The Nile Delta boat cruise highlights any visit to the Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s most extensive and top savannah safari destination after Queen Elizabeth National Park. Murchison Falls presents some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing moments, with game drives sighting the abundant Rothchild’s giraffe, buffalo, elephants, and lion praying on the abundant antelope that roam the plains.
The Nile River flowing from Lake Kyoga into Lake Albert dissects Murchison park into the northern and southern parts, creating a magnet for wildlife concentration on the banks of the Victoria Nile. Taking the boat cruise along the Nile explores the park’s most abundant animal concentrations on the banks of the Nile.
There are two ways to explore the mighty Nile in Murchison Falls National Park. From the Paraa jetty, tourists take the boat cruise up the Victoria Nile waters to the bottom of the thunderous falls and hike up from Baker’s rock to Fagio Gorge to view the falls from above.
The other boat cruise starts at Paraa jetty, cruising down the calm Nile waters to the papyrus-filled delta. This is where the Nile joins Lake Albert before branching off to its northern journey. Both offer spectacular viewing of wildlife on the banks of the Nile—the closest you can get to Uganda’s big game animals.
The Nile Delta Boat Cruise
The Nile Delta in Murchison Falls National Park is located twenty kilometers downstream from Paraa jetty. It’s home to incredible waterbird species, including the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork—a famous find for most tourists on the Nile Delta boat cruise.
The three-hour Delta boat cruise, west of Paraa area in Murchison, through the scenic Buligi area, to the Lake Albert Delta Point, puts tourists very close to incredible wildlife sightings. You can expect to catch sight of herds of elephants, buffalo, and giraffe on the banks of the Nile.
Down at the Albert Delta, the boat cruises the timid Victoria Nile waters to catch sight of the prolific birdlife tweeting of the papyrus and swampy growth. Look out for the storky bird hunting in the wamp fish and frogs with a whale-like head. The shoebill is a highlight sighting in these parts of the park, but also, the landscape views are therapeutic for an afternoon sunset boat cruise.
At the Albert Nile Delta, the Victoria Nile passes through the northern tip of Lake Albert to become the Albert Nile that flows up into South Sudan. Spend some good moments in the delta; you may spot some elephants, Nile crocodiles, and other exciting animals in the area before you cruise up the Nile back to the Paraa jetty.
You can take a scheduled Nile delta cruise with “breakfast on board,” offered in the mornings (subject to minimum numbers.) The delta cruise leaving the jetty at Paraa on the south bank takes off at 07.00 am and 2:00 pm. We can also tailor-make your delta cruise trip with a private boat and timings to suit your journey preferences.
Boat Cruise To Bottom of The Murchison Falls
The most favorite activity in the park is the boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls, the world’s most powerful waterfalls. The cruise also starts at the Paraa jetty cruising up the Nile, bypassing a display of dramatic wildlife along the Victoria Nile river banks and docks at Baker’s rock for tourists that want to hike up the Murchison Falls.
At the top of Murchison Falls, Fajao viewpoint, guests can watch the Nile gash out around 300 cubic meters per second (11,000 ft³/s) of water through a narrow gouge less than 10 meters (33 ft) wide, creating 50 meter wide splashes and a permanent rainbow.
The thunderous water then tumbles down the falls back onto the Nile path to calmly continue its flow down the Victoria Nile. Guests can stop at the base to watch this magnificent sight unfold with hippo pods in the vicinity or hike up the rock to watch the spectacle from above.
Launch trips to the bottom of Murchison Falls usually leave at 0900 and 1400. We can also arrange a private boat cruise to enjoy a sundowner or breakfast cruise up the Nile. The cruise can last about three to fours hours.
