Awesome African Adventure. Day 18-April 26, 2025

Murchison Falls NP

Surreal sitting at breakfast this morning in darkness, after our escort from the rooms. Overlooking the Nile sliding by and eventually the sun lighting the clouds to the East.

Bundled into the truck and headed out for a Game Drive in Murchison NP. We were at the gate at 6:40 and we were allowed in ahead of the 7am opening time at 6:45.

The park has a variety of habitats – grasslands, woodlands, palm trees and a range of undulations and ridges and valleys.

New animals today and some oldies but goodies.
Hyenas. Wilson wasn’t expecting to see them.
Water Buffalo
Jackson’s Hartebeest
Warthogs
A lion prowling around just near the airfield
Rothschild Giraffes (older males become very dark)
Oribi
Brown Snake Eagle.
Abyssinian Brown Hornbill.
The Albert Nile heading for Sudan out to our right.
We came across a huge bunch of birds feeding on a carcass out in the grass. I could just see ribs of some poor critter through the flock. Within the group were:
Rüppell Griffon Vulture (must find a chance to google who the hell or what Rüppell was/is as the name has popped up a couple of times)
White backed vulture
Lappet faced Vulture. (Most dangerous- rips into the toughest skin)
NB. Palm nut vultures like to feed on eyes of a carcass (none in the bunch today though just a cool fact)
Leopard in an acacia tree (quite a distance off)
Harrier hawk?
Northern Red Bishop bird
Grey headed Kingfisher.
Patas Monkeys.
Whistling Acacia
Giraffe and baby

Around 10:15 we left the animals beginning to take refuge from the hot sun in shady locations.

Crossed over the Nile again and headed north to Murchison Falls. The road is superb and has a 40km limit. It would be so hard to be disciplined to that. Wilson tried hard but sped up to 50kms. He says the fines are bad and there are cameras. Maybe the guides track and spot the cameras in the same way they spot animals. He slowed for every happy/sad face speed check!

Woodland Savannah stretched before us as we headed towards Murchison Falls – wooded with lots of lush green leaves and long grassy undergrowth.

Murchison falls for lunch. The water from Victoria Nile pours over here and through a 6 metre space. Wilson explained there is a little more volume at the moment. It is always rushing and pouring through.

We walked out to the viewpoint and got nicely sprayed by the mist coming up from the drop over to the lower River. Nice…and some butterflies and fungi to boot!!! There were also many Tsetse fly traps hanging in the trees.

While out in the park we did see a couple of industrial looking sites which Wilson said are the oil drilling. It’s such a strange comparison to see these wonderful roads carrying little traffic out here, while the roads around Bwindi, Buffalo lodge and everywhere else are so poor and not really maintained either.

We arrived early at the launch point for the boat ride to base of Murchison Falls when it was threatening rain. We had a little time to try and check in for our flights on Monday. Poor Keith has been through the Kenya Airlines wringer. Nothing was letting us check in – not app, nor website. Keith was emailing telling us to check if it was open, website indicated not until 30 hours prior despite all their guff stating 72 hours! Anywhooo Keith got us checked in from Aus AND sent the boarding passes. Ironically we are now booked onto the original flight that was cancelled weeks ago!!!!

Given the weather Wilson suggested abandoning the boat ride as all the animals can’t be seen in the rain and the best of the Falls is viewing from above and we’ve done that. Instead he offered another game drive, through the park down to Nile Delta then back along the Nile for a Sundowner. We opted for the game drive over the boat.

Wilson pulled over and ran into a local store to grab some more tonic. No Sundowners (sunset drinks) without Tonic.

And are we glad we did. There was so much more.

More
Hippos
Giraffes
Piapiac on back of warthog.
Abyssinian Hornbills
Black-bellied Bustard
Two Tree Climbing Lions in a Sausage Tree
Brown Snake Eagle
More seriously sensational Giraffes closer to the track this arvo. The colour variation is amazing in the giraffes. Wilson said they darken with age.

We drove out to the Delta where the Victoria Nile enters Lake Albert.
Hippos.
Grey-backed Fiscal
Black headed Gonolec
Baby hippo (hopefully Mary got a shot)
Warthogs
Palm nut Vulture.
Crowned Crested Cranes
Saddle billed Stork

We had our sundowner right where The Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert briefly and out to the right into Albert Nile. Stunning!!!!

Then we had to head for the lodge as it was quickly getting late. The sun was getting low and the colours were deepening. Wilson said no stopping unless a leopard. However we still spotted some unseen wildlife and too good to pass up shots of others. Here the list continues.

White Spotted Bush Buck baby.
Our same giraffe family but OH SO CLOSE to the track. Then some more even closer.

Back out of the NP past the airfield for the third time today.

We saw our second view of elephants far off in the distance just as we left the tracks back to the bitumen at about 6:20.

Another 12 hour day seeing critters. Simply amazing. I think the rain did us a huge favour. Skipping the boat trip meant the bonus game drive and Sundowner too.

Home for dinner and pack up for a similar early start tomorrow. We also had group discussions about tips and Kitty and money. We need to tip (tipping is a pain when you don’t have small notes in any denominations) we think we have solved the permutations. Phil is doing a sterling job looking after cash kitty and keeping an extensive ledger – we are juggling $USD and Ugandan Shilling. I have the card kitty which is considerably less effort. Then I went to settle the bill at the lodge only to be told there is no card facility – as the wi-fi is still not working. It’s only available at the pool and we hadn’t tried to use it. Anyway we had the cash and all is well.

Escorted back to our bungalow/tent for the night.