TRAVEL: Murchison Falls and the Wildlife it Comes With

We have reviewed the Murchison Falls here before and it is really perfectly okay to keep doing it because, like ourselves, we don’t expect you to visit it just once. You cannot visit the World’s most powerful waterfalls and not want to keep going there.

Over the Easter Holiday (weekend), my friends and I made out for Masindi District (western Uganda) with the prime purpose of touring the National Park and the waterfalls that come with it. We had other plans in the town, because if you are aware, there is a whole other 72.4KM from Masindi town to the park.

Since the country is still under partial lockdown and curfew knocks by 9PM, we didn’t experience the night life in Masindi at all. Instead, we lit a campfire at our residence (Naju Gardens and Homestay) where we conversed and “jazzed” the night away.

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We had been informed that to have a better chance at catching the most prized big cats in the game (Lions), we had to wake up early and catch them during their early morning hunt or immediately after. That because of the scorching sun, they normally trek so far away from the viewing points as soon as their hunger is satisfied.

Long story short, we didn’t catch the time. So our game drive only had antelopes (bush bucks, water bucks, Reed Bucks and Uganda Kobs), the usual Warthogs (wild pigs), and were just like enough to meet about four elephants and some 5 Giraffes.

For a park that boasts of a population of over 1800 Giraffes, seeing just 5 re-emphasizes the need to be in the park by 6AM in the morning.

The beautiful part about the experience is that the road network inside the park is being beautifully set up. From Masindi to Paraa Safari Lodge and beyond is all going to be mat flat if the rate at which we left the construction is mainted.

There is also, a very beautiful bridge being constructed over the Nile inside the game park. I used to have those disgruntlements against the government for earning the most foreign exchange through tourism and allocating it the list share in the budget. I am not saying this is eough (compared to what would be invested in the sector to achieve the most from it) but at least it is a starting point.

After our disappointment for failing to see Lions, we headed to the Falls for consolation scenery and views. One of the most beautiful natural features you’ll ever see.

Our guide that day, Mr. Lawrence, after seeing at how amazed we were by the intensity of the falls, asked (rather heartbrokenly); “Can you imagine they want to kill this view for an electricity dam?”

I was at first cocky and uplauded the idea. Because, if this is the world’s most powerful waterfalls, what energy can be produced there? Then I realised the emotion that was in the air and understood that Mr. Lawrence was probably most worried about his job.

He wouldn’t have anyone to guide if a dam were constructed there. He would have to find somewhere else to go.

But the place is really beautiful. And because of that, I have changed my mind. Preserve the site, future generations will mint billions of foreign exchange from tourists to it.

Besides, we have already put a very huge debt burden on their head, imagine if they realised that we took such a view from them too. They would never forgive us.