Bugungu Airstrip | Murchison Falls National Park
Bugungu Airstrip is a domestic flight airstrip located in Buliisa district in the western part of Uganda and its purpose is to serve the Bungugu Wildlife Reserve in Murchison falls national park. The Airstrip is approximately 260 kilometers by air and by road, it covers 333 km from the northwest of Entebbe international Airport near Uganda’s largest civilian and military airport. However, the Airstrip is at a low latitude with an average elevation of about 753 meters / 2470 ft above the sea level.
Bugungu Airstrip is a landmark charter flight that is used by a number of tourists and safari companies who normally book for their visitors on their wildlife safari to Bugungu wildlife reserve within Murchison falls and also the nearby pakuba Airfield.
The Airstrip is under the management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and licensed by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. But there are very many domestic airlines that operate flights from Uganda’s main Airport Entebbe and also at Kajjansi airfield which supports a lot of charter flights to travellers who wish to travel with faster means of transport to Uganda’s National Parks. Travellers can book domestic flight to Bugungu Airstrip by help of recognised tour operator/tour company or else direct with the airlines.
However, Bugungu Airstrip is found within Murchison falls national park Uganda’s largest national park located in the north-western region of Uganda. The park is the oldest and largest among the ten Uganda national park covering an average total area of about 4000 square kilometers. To note, Bugungu airstrip is located closer to Masindi town the only nearby bustiest town to the park, taking just 26 kilometers from Masindi town to the reserve by road.
Murchison falls national park is inland area surrounded by waters of Lake Albert and is bisected by the River Nile the longest river in the world. The waters of River Nile support numerous wildlife species that are seen linking for water to quench their thirst and to some this is their home.
The park is a home of over 76 mammals’ species including buffaloes, lion’s leopard, hyenas, Harte beasts, antelopes, waterbucks many more, over 500 bird species and unique various primate species like the endangered chimpanzees tracking, black and white colobus, blue monkeys and many more, some of the birds to see include long-toed plover, Goliath heron, red-winged grey warbler, pels fishing owl, white-eyed seed eater, silver bird, unique shoe bill stork, yellow throated leaf love, grey-cheeked crane among others. Organize a trip to Murchison falls national park on your next tour destination in Uganda and encounter in such amazing species and more which you will never regret the decision you made for you to explore this stunning national park.
Murchison falls national park has got very many activities to be done by the tourists who visits the park such emotional activities include; game drive-game viewing which can be done in Bugungu wildlife reserve or in an open savannah of Bulingi, launch boat cruise which is best enjoyed to the bottom of the falls which can last for about three hours and see how the Nile forces its self from 50 meters wide to 7 meters wide space, hiking to the top of the waterfalls, sport fishing, chimpanzees tracking, birding, Hot air balloon among others.
On tourist visit to Murchison falls national park, you can sleep in comfortable accommodation facilities ranging between mid-range to Luxury and such lodges include; Paraa safari lodge located closer to Bugungu Airstrip, red chili rest camp, pakuba safari lodge, Bwana Tembo safari camp, shoebill campsite, Simbiya river lodge, UWA campsite among others.
Apart from using Air transport, the park can also be accessed by Road which lasts within 4 to 5 hours by car.
