Paraa Safari Lodge was established in 1954 in Murchison Falls National Park, in the north west of Uganda, and looks over the Nile on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. Upstream, the river is forced through a gorge only six metres wide and falls 43 metres at Murchison Falls, one of the most powerful flows of water anywhere. The lodge's safari décor recalls the age of the early explorers with a modern touch, and every room has a balcony and a private bathroom, from Classic and Deluxe Rooms to Superior Rooms, a cottage and tents, all with a view of the river. The pool looks over the winding Nile, and the Captain's Table is the restaurant. Activities run from game drives and birding, with some 451 species recorded, to boat trips along the river to the foot of the Falls, hikes to the top, fishing, nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, bush breakfasts and hot-air balloon flights. The lodge notes that the river here was a backdrop to John Huston's film The African Queen, with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and that Churchill and Hemingway both passed this way. It is run by Marasa Africa.
- Nearest airport
- Not given on the sources read
- Rooms
- 57: 53 rooms, three tents and one cottage
Insider tip Take the boat trip up the Nile to the foot of the Falls, then hike to the top for the view through the spray.
Why I choose it A lodge of 1954 above the Nile in Murchison Falls, with a pool over the river and boats to the foot of the Falls.