Karuma Falls
Vibrant Holiday Safaris brings you a Karuma falls experience which are one of the greatly considered key tourist attraction in Uganda
with its location at the base of Lake Victoria Albertine. They are the most beautiful
waterfalls that cannot stop you from viewing the scenic beauty and the presence of
the falls. The falls are dominated by the amazing rocks that form the Victoria
Nile and due to the arrangement, the rocks form the beautiful outlook and
appearance of the Nile which form the white foam and the roaring sound of the
waterfalls.
Karuma falls are located along Kampala –Gulu highway in the Northern part of
Uganda close to Murchison falls national Park in the Eastern part of the park.
Murchison falls national park is the largest park in Uganda with the most powerful
waterfall which is Murchison falls the park is known to be home to various wildlife
animals like lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, Baboons, leopards,
Giraffes, monkeys plus the different bird species so when visiting The falls
which can be combined with a wildlife safari to Murchison falls national park one
of the top tourism destination.
Karuma falls became famous when the first explorer to Uganda John Speak came
on his mission to discover the source of the Nile which is the longest river in the
world from Jinja during the adventure, that is when he discovered Murchison falls
making his visit leave a landmark in the history of Uganda.
On the other hand, Karuma falls has a 750 megawatts hydropower station being
built which was opened by the Ugandan government in partnership with foreign
partners with a bridge being constructed to act as a connection between Gulu and
Masindi districts. The bridge was mainly constructed to support the cotton farmers
in the West Nile region to be able to transport their goods without any disturbance
and the name was derived from a Great spirit Karuma that had placed the beautiful
rocks to block the river waters of Victoria Nile passing through thus the name of
the falls being called Karuma.
Karuma falls area used to be a hiding place for the Lord Resistance Army rebels
who abducted and killed people from passing vehicles but later they were defeated
by the Ugandan government thus making them move and settle in the tropical rain
forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ACTIVITIES AT KARUMA FALL
Visiting Karuma falls is the main attraction there. The view of the falls is so
interesting for taking photography whereby sport fishing can also be done there.
The falls can be visited throughout the year regardless of the season.
Game viewing in Karuma falls can be combined with Murchison falls national
Park where you can have the best wildlife experience with about 76 species of
mammals. The common animals that you can see around the falls are the elephants,
buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, oribi, waterbucks,
giraffes, Baboons, patas monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and
white colobus monkeys plus the different bird species.
A boat cruise is also another activity that you can engage in during your visit to
Karuma falls with the opportunity of viewing the different wildlife species and
birds at the river banks.
Nature walks at Budongo forest will give you the insight to explore the tropical
forest which is home to various primate species like the grey checked Mangabey,
white and black colobus, red-tailed monkeys, and olive baboons with different bird
species.
WHERE TO STAY AT KARUMA FALLS
There is a wide range of accommodation facilities where tourists can stay on their
visit to Karuma falls and these accommodations range from budget, mid-range, and
luxury which include the Karuma campsite, Cultural Village, and the Karuma
Travelers’ hotel.
However, tourists can also stay in Murchison falls national park, and the lodges
there include Chobe safari lodge and Pakuba safari lodge which offer excellent
services to the clients there.
HOW TO GET TO KARUMA FALLS
Karuma falls can be accessed by road from Kampala via the Kampala-Gulu
highway which takes about 4-5 hours by either private or public means. Private
means can be provided by tour operator. The distance from Gulu town to
Krauma falls is about 78 kilometers taking at least one hour to drive. From Arua
town to Karuma falls is 250 kilometers taking 4-5 hours then from Masindi to
Karuma falls is 97 kilometers taking a 1-2-hour drive.
Vibrant Holiday Safaris is a fully lincensed tour operator company that you can trust for all your adventures.