Horseback Riding in Lake Mburo National Park

Horseback Riding in Lake Mburo National Park is one of the top activities done in the park as travelers get close to the wildlife species riding on Horses. Lake Mburo national park is one of the small national parks in Uganda located in the western region. Lake Mburo national park is a savannah destination covering a total land area of 370 square kilometers and harbors various wildlife species including 350 bird species such as the pre-historic Shoebill stork, Saddle-billed stork, African fish eagle, African finfoot, Brown-chested wattled plover, Papyrus yellow warbler, 68 mammal species such as impala, topi, zebra, crocodiles, hyenas, jackal, leopards, buffaloes, warthogs, bushbucks waterbucks among others. Lake Mburo national park is the only national park that offers horseback riding safari to visitors in Uganda.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is an exceptional and adventurous activity in Lake Mburo national park where visitors explore the national park while on a horseback. Horse riding safari in Lake Mburo national park are privately arranged by the luxurious lodge Mihingo safari lodge which is situated close to the park boundary. Mihingo safari lodge has been operating horse rides since 2008 and the horse rides were being carried out outside the park and in 2009 horse rides started being carried out inside the park. Mihingo safari lodge has 7 horses and 4 ponies that are available on a daily basis for visitors who want to explore Lake Mburo national park while on the back of a horse. The horses carry a maximum weight of 100kgs though most horses at Mihingo safari lodge do not carry more than 85kgs.

Horseback riding activity in Lake Mburo national park is done in two sessions, the morning session which starts at 10 am and the afternoon session which starts at 2 pm and each horse riding safari trip allows a maximum of 6 people who ride with an experienced and trained guide. Horse riding in Lake Mburo national park doesn’t need you to be experienced because the horse riders are adjusted according to their riding ability, for example, the beginners are recommended to walk whereas the advanced riders have stretches like Warukiri valley where they can ride for 2 to 5 hours.

Horse riding in Lake Mburo national park is an interesting activity where you will get an opportunity to reach out to the inaccessible areas in the park as well as to have spectacular views of the animals at a close range compared to when you are in a vehicle carrying out game drives. During horse riding safari in Lake Mburo national park you will explore the park with great views of Lake Mburo, surrounding hills, views of the local communities, valleys, 9 lakes out of the 2 lakes in Lake Mburo national park, animals in the park such as giraffes, zebras, impala, topi, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, buffaloes, bush pigs, hippos, eland, duikers, bird species like saddle-billed stork, black-bellied bustard, African finfoot, brown parrot, African wattled lapwing, bare-faced go-a-way, grey crowned crane, views of the sunset and sundowners hence making your horse riding safari unforgettable.

Lake Mburo national park also offers an overnight horse riding safari to the visitors which comes with an option of either camping in pitched tents at Lake Mburo shores or camping on top of one of the hills in the park. During the overnight horseback riding, you will explore the park without any sounds, have great views of the animals among others where after you will have a three-course menu for dinner in the wild and heavy breakfast in the morning.

Horseback riding in Lake Mburo national park takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours or even a full day depending on the visitors’ ability and the prices for horse riding are based on the time spent riding a horse, therefore riders who want to ride for long hours or a full day will be charged based on the time spent riding the horse.

What to wear for your horse riding safari in Lake Mburo National Park

Long sleeved shirt and trousers, should be tucked in so as not to get caught in some parts of the saddle and they will also protect your skin from the sun.
Strong shoes which can reach the ankles and with a low heel to prevent your feet from sliding through the stirrup.
Helmets and riding chaps are provided by Mihingo safari lodge in all sizes.

When to go for horse riding safari in Lake Mburo national park

A horseback riding safari in Lake Mburo national park is an exceptional activity that can be carried out any time of the year though the best time is during the wet season in the months of March to May and October to November. During the wet/rainy season Lake Mburo national park receives heavy rainfall which leads to plant growth in the part therefore during horse riding in the wet season you will be able to view large numbers of animals grazing in the open savannah plains which helps the riders to ride for a short period of time with great wildlife views compared to the dry season when the animals will be moving to far areas in search of the green vegetation and also gathering around the shores of Lake Mburo.

How to get to Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo national park is located in western Uganda and it’s the only national park that is near Kampala capital city. Lake Mburo national park is mainly accessed by road transport means because it takes 228 kilometers from Kampala, the park can be accessed through two gates that is the Sanga gate and the Nshara gate. When using road transport means you will drive from Kampala City via Masaka and then to Sanga gate which is 37km east of Mbarara or you can drive from Kampala via Masaka and then to Nshara gate which is 20km from Lyandonde and 50km to Mbarara which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

When going to Lake Mburo national park you can also use public means of transport where you will board a bus from Kampala to Sanga town and then hire a private vehicle to Lake Mburo national park via the Sanga gate.

Lake Mburo national park can also be reached through air transport means where you will book scheduled or private chartered domestic flights through Aerolink airline from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Mbarara airstrip which take about one hour and then connect to the park by road.

Other activities in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo national park offers other activities to visitors apart from horse riding such as;

game drive and night game drive where you will drive around the park and have beautiful views of the wildlife like zebras, giraffes, leopards, hyenas, warthogs, topi, impala, eland, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, different bird species, vegetation types among others.
Boat cruise, this is carried out on Lake Mburo and during the boat cruise you will be able to cruise near the animals which gives you a clear view of animal species like the crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, antelopes, zebras among others on the shores of the lake, bird species like the shoe bill stork, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, African finfoot, cormorants, herons, blue-headed weaver, fish eagles among others.
Bird watching, Lake Mburo national park is also known as a birders paradise in that it harbors about 350 bird species. Birds in Lake Mburo national park can be seen during the game drive in the park, boat cruise, seen in the forests like Rubanga and bird species viewed during bird watching include Blue-breasted kingfisher, Great swamp warbler, Common squacco, Wing snapping cisticolas, Grey woodpeckers, African grey hornbill, Greenwood hoopoe, Black-bellied bustard, Rufous chested swallow among others.
Guided nature walk, Lake Mburo national park offers guided nature walks to visitors on a safari where they will move on foot within the park following trails with a company of an armed ranger for security. During nature walk in Lake Mburo national park you will follow trails such as trails to the hilltops where you will have a great panoramic view of the park, trail to Lake Mburo, swamps, Rubanga forest where you will view different bird species and you will also have beautiful views of the nocturnal animals going back to their hiding places, animals licking the salt as well as enjoy the fresh air and quiet environment.
Sportfishing, Lake Mburo national park is also one of the national parks in Uganda that offer sport fishing activities to visitors on a safari. Sportfishing in Lake Mburo national park is carried out in one of the lakes called Mazinga due to the fact that is doesn’t harbor the hippos and the crocodiles. Visitors who want to participate in sport fishing should first acquire a license that allows you to carry out sport fishing and the fishing gears. The lake contains six fish types and during the fishing activity, you will be able to catch fish types like tilapia which is the common type. After sport fishing, you can go to a nearby restaurant and have your fish prepared for lunch.

Horseback riding in Lake Mburo national park shouldn’t be missed while on your safari because it offers exceptional and extraordinary experiences.