Murchison Falls National Park

At Murchison Falls, the entire Nile River forces itself through a gap just seven meters wide before plunging 43 meters into a frothing cauldron below. This is the world's most powerful waterfall�not the highest or widest, but the one that channels more water pressure than any other.

Dramatic Murchison Falls

Uganda's largest national park extends across the Nile, with different ecosystems on either bank. The northern sector's rolling savannah supports healthy populations of lions, leopards, elephants, and the majestic Rothschild's giraffe�one of the rarest giraffe subspecies. These elegant animals, with their distinctive white stockings, have found sanctuary here after being pushed to the brink of extinction.

Boat safaris to the base of the falls rank among Africa's most spectacular wildlife experiences. As your vessel approaches the thundering cascade, hippos bob in the churning waters while massive Nile crocodiles line the banks. African fish eagles wheel overhead, and goliath herons stalk the shallows. The spray from the falls creates permanent rainbows when the light is right.

The Budongo Forest on the park's southern edge harbors one of East Africa's largest chimpanzee populations. Tracking these intelligent apes through the mahogany forest adds a completely different dimension to the Murchison experience.