NILE CRUISE

Like the Kazinga Channel trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park, this cruise on the Nile, which has been popular for over six decades, is a must! In a three-hour round trip, the boat, whose roof offers a 360° view, cruises peacefully upstream along the banks - lined with papyrus, palm, mahogany and acacia trees - where huge crocodiles can be seen lolling, hippos lazing about, buffalo cooling off, antelopes (notably the crescent cobe) on the lookout, elephants having fun and, more rarely, giraffes wading, a lion licking or a leopard drinking... Birdlife is still plentiful, with golden-breasted jacana, African jabiru, red-throated bee-eater, goliath heron, African piapiac, crested kingfisher, African scissor-bill and tutti quanti. The trip along the mighty river culminates in the Fajao Gorge, from which the impressive Murchison Falls, cataracting through a narrow narrows, can be seen across the river's axis. The 45-metre-high falls will be revealed even more if you disembark here and walk to the top of the falls. Cruises organized by UWA (US$30) depart from Paraa (left bank) at 9am and 2pm. Wild Frontiers (www.wildfrontiers.co.ug) organizes its own expeditions (US$35), also from Paraa, at 8.30 am and 2.30 pm. In case of overcrowding, a third departure is scheduled for 11am.