Maintenance key to tourist safety says Uganda Wildlife Authority

Ferry services at the Paraa crossing of the Nile will be suspended in early May to facilitate a complete overhaul of the two landing sites on the north and south banks.

The halt of operations will come into effect on May 2 at 0930 hours in the morning when the last ferry will have taken visitors to the northern side of the park back to the southern river bank. The anticipated halt of operations will then last for at about 10 days, during which time the ferry itself will undergo major maintenance while the ramps on both sides of the river will also be upgraded to allow easier docking and improved safety.

UWA, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, has suggested that operations may resume on May 11 with a crossing at 1700 hours (5 pm), but any visitors to the park should check the organization’s announcements on its website.

Visitors intending to go to the northern side of Murchisons Falls National Park can reach it by taking the main all-tarmac road towards the town of Pakwach and entering the park from a gate just a few hundred meters off that road before reaching the Nile bridge.

From the Paraa landing site, the regular boat excursions to the Nile delta at Lake Albert and up the river towards the falls will operate as usual, although tourists staying at the northern side for trips to the top of the falls will be almost impossible during the halt of ferry operations due to the long drive back into the park via Masindi.