Filming in Lake Mburo National Park
Filming in Lake Mburo National Park is one of the safari activities that is interesting for wildlife and nature filmmakers who are looking at a filming location that is not far away from Kampala and Entebbe. Lake Mburo National Park is just a 4-hour’s drive from Kampala, and if you decide to fly, it takes only 45 minutes. Other factors remain constant.
Lake offers spectacular scenery for filmmakers even though its small in nature.
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3 Day Lake Mburo National Park safari
Requirements for one to film in Lake Mburo National Park
Before filming in Lake Mburo National Park, all film crew members have to obtain permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and a permit, and these have to be applied for by all film crew members in advance. The most common permits that are needed to film in Lake Mburo National Park include:
The Press Accreditation: The press Accreditation is required for each member, and this is a media card that will give you access to areas that are not open to everyone, including national parks. Getting a media card is easy and Encounter Africa Safaris is here to help you get the card through an easy process.
The reason for having the press accreditation card is so that you can gain access to the restricted areas, to be easily identified, and it is proof that you are a professional.
The group of people that is eligible to apply for the press accreditation card include journalism and communication students, photo journalists, media houses and freelance journalists.
The requirements that are needed for one to apply and get a press accreditation card include the following:
- Fill in a form known as Form G and this can be found online via the press accreditation website. This form has to be filled in by every crew member or individuals.
- After filling in the form, you have to attach a certificate of good conduct from your original country and if this is not possible, get a confirmation letter from your embassy indicating reasons as to why it is impossible to get a certificate of good conduct.
- Attach an introduction letter as well from your institute or employer.
- A copy of your Identity card or passport has to be attached to the Form G.
- Two coloured passport-sized photos have to be attached to the form.
- And finally, you have to pay for the accreditation fees, which are $175 per person, valid for a month, $225 per person, valid for up to 6 months and $325 per person, valid for two years. The cost of the press accreditation card is determined by the Uganda Media Council and can be changed at any time.
You also need to apply for a work visa permit using the Uganda Department of Immigration site.
Location filming permit: The location filming permit is extremely important as it will help you gain access to the national park. The filming location permit is required to gain access to the park and help from the park management. Note that extra requests that are made during the shoot will cost extra and you all have to apply for the permit in advance. Some documents are needed when filming in Lake Mburo National Park and these include:
- A copy of your passport or National ID where necessary.
- If travelling in a group, all the names of all crew members.
- Details of the filming location
- An application letter written to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Once your application has been received and approved by UWA, you will receive your filming license and it must be carried at all times throughout the filming process.
- A script and reason why you need to film in Lake Mburo National Park.
- A list of all the equipment that is to be used during the filming.
When sending in the filming permit requests, make sure that they are done at least 3 weeks before the travel date.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority receives the application letter and will acknowledge the receipt of the application in 24 to 48 hours. The application, reviewing and approval of the application can take about 5 working days or more.
Clearing of the filming equipment: The filming equipment has to be cleared at the customs office at your point of entry with the help of a tour company to ease the process. The clearance of the equipment can take 2 to 3 working days, but you need to send pictures of the equipment and make sure that the serial number is visible; the cost of the equipment has to be stated because the cost of clearing the filming equipment is like 10% of the total cost of the kit.
The best way to get the filming equipment into the country is by travelling using the same flight for safety purposes. Contact us at Encounter Africa Safaris to help you with clearance and transportation of your filming equipment.
What to film in Lake Mburo National Park
Animal species: Lake Mburo National Park is home to a variety of wildlife species and these can best be seen during the dry season when they gather around the watering holes to cool off from the heat. Lions in Lake Mburo National Park are extinct but some of the animal species you should look out for include healthy herds of leopards, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, impalas, defassa waterbucks, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, giraffes, Klipspringer, elands, olive baboons, Oribi and plain zebras among others.
Bird species: Lake Mburo National Park is home to a variety of bird species almost 310 bird species, the endemic, near endemic and migratory bird species. The park is considered to be the best place to film bird species like the bare-faced-go-away bird and the black-collared barbet and the best time to spot and film the different bird species is from November to April when the migratory birds are present.
Some of the notable bird species that can be filmed in Lake Mburo National Park include the African finfoot, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Bare-faced go-away-bird, Hairy-breasted barbet, Black-headed gonolek, Mosque Swallow, Papyrus gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal, Papyrus yellow warbler, Lilac-breasted roller, Greater painted-snipe, Carruthers’s cisticola, Brown-chested lapwing, Shoebill, pink-backed pelican, Tabora Cisticola, Ross’s Turaco, White-winged swamp warbler, Southern ground hornbill, Red-faced Barbet, Pennant-winged nightjar, Ruppell’s starling, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, White-winged swamp warbler and yellow-billed oxpecker among others.
The beautiful scenery and vegetation: Lake Mburo National Park offers beautiful and great scenery that is worth filming while on your filming safari in the park. Lake Mburo National Park is made up of open savanna grasslands, marshy areas where you will find the Shoebill and other bird species and Lake Mburo, among others. The rainy season is the best time to capture the beautiful scenery with all the greenery within the park but be ready for muddy and slippery routes.
Activities carried out in Lake Mburo National Park
There are several activities that are carried out in Lake Mburo National Park and these include the following:
Game drives: Game drives are common in Lake Mburo National Park, which allows you to spot the different animals that are found in the national park, and these are led by an experienced and professional guide and armed ranger from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The guides help you identify the different animals that are found in the park, especially in their hiding spots. The three types of game drives that are offered in Lake Mburo NP include day game drives (morning and afternoon drives) and the night drives.
Both the day and night drives take at least two hours each, with the morning drive starting early morning, the afternoon drive at around 2pm, and the night drive starting at around 6:30pm. Note, however, that the duration of the game drives is not fixed and is open for negotiation, and even though the day game drives are part of the park entrance fees, the night drives have to be paid for separately.
Bird watching: Lake Mburo National Park is home to over 310 bird species with both migratory and endemic bird species making it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. Bird watching in the national park is mainly carried out along the swamps of Miriti and Warukiri. There are so many bird species that can be seen in Lake Mburo National Park, and some of these include the black-billed barbet, Nubian woodpeckers, white-winged war and the common quails, among others.
Boat cruises: A boat cruise along Lake Mburo National Park is one of how you can explore the national park and get to see the different wildlife species within the park. During the boat cruise along Lake Mburo, you will be able to spot hippos, buffaloes, zebras, crocodiles and otters among others, and you will also be able to spot several bird species. The duration of the boat cruise is not fixed but will be determined by the guide.
Guided nature walks: The guided nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park can be carried out in any part of the national park, unlike other parks under the guidance of UWA. During the nature walks, tourists can see animal species like zebras, giraffes and other smaller animals while they graze and other animals that you might have missed during the game drive.
The Rubanga Forest Walk is one of the many ways in which you can explore the national park on foot with an experienced guide. The trek starts along the western shores of Lake Mburo, and some of the things that you should expect to see while on this walk include bird species, Acacia and Fig trees, palm trees and Markhamia tree species, among others.
The Kazuma Hill walk will take you to the hill which offers the best and most unique sceneries around the national park, including the rolling hills, wildlife and 14 Lakes. Note that taking a walk in the national park alone is prohibited.
Horseback riding: Horseback riding in Uganda is carried out in Lake Mburo National Park is one of them. Horseback safaris allow tourists to get close to the wild animals in the national park and some of the animals to expect are elands and zebras. The animals will still keep their distance; however, they don’t run away like they do during game drives.
Quad biking: This is one of the activities that is offered in Lake Mburo National Park and since there are few big cats here, it is considered to be one of the best ways of viewing wildlife species within the park. The Quad bike ride will take you through the grazing spots for the zebras. You get to see the locals graze the long-horned Ankole cattle, and it is a good way to get close to nature. Do not forget to carry some drinking water and snacks.
The best time to film in Lake Mburo National Park
Mid-year months, which is from June to September, is considered to be the best time for filming in Lake Mburo NP. However, note that this period attracts a large number of tourists to the country because it is the dry season and is considered to be the best time for safaris in Uganda. You can, however, consider visiting Lake Mburo National Park during the rainy season from March to May and October to November when the valleys within the national park are green with fewer tourists.
Accommodation used while filming in Lake Mburo National Park
Several accommodation facilities are found in Lake Mburo National Park and nearby are divided into three categories: Budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities.
Some of the accommodation facilities you can use include the Mantana Tented Camp, Rwonyo Rest Camp, The Acardia Cottages, Eagle’s Nest Lodge, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Rwakobo Rock, and Mihingo Lodge, among others.
How do I get to Lake Mburo National Park for filming?
Lake Mburo National Park which is located between Kampala and Mbarara, is easy to access from both districts. A drive from Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park is about 4 hours using the Kampala-Mbarara highway. There is a signpost along the road which points you to one of the gates of the national park known as the Nshara gate.
If you are driving from Mbarara, it will take you about 47 kilometres to get to the park headquarters. You drive from Mbarara and when you get to Sanga, you branch off and drive to the Rweshsbeshebe Gate. Note that the road from Sanga to the gate is not tarmac and you will need a 4×4 safari vehicle to get to the park.