Getting there and away
Uganda (dubbed by Winston Churchill the ‘Pearl of Africa’) is land locked and lies across the Equator in East Africa. Its International airport is located in Entebbe, which is 45kms and about an hours drive from the capital, Kampala. Airlines with regular services to Entebbe include British Airways, SN Brussels, South African Airlines, Kenya Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian, and Egypt Air.
Self-drive. Fishermen heading to Murchison Falls from Kampala must drive through the small town of Masindi, which usually takes around 3 hours. Masindi lies 215 kms north of Kampala along a tar-surfaced road through Bombo, Luwero and on to Gulu. About 170 kms north of Kampala turn left directly after crossing the bridge across the Kafu River. There are large billboards and a signpost for Masindi. To reach Masindi, there follows a 45 km stretch of graded dirt road, which will be sealed in the next year or so. The direct route from Masindi to Paraa in Murchison is 85kms long and can be covered in 2 or 3 hours, depending on conditions. The road can be rough and requires a 4WD vehicle in the wet seasons.
Public transport. There is no public transport into the park. Masindi can be reached by bus as can the village of Bulisa to the west of the park. It is then possible to hitch lifts to Paraa. None of this would seem sensible or practical however if loaded with fishing equipment. Alternatively many tour companies in Kampala offer tours and transport to Murchison, the most reasonable of which is the Red Chilli Hideaway (redchillihideaway.com).
Where to stay.
Upmarket:
Paraa Safari Lodge,
e-mail: marasa@starcom.co.ug
www.paraalodge.com
Nile Safari Camp,
e-mail: iou@africaonline.co.ug
www.innsofuganda.com
Moderate:
Sambiya River Lodge, e-mail: afritour@africaonline.co.ug www.afritourstravel.com
Budget:
Red Chilli Rest Camp, e-mail: chilli@infocom.co.ug www.redchillihideaway.com
Park entrance fees. The Uganda Wildlife Authority website www.uwa.or.ug (e-mail: uwa@uwa.or.ug) provides details of all park entrance fees. Sport Fishing permits are currently set at US Dollars 50 for one day, $100 for up to 4 days and $300 for an annual pass. UWA’s sport fishing boat ‘Mamba’ can be hired for $150 for a half day and $300 for a full day.
