Uganda’s transport sector is developing at a faster rate, which has enabled access to even the remote areas quickly and conveniently. A case point is Mbarara airstrip, located near Lake Mburo National Park. Although this Mbarara airstrip is not directly inside Lake Mburo National Park, it is located a few kilometers from the park. This airstrip has helped to cut the time spent traveling by road to the park by more than half. Hence, this has increased the amount of time to spend adventuring and exploring the park rather than spending more time traveling for over 2-3 hours by road. Lake Mburo National Park is an incredible wildlife habitat located near the capital, Kampala, in the western region of the country. The developed air transport sector in Uganda has surely yielded incredible results, with an increase in the number of tourists going to Lake Mburo National Park.
Mbarara airstrip
Mbarara airstrip is located along the Mbarara-Ibanda highway in the western region of Uganda, in Mbarara City. This Mbarara airstrip serves as an air gateway for flying in visitors to western Uganda. Locally known as Nyakisharara airstrip, Mbarara airstrip is located approximately 36 kilometers from Lake Mburo National Park. This means that visitors upon landing at this airstrip can connect to the park by road in just 40-50 minutes. The airstrip’s original name, Nyakisharara forged by the locals because the airstrip is located close to a large swamp or wetland known as ekisharara in the local language, Runyankole. Mbarara airstrip’s runway has a length of over 190 meters by a width of approximately 85 meters. Mbarara airstrip, being a civilian airstrip, is operated and managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, a government body in charge of all the civilian airstrips and airports in the country.
Flights to Mbarara airstrip can be scheduled from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airport. However, flights can also be arranged on request from the various other airstrips across the country to Mbarara airstrip. Aerolink, being the only air company in charge of all the domestic flights in the country, is tasked to schedule and arrange these flights. Below are some of the flight time schedules and also the prices to Mbarara airstrip by Aerolink.
Aerolink has a well-defined and detailed flight timetable to Mbarara airstrip that includes the time of departure and arrival, flight number, and prices. All flights to Mbarara airstrip are scheduled for mid-morning hours. There are also only two routes available from Entebbe International Airport to Mbarara airstrip, with a departure time of 10:15hrs, and from Kihihi airstrip to Mbarara at 11:40hrs. The price for a flight to Mbarara from Entebbe International Airport or Kihihi airstrip can cost between USD 500-1000. However, this price varies according to the type of plane preferred to use. Flights can also be scheduled from other areas like Jinja at an additional charge communicated by the air company, Aerolink.
Why visit Lake Mburo National Park?
Several reasons and answers surround this question of why one should visit Lake Mburo National Park, as listed below. However, one thing should be noted, and that is Lake Mburo National Park is undoubtedly one of the best safari destinations in the country.
Wildlife
Pause for a moment and just imagine a place where wildlife live in harmony and comfort, because this is what Lake Mburo National Park is all about. With approximately 68 mammal wildlife species wandering the perimeters of Lake Mburo National Park, visitors flying into the park have a lot to spot and explore. The park is known for its large populations of impala, elands, topi, waterbucks, warthogs, buffaloes, zebras, and bushbucks, among others. These often shield the park and make one wonder if there are any predators in the park. Well, this is true, several predators such as hyenas, leopards, and serval cats, to mention but a few, roam the park, especially in the night hours. These wildlife species in Lake Mburo National Park are the major tourist attractions and can be spotted on a game drive experience or a walking safari.
Birdlife
The natural park landscape of approximately 260 square kilometers of different ecological systems has aided the presence of over 350 bird species. This large presentation of birdlife is one of the reasons why there are always a large tourists turning up, more so the birding enthusiasts. Some of the bird species to look out for in the park include African kingfisher, grey-crowned crested crane, African fish eagle, black-bellied bustard, pied kingfisher, etc.
Scenic views
The strategic location of Lake Mburo National Park positions it as one of the best parks in the country, with amazing scenic views. These scenic views of the park are crowned by the incredible hills of Mirama that overlook the grassland and woodland plains of Lake Mburo National Park. These specific features of Lake Mburo National Park craft the best scenic views that add to the excitement and adventure of the park.
