During our safaris, we constantly seek out new ways to experience the untamed beauty of African bush. For a year and a half, a burning question lingered in our minds: Could we truly walk the entire length of the Nyamsika River bed, all the way to the mighty Nile? This quest led to an extraordinary journey, revealing hidden corners of Murchison Falls that are now integral to our unique Uganda safari tours.
Our initial explorations began with George and Benjamin, our intrepid UWA rangers. Their first recon mission involved riding to the river mouth and trekking upstream – a surprisingly smooth and doable path, with a memorable encounter with a small pack of hyenas. A few months later, we tackled it from the opposite direction, setting off from the serene Pendero Woodland.
We chose the heart of the dry season, last February, to establish a new campsite on the edge of Pendero Woodland. This spot is a dream for camping safari enthusiasts, offering rare woodland protection from the sun and rain, paired with a magnificent valley vista. It’s a regular haunt for elephants, their silent presence adding to the enchantment. One crisp morning, a short walk through the woodland led us to a gorge where we were delighted to find a troupe of gregarious Black Colobus Monkeys – a delightful surprise on any wildlife adventure tour!
With our sights set on the Nile, George and I embarked on the long walk. Knowing the terrain, we moved swiftly. The initial leg to Nyamsika Cliffs flew by, covered in just 1.5 hours. The dry season meant abundant wildlife, particularly around the riverbeds. We lost count of the waterbucks and warthogs, easily sighting many of them. Several elephant groups dotted the distant horizon. The absolute highlight, however, was stumbling upon a massive herd of 200-300 buffaloes in a wide-open area by the river – perhaps the largest we’d ever witnessed in the park! After a moment of mutual observation, they thundered off in a noisy spectacle.
As we ventured closer to the Nile, the landscape transformed. New, magnificent rock bluffs emerged. Later, the terrain flattened, giving way to denser riverine vegetation. It was deceptively close; we could “feel” the Nile’s presence, yet it still took a meandering 45 minutes to finally reach its majestic embrace. The air buzzed with life – huge flocks of African Skimmers swooped, a crocodile basked on the shore, and the iconic grunts of hippos welcomed us. An elephant even decided to join the riverside tableau for a drink.
Our boat was on its way to pick us up, and soon we were relaxing as we zoomed downstream. We had hiked for about six hours, covering 12 kilometers – a robust walk, perhaps a little long for a casual Uganda safari trip with all visitors, but undeniably worth every single step for the pure adventure and unparalleled views.
Inspired by this success, just two weeks later, we led a group of five friends to tackle the latter, shorter section of this extraordinary route. Starting from Nyamsika Viewpoint, we cut the walk down to a comfortable 4.5 hours. Nature, as always, continued to amaze. Though it was still officially dry season when we arrived, one or two powerful rains had swept through the area, even playfully rearranging our camp gazebo the night before!
The immediate change was striking. While we encountered plenty of kob, giraffe, hartebeest, and elephants, the ubiquitous warthogs and waterbucks from our previous trek were gone, having dispersed to newly available water sources away from the river. The vast “buffalo herd area” now hosted only a few antelope, though a delightful group of elephants ambled along the opposite bank as we savored a hearty breakfast. The final approach to the Nile once again played tricks on our minds, making the eventual sight of the grand river all the more joyful.
This full day was truly fantastic! Hopping onto a comfortable private boat, cold drinks in hand, we zoomed upstream to witness the awe-inspiring Murchison Falls from below, then continued our journey to experience the falls “from the top.” This ultimate combo creates an ideal, all-day adventure, allowing us to return to camp around 5-6 pm, refreshed and ready for another delicious dinner under the sparkling African stars.
