The Buligi peninsula, north of the river between the Nile and the Albert Nile, holds the game drives. Open grassland with borassus palms carries elephant, buffalo, Jackson's hartebeest, oribi and the Rothschild's giraffe that Uganda has worked hard to recover. Lion are regular here; leopard are present but harder.

The boat trip upstream to the base of the falls is the park's signature. Hippo pods and enormous Nile crocodiles line the banks, elephants come down to drink, and the boat noses into the spray beneath the falls themselves. You can be dropped at the bottom and walk up the trail to the top — a hot, steep, thoroughly worthwhile hour.

The Nile delta, where the river enters Lake Albert, is the other boat trip and the one birders come for. It is among the most reliable places on the continent to find shoebill, standing motionless in the papyrus, along with a long list of waterbirds.

Budongo and Kaniyo Pabidi forest at the park's southern entrance offer chimpanzee tracking and excellent forest birding, and slot naturally into the drive in or out.

The dry seasons, roughly December to February and June to September, concentrate game and make tracks easier. Early morning is decisive for the drives; the afternoon boat is the classic timing for light on the falls.

Practicalities

Murchison is a five- to six-hour drive from Kampala or a short charter flight. Book the launch trip in advance in peak season, and be aware that oil development within the wider region has been controversial and visible — worth reading about before you go.