Karuma Falls

Karuma Falls: One of the most breathtaking sights for tourists visiting Murchison Falls National Park is Karuma Falls. The name Karuma Falls comes from the indigenous Luo language and means “Great Spirit.” The locals think that the ghost placed the rocks that the water falls on to create Karuma Falls’ white waters. Karuma Falls is located at the intersection of the Kampala-Gulu expressway and the Nile River. The falls are located around 97 kilometers northeast of Masindi Town on the route. However, Karuma Falls is located 77 kilometers south of Gulu, the biggest city in northern Uganda.

The new power dam with modern technologies was built at the falls. With a hydroelectric generating capacity of about 600 megawatts, the Karuma power station is the biggest power plant in Uganda. The falls were located at longitude 32.246390 and latitude 2.234167. It is 1000 meters above sea level on average. According to a 2013 Ugandan media source, the government of Uganda was planning to build a large metropolis to enclose the Karuma Falls power plant.

In the past, the Karuma Falls Bridge was built in 1963 to facilitate river crossing for cotton producers in northern Uganda. Karuma Bridge proved to be a dangerous area for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, despite the bridge’s significance to the cotton producers. Many people who used to cross from this location to northern Uganda were killed by the rebels when they blocked the bridge. But in 2007, Uganda’s military drove the insurgents to the Congo, putting an end to this atrocity.

Along the Arua Pakwach Highway, the Karuma Falls are also fantastic from Karuma Bridge. Observing the swift Nile river flowing across the bridge is a favorite pastime of visitors to northern Uganda. The pressure with which the water strikes the rough rocks on the riverbed at Karuma Point creates the white water of Karuma Falls. When crossing the bridge, some bus drivers slow down, giving passengers a chance to see the falls as well as several baboons and black-and-white monkeys.

Visitors who travel the Kampala Pakwach Road to the northern portion of Murchison Falls primarily visit Karuma Falls. However, it is open to everyone, even those who visit the southern portion of the park. From Masindi, visitors can travel by ferry or by foot to Karuma Falls, which is located in the northeastern section of Murchison Falls National Park.

NOTE: The great explorer John Speke traveled close to these falls while looking for the Nile’s source, which is why they are considered a prominent landmark in Uganda.

 

You can add a visit to the falls to your one-day plan for Murchison Falls National Park. The sounds at the falls truly capture the vitality of the natural world. Karuma Falls is a great place to shoot pictures. Maybe you may also go to Karuma Town and take in the road journey while discovering the locals’ way of life.

Accommodation

The cost of lodging at Karuma Falls will vary on the traveler’s budget because there are many affordable, mid-range, and upscale lodging options in Murchison Falls National Park. Some of the resorts include:

Among these are Red Chili Camp, Boomu Women’s Group Camp, Nile Safari Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Baker’s Lodge, Yebo Safari Lodge, and Uganda Wildlife Campsite.