Boat Rides are one of the most soothing adventure activities in Uganda providing opportunities of experiencing the cool Ugandan Breeze, feeling the warm sunshine on your skin and taking in jaw-dropping views of the sunrise/sunset, birds, wildlife and spectacular sceneries and Islands. The most exciting part of Uganda’s boat riding experiences is that travelers are accompanied by English-speaking local Tour Guides. Whether you are looking at enjoying River or Lake Boat Rides and also, there are different boat rides and rates to choose from with the shortest ones being 30 minutes and the long ones ranging from two to three hours.
Below are the best Boat Ride options in Uganda;
Boat Rides in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison falls National Park is the best and most popular spot for boat rides in Uganda offering two options- Boat ride on the Nile to the bottom of the falls and the boat ride on the Lake Albert Delta. The former starts from Paraa at 9:00am (morning) and 2:00pm (afternoon) while offering views of Hippos, Nile crocodiles, Elephants, Buffaloes and antelopes as well as lots of birds for the 2-3 hours of cruises towards the bottom of the falls. Whether you choose a small or big boat, expect sights and sounds of African fish eagles, Great white pelicans, pied and giant Kingfishers, pink-backed pelicans, Malachite Kingfishers, Northern Red Bishop, Goliath herons, African Quail finch, Abyssinian ground hornbills, Swamp flycatchers, the Red-throated bee-eaters, Grey-crowned cranes, to mention but a few.
Boat Ride in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Boat rides in Queen Elizabeth National Park are undertaken on the 40-kilometer-long Kazinga Channel, a natural Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. These rides take anywhere between 2 and 3 hours with sights of Hippo pods, and Crocodile basks in the shallow waters along the banks or elephants, buffaloes and Uganda Kobs grazing in the nearby lush vegetation. While on this boat ride, you will most likely see Martial eagles, African fish eagles, African skimmers, shoebill storks, Papyrus gonolek, long-tailed Cormorants, Great white and pink-backed pelicans, African Spoonbills, Pied Kingfishers, Black bee-eaters, African mourning bird, Black Crakes, yellow-billed storks, White-winged warblers and many others. You can choose the morning boat ride (starting at 9:00am), afternoon (beginning at 2:00pm) or the sunset boat ride (starting at 4:30 pm).
Boat Ride on Lake Victoria and Source of the Nile
With a size of 68,800 square kilometers, Lake Victoria is not just the largest Lake in Africa but also the third largest in the whole World. This Lake is the source of the Nile, the longest River in the World. You can undertake a boat cruises to the source of the Nile, to the different Islands that include Ssese, Ngamba and others with extraordinary sunrise and sunset views, as well as sights of birds that include Cattle egrets, Egyptian Geese, African fish eagles, African Jacanas, long-tailed cormorants, pink-backed pelicans, Grey-crowned cranes and so much more.
Boat Rides in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo is the largest water body in Uganda’s smallest savannah National Park and is where the boat rides are done. For 2 hours, visitors get the chance to ride on the calm waters while enjoying views of the wetland vegetation, wildlife especially crocodiles and Hippos as well as birds (such as African fish eagles, Ross Turaco, African finfoot, shoebill storks, cattle egrets, Narina Trogon, Pied Kingfishers, Goliath herons, Black Crakes, Black-headed herons, yellow-rumped tinker birds, Common squacco, to mention but a few. This boat ride also leads to the fishing village where you will get a chance to see the different fish species caught in the Lake and their preservation methods.
Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi
Travelers have an option of choosing the Lake Bunyonyi Boat rides to explore the different Islands including “Akampene” or punishment Island and “Akacuraniko” or the upside down Island to discover their rich histories and why they are called so. Bird species are also unmissable during these boat rides, most especially the grey-crowned cranes, weaver birds, African harrier hawks, pied kingfishers, Slender-billed Baglafecht, African fish eagles, egrets and many others.
Your ultimate Boat ride packing List
Some of the items that you shouldn’t forget are the first aid kit, flashlight, a good camera with extra batteries and memory space, snacks, pair of binoculars, sunscreen, bathing suit, short and long-sleeved shirts, pair of shorts and long safari pants, a safari hat, drinking water, a backpack, and many others.