safaris from Mihingo Lodge get you closer to plains game than any vehicle. Night drives turn up bushbabies, genets, and occasionally leopard.
The boat trip
Two hours on Lake Mburo itself for hippo, crocodile, African finfoot and — if you are patient and lucky — a shoebill in the papyrus fringes. Late afternoon is best.
Why it is worth a night rather than a stop
Most itineraries treat Lake Mburo as a lunch stop on the long drive between Entebbe and Bwindi. That is a waste. One night here turns the worst day of a Uganda safari — nine hours in a vehicle — into two civilised half-days with a game drive in the middle.
Where to stay
Mihingo Lodge sits on a rock kopje above the park with the best view and the horses. Rwakobo Rock and Eagle's Nest cover the mid-range, and the park's own bandas at Rwonyo are cheap and perfectly adequate.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is Lake Mburo worth visiting?
As a destination in its own right, it is modest. As the difference between one brutal driving day and two pleasant ones on the way to Bwindi, it is excellent value — and the walking safaris are genuinely good.
Can you walk in Lake Mburo National Park?
Yes, with an armed ranger. It is one of very few Ugandan parks where this is routinely permitted, because there are no lion and few elephant.
Next
Keep planning
- 10-day Uganda safari — often ends here
- Uganda gorilla safaris — how the route fits together
- Lake Bunyonyi — the other great decompression stop
- Getting there and around — road times and internal flights