Murchison Falls is one of Uganda’s most iconic natural landmarks. The falls are formed where the Nile is forced through a narrow seven-metre gap in the rocks and plunges 43 metres into a turbulent pool below, creating one of the most powerful waterfalls on earth. The park surrounding the falls is Uganda’s largest and one of its oldest, protecting a wide sweep of savannah, forest, and river habitat. 12 Wildlife here is excellent. The northern bank of the Nile supports goodpopulations of lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, and Ugandan kob. The southern bank is covered in dense forest and is better for primates, including chimpanzees. Boat trips up the Nile to the base of the falls are the highlight of most visits, combining stunning scenery with close encounters with hippos, crocodiles, and elephants drinking at the river’s edge. The falls themselves can be reached by a short hike from the top landing, where a viewing platform looksdirectly into the gorge. The combination of the power, the sound, and the rainbow mist that hangs in the air above the falls is genuinely extraordinary. The best time to visit Murchison Falls is during the dry seasons from June to August and December to February. The park is accessible year-round but the roads can be challenging during the rains. Getting there from Kampala takes about five hours by road, or you can fly to Pakuba or Chobe airstrip inside the park.