A self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park is a private experience that allows the visitor to explore the untamed wilderness of this expansive park. This self-drive offers a unique experience for visitors embarking on an adventure in Lake Mburo National Park, where they can enjoy and explore the park at their own pace. This experience is really unmatched, as visitors have the entire park to their disposal and can choose to enjoy in any way they wish and at any time, since this is a private tour. A self-drive means that the tour to Lake Mburo National Park is all up to the visitors. Lake Mburo National Park sets itself apart as the best destination for a self-drive because of the quality of the wildlife species it offers. The size of Lake Mburo National Park also favours self-drives because it can be explored at once. Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah protected area in the country. However, what it misses in size, Lake Mburo National Park makes up for in the variety of wildlife species. A self-drive to this park is very rewarding, giving visitors epic scenic views and a variety of fauna species to explore.
Safari 4X4 vehicles are used during this self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park. This is because such vehicles are built for off-road activities and are very durable. A 4X4 vehicle suits its purpose and eases the visitors’ mobility during this self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park.
About Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is named after the biggest lake found on its premises, called Lake Mburo. Spanning approximately 260 square kilometers, Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah park in Uganda. The park has a diverse ecological system characterised by savannah grassland and woodland, with an extension of riverine vegetation. The park was established as a national park in 1983 after going through a series of changes from a controlled hunting area in 1933 to a game reserve in 1963. However, its establishment faced a lot of criticism among the local communities as many had encroached on the parkland to graze their livestock. Some saw this gazetting as a payback to these people by the then government since it believed these communities were sympathizers of the anti-government rebel group. Lake Mburo National Park is located in Nyabushozi country in Kiruhura district and serves as the nearest national park to Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
What to see and do on a self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park?
As mentioned earlier, Lake Mburo National Park has all it takes to craft the best self-drive experience for visitors. This is pretty much attributed to many factors, as unveiled below.
Wildlife species
The fauna species of Lake Mburo National Park are the main attractions of the park and a must-see for visitors on a self-drive. The self-drive enables visitors to enjoy the sights of these wildlife species. Lake Mburo National Park has a variety of wildlife species from mammals, such as impala, cape buffaloes, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, elands, waterbucks, zebras, and leopards, etc to primates like olive baboons and vervet monkeys.
Birdlife
The birdlife of the park is also better explored and sighted during a self-drive in Lake Mburo National Park. The park’s wilderness is inhabited by approximately 300 bird species that swarm the skyline with sweet melodies. A self-drive offers patience and precision as visitors sight these specific birds in the park. Some of the bird species to look out for include the African fish eagle, pied kingfisher, African wattled lapwing, papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted kingfisher, saddle-billed stork, malachite kingfisher, blue-headed coucal, brown-chested lapwing, papyrus yellow warbler, grey-crowned crane, African scops owl, shoebill stork, black-billed bustard, and bare-faced go-away bird, among others.
Vegetation
Vegetation is one of the interesting attractions to see on a self-drive in Lake Mburo National Park. The vegetation in Lake Mburo offers a scattered natural wilderness of various ecosystems, like savannah grassland and woodland, tropical forests like Rubanga Forest, and riverine vegetation along the lakes, characterized by papyrus reeds.
Lakes
Lake Mburo National Park has an average of about 10 lakes, all scattered across its vast area. These lakes are a source of lifeline to a variety of wildlife and bird species in the lake by providing them with water. These notable lakes can be spotted on a self-drive in the park, giving incredible views of the landscape.
The interesting part of the self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park is that visitors are met with a wide range of activities that they are tasked to engage in as they enjoy their time in the park. Some of these activities or things to do in the park include the following.
Game drives
Visitors on a self-drive in Lake Mburo National Park can embark on a game drive activity where they can privately explore the park. A game drive is the best adventure to better explore the park while getting close to the animals and spotting them in the wild. This drive extends visitors closer to the action while maintaining safety and comfort.
Birding
Birding can also be done by visitors on a self-drive to Lake Mburo National Park. This is because of the variety of bird species, which a self-drive aids in sighting them. Visitors on this birding adventure have the opportunity to spot different birds along various birding trails.
Boat cruise
A boat cruise in Lake Mburo National Park expresses the beauty of the aquatic life of the park. A variety of animals can be spotted, such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, and other animals like impala, waterbucks, and buffaloes, which come to the shores for a drink.
