Murchision Falls National Park Pics

Murchesian Falls National park

Murchison Falls National Park - April 2012

Murchison Falls National Park lies 350 km North West of Kampala, with Lake Albert as its western border. The mighty Victoria Nile, starting at Lake Victoria, enters the park in the East at Karuma Falls and bisects the park down the middle before emptying into Lake Albert at the Delta Region of the Park.

In 1863 a hunter turned explorer, Samuel Baker (and his wife!) set off from Khartoum in search of the source of the Nile. Speke and fellow traveler Grant passed through the Karuma Falls area (on what is now the eastern boundary of the park) in1862 on his way to Lake Albert. In 1863 Samuel announced he had discovered the second source of the Nile, the northern outflow of Lake Albert, now known as the Albert Nile.

By 1960 it was the most visited park in Africa. Game was prolific. Herds of elephants roamed the plains, sighting of 200 – 300 were common. Buffalo, Rhinos, Giraffe, Hippo were abundant. In fact, between 1965 and 1967, a culling program had to be introduced, so much so was the damage caused to the environment by the large number of these beasts.  Two thousand elephants had to be culled.

So what happened?  Civil strife, Civil War and the arrival of Idi Amin and his army, who went wild with semi-automatic weapons in the Park. Herds were decimated and the Rhino became extinct.

Sunday 29 April

We meet our driver outside the Sheraton Hotel and head off on a good solid 4 hour drive to Msindi, our first stop. I’m exhausted having finished at the hotel at 3am after a Chaine de Rotissiers dinner. I try to snatch a few zzz’s en route, but it’s not going to be easy in this traffic. Those with normal jobs are having a great time and enjoying the drive.  Heard that the old Msindi Hotel has great colonial charm and decide it’s a great place to stop for a pot of spiced tea. Built in 1923, it doesn’t disappoint. Basic, clean and full of old world charm. We have tea and take a walk around the garden.

         

       

           

Continue another 1hr to the park entrance. At the park entrance pay US$50 entrance fee per umzungu and USh 20000(8$) for Ester. The Lonely Planet tells us it should be $30. We get our permits – will need them over the next few days so hang on to them carefully. As we drive north, heading for Red Chili Lodge, baboons and Jackson Hartebeest abound, but we have no chance to see them as the driver is content on getting to Red Chili ASAP.

Sheratons packed sandwiches are going down a treat now.

Before the Lodge we take a turn right to the top of the falls.

An amazing sight to be able to stand so close to the water.  A huge volume of water across a river 50 metres wide, all being channeled down a 6 metre gap in the rock. Talk to a couple of army guards and are able to walk down the falls to a view point. This track leads to the boat landing at the base of the falls, where we will visit the next day. Am told the falls were much more spectacular as the volume of water was double. That was until a flood some time back in 1962 opened a second channel over the rocks, and created the Uhuru falls. The falls, 6 metres wide and 45metres high, aren’t the biggest around, but the spectacle created by the mighty Nile being forced down this narrow crack in the rock is a sight to see.

       

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The driver is really peeing us off now with his speed, and Tom and I make a decision - we will drive tomorrow.

Make it to Red Chili Rest camp, on the south side of the river from Paraa. A well run place with a variety of accommodation options, we take the cheapest and wait for confirmation of a banda for the night. Get two bundas for $20 each and take note of the warning of nightly Hippo visits.

It’s vege curry and mash for dinner in the thatched restaurant, and a game of Ludo after dinner. Ester has all sorts of Ludo rules we have never heard of but nevertheless the boys hold out, and as the girls   lose, so does there interest in the game.

                

  

Monday 30 April

Despite a warning to be up by 6 to catch the ferry at 7. Sandra is still in bed at 6.30. We need to drive 10 minutes to catch the ferry that crosses the Victoria Nile to Paraa, and onto the northern part of the park where we are told most of the game is concentrated.

Its 6.45. “Come on Sandra, forget about your hair, the boat leave in 15 minutes!!” Make it to the ferry and realize we have forgotten our park entrance receipt – needed to get on the ferry. Race back to the camp to get receipt, try in vein to stop Sandra from jumping out and “getting something she forgot “, she jumps out anyway. We make it back - and relief as the ferry is still there. Pay 15$ and make it just in time - the last of the regulation 8 cars it can carry.

Disembark, pick up park guide. The recommended Park ranger, John is clearly in demand and is not available for us. Move off quick before the others, and head west toward Lake Albert and the Delta region, where the Victoria Nile flows into the Lake. Toms driving, sand road in good condition and we immediately start spotting game. Rothschild’s Giraffe, Jacksons Hartebeest, Orbi, Elephant, herds of buffalo, and at the Victoria Nile Delta pods of hippos – dozens of them. See a three legged lion in the distance, with cubs - a sign that poaching is still a serious problem in the park. Buffalo - I have never seen so many – herds of them – 100s and more.

The game and in particular the bird viewing (there are more than 460 species) really is superb.

We see an Army post (anti-poaching patrol) in the middle of the bush and Ester decides she wants the toilet. She returns and announces that the army long drop is much cleaner than the flush at Red Chili.

 Head back to catch the ferry across the river at 11am. Thank the Ranger, and join the boat queue. A few cars are lined up so the boat has to make two trips

Look for accommodation at Red Chili – the rush to get away this morning didn’t allow time to rebook. No luck, fully booked, so we head to the UWA (Ugandan Wildlife Authority) hostel close by.  Get the keys to a house and grab the better rooms, before other expected visitors arrive.

At 2pm we head back to the ferry landing - this time with all documents in hand, for a boat trip up to the base of the falls. Disappointment initially as we board the smaller of two boats. But debate over the best boat is suddenly overshadowed by a splash, as my camera is knocked into the water. OMG!!!  We all scream, and a fast reaction from the boatman ensures the camera is only in the shallow water for a split second. Rest of the 3hr trip upstream is spent with it in pieces trying to get it dry in the sun. Thankfully, it is operational again by the end of the day

 

 Pick up others on the Paraa side of the river, and we head up stream. The boatman and a short chubby female guide assure us that the smaller boat is more maneuverable and will allow us to view game closer. I hope so.

They are right; we pull in real close to the shore and see at close quarter’s pods of hippo, including one particularly active adult thrashing around in the water. A large double story boat stays in midstream – I think we got the better boat deal. See crocodiles, including a huge old adult basking in the sun with his mouth open. We are enthralled with the abundance of hippos and the beautiful birdlife, along the edge of the river. Kingfisher’s weaver nests everywhere. Hippos run throwing their huge bodies into the water.

We stop about 100mtrs from the falls and the boatman tells us the current is too strong to go any further. This is disappointing as I was expecting to get right up close and feel the spray ( as the brochure pics illustrate !) – The current is strong even for the bigger boat, and the boatman struggles to keep the boat pointing upstream. The rush of water coming down from the falls is nevertheless spectacular. The smaller boat does allow us to pull in at a small boat landing and we get off for a walk up the same track we came down yesterday for more views of the falls.

Spot another massive croc on the side of the river on the way back get to within a few metres of it. Black and white collobus monkeys swing everywhere from the trees.

Back at the UWA house, we take a nap whilst waiting for towels and charcoal, and wonder if our other guests are going to arrive.  Red Chili management kindly dig up a bbq grill for us and allow us to BBQ our own fillet and chicken breast outside their restaurant.  We plan the next day.

Our two hostel companions arrive at 2am and proceed to talk the rest of the night.

 

Tuesday 1st May – Mayday

Sleep late. Breakfast on tea and toast, and with all documents in hand, as well as a well-rested, on time, Sandra we take the same ferry across the river again at 9am. We head east this time with me driving, open grass savannah with palm type trees, this is where yesterday’s ranger said there were a lot of elephant. Sure enough we run into large groups of them. 10 – 12 adults with young, and herds of buffalo in the mud – there seem to be plenty of water here. Sandra wants to get out and get up close to the elephants – she ignores all of our instructions to stay in the car, and gets out anyway.

We head east, intending to turn right onto the road that exits the park at Karama Falls – but are alerted by another vehicle that the road is blocked by trees uprooted by elephant. So we head north and exit the park at Wankwar, double checking, that to enter the park again at the falls is not going to cost us. It’s not, so we head on - on a good tarmac national road now. Stop on the side of the road to buy mangos. The kid doesn’t quite understand us so calls the old man – then we don’t quite understand - as he tells us its 200 shillings for a pile of eight. 200 shillings!  This is unheard of in Kampala so we proceed to buy a couple of bucket loads, for just 6000 shillings, the old man shows his appreciation by pressing two mangos into my hand and says “Thank you very much sir”. He has 25 trees on the property he tells me.

 

The Indian family that told us about the blocked road in the park pulls up behind us and proceeds to buy the rest of the stall plus the extra baskets that rapidly appear from the little hut behind the stall. I am sure more sales today for the old man than he has done all month.

Continue the drive to the Falls and park across the bridge. We are reminded of the unsettled political situation in the north, as a couple of army guys tell us they are here to guard the strategic bridge from any attack. I’m presuming from Kony and the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) who still operate from this north western part of the country. Very pleasant guys who tell us we are welcome to look around but no photos of the bridge, thank you very much.

 

Tom and I take a swim in a pool below the falls. But when Ester spots a snake in the branches above the water – we get out pretty quick!! Sandra does her magic with the camera and gets some amazing pics of this well camouflaged snake. Stop at a garage for a long drop visit and a pizza from Pizza Boys, for what turns out to be chapatti with cheese, and a diesel flavored soda.

Arrive back in Kampala around 4pm tired, but a fantastic weekend had by all.

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