08 Jun Spend the Day With Us in Lake Mburo National Park
Venture Uganda director Lesley Harris recently visited the beautiful Lake Mburo National Park. She shares her experience here.
Lake Mburo is one of my favourite Ugandan national parks. Like all the parks, every day here is different, so I try not to create a wish list but just enjoy everything that comes my way. Nature is unpredictable, and that’s part of the thrill because you never know what to expect. I enjoy taking photos as you’ll see throughout this post, but I also aim to give myself enough time to simply watch and enjoy the moment.
Sunrise Sightings
Our day started before the sun had even risen, at the appropriately named Eagle’s Nest. I was well rested after sleeping like a log in my safari tent, so I took a hot shower and spent some time admiring the view from this hilltop lodge. The park was shrouded in mist this particular morning, and as the sun began to slowly rise, I picked up a hot drink and the packed breakfast I had pre-ordered before heading down the hill and into the park.
Morning has broken
As the day began to break and the sun warmed up the park, we tucked into our breakfast of chapati and sausages, banana pancakes and fruits. We ate the red bananas I’d received from a friend the day before, which were delicious – and yes, you really can get red bananas!
Baboon Playtime
Young baboons played together in the trees and the older ones sunbathed, groomed, and stretched. I’ve never really been a fan of baboons: they always seem slightly sinister and people often regard them as vermin, but on this day, I enjoyed watching them.
Lakeside Lunch
Our day continued, and after spotting a variety of animals along the way, we had worked up an appetite, so we headed to the reliably good Lakeside restaurant for some lunch. The lovely Edson prepared the food as we watched the tourist boat set off to explore the lake. We feasted on chicken and vegetable curries served with rice and chapatis, not forgetting fresh fish on the menu, too. Yum!
Down by the watering hole
A good amount of our afternoon was spent at various watering holes where there was so much to see. Highlights included the zebras fondly necking in the shade, Broad-billed Rollers catching insects, a large herd of wallowing buffalo escaping the sun and assorted butterflies, who love a bit of mud.
This is the place to take some great photos and then put your camera down and simply watch.
What a fabulous day in Lake Mburo National Park
There’s always time for one more bird…
We rounded off our day, watching the local Ankole Long-horn cows as they grazed nearby. We spotted a large flock of Glossy Ibis, a Sacred Ibis and Yellow-billed Stork. Oh, and a Blue-naped Mousebird. And a Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater.
If you’d like to follow in Lesley’s footsteps and book a trip to Lake Mburo when you visit Uganda, then contact us by completing our enquiry form.
