Lake Mburo National Park is located in Mbarara, just about 3.5 hours drive from Kampala. Covered with Acacia woodland, Lake Mburo NP has a variety of fauna different from other parks in Uganda.
Two brothers, Kigarama and Mburo lived in a large valley. One night, Kigarama dreamt that they were in danger. When he awoke the next morning, he told his younger brother Mburo of his dream and said they should move. Mburo ignored this advice, but Kigarama wisely moved up into the hills.The valley flooded and a lake was formed, drowning Mburo. Today the lake is named after him, and the hills are called Kigarama after his brother.The word mburo is similar to the “mboro”, the Runyankole name of the cassine tree which has a powerful aphrodisiac effect.One such tree, showing signs of bark and branch removal, may be seen close to the Kigambira Loop crossroads.
Situated between Masaka and Mbarara in Western Uganda, it is the only park to contain an entire lake. Beautiful and tranquil Lake Mburo National Park is situated in rolling hills and open grassy valleys. This lovely landscape also consists of four other smaller lakes where you’ll see impala, eland, waterbuck, klipspringer, zebra and buffalo.Hippos and crocodiles can be seen grazing on cool mornings. The surrounding papyrus swamps hide the beautiful sitatunga, a very special antelope with narrow, elongated hooves which allow them to move freely on marshy land.The attractive acacia-dotted savannah (256 sq. km) is home to huge herds of impala, as well as uncommon topi, eland, klipspringer and other antelope. Zebra and buffalo also graze these peaceful acres.