Murchison Falls

The Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the Bunyoro escarpment merges into the plains of Acholi land. The park covers 3,893 sq km and is Uganda's largest protected area. It is part of the even larger Murchison Falls Protected Area (5,072 sq km) which includes the adjoining Karuma and Bugungu wildlife reserves.

The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile which first races down 80km of white-water rapids before plunging 40m over the rift valley wall at Murchison Falls, the centre piece of the park. The Falls transform into a broad stream that flows across the rift valley floor for 55km to Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda's most memorable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors include elephant, giraffe and buffalo while hippo and Nile crocodile are permanent residents.