Sambiya River Lodge

The Sambiya River Lodge is centrally located in the famous Murchinson Falls National Park and is only 20 minutes from the top of the Falls. It is the perfect location for those who want to experience the unique ambience of Africa. The surrounding leopard country is a mixture of savannah plain and dense forest that supports a variety of wildlife untouched by mass tourism. The park offers stupendous views of the dramatic waterfalls of the Nile River which plunge 45 metres through a narrow 6-metre canyon of boulders.

Rooms
20 thatched rooms

The Rooms

Sambiya River Lodge has made it a priority to be eco-friendly. Solar water heaters provide warm showers. A generator provides electricity in the mornings from the first wake up call until 7am and in the evenings from approximately 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Cottages are equipped with rechargable emergency lights, but clients are advised to carry flashlights and spare batteries with them on safari!
Sambiya River Lodge’s unique charm is in the atmosphere of intimacy provided to the guests. The twenty thatched cottages include either one or two bedrooms with twin or double beds. Each of the 26 bedrooms has its own private bathroom facilities as well as a veranda from which guests can relax and enjoy the tranquility of Africa. Service is friendly and unobtrusive. The staff is proud of their skills and is pleased to be of service. Sambiya River Lodge looks forward to welcoming you for a magical African adventure.
Food & Drink

Coffee or tea on your cottage verandah, watching the sun come up; having a relaxing day resting at the Lodge; cooling off in the pool after a day full of activities; excellent meals, sundowners around the Lodge bar and after dinner drinks by the camp fire are also part of the Sambiya experience. General Facilities
Top of the Falls – This historic site can only be reached from the South Bank and is a 15-20 minute drive from Sambiya River Lodge. Lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, Uganda kob, wart hogs, hyena, and waterbuck have all been seen on this road as well as numerous birds! The dramatic waterfalls plunge 45 metres through a narrow 6 metre canyon of boulders. Visitors can understand why the Falls were traditionally called “PAJOO”, meaning home of the spirits. Once there, they will understand why in 1907 Winston Churchill walked from Masindi town to view the Falls, completing the last three days of his hike in a beekeeper’s veil & gloves to protect him from tsetse flies! It is one of the views that led him to declare Uganda as “the Pearl of Africa”! From the top of the Falls there are fantastic vantage points that the Falls can be viewed from and photographed. Rock pranticoles, go away birds, African harriers, white headed turacos, and palm nut vultures have all been sighted at the top of Murchison Falls.
If you decide to stay at the top of the Falls until dusk (7-7:15pm) you can see thousands of bats exiting the Bat Caves in the area. Birds of prey, like Bat hawks wait for the bats as they fly out and provide exciting bird watching! Monitor lizards, snakes and monkeys also can be seen here.
Recreational Facilities

Chimpanzee tracking and/or Forest Walks
Chimp tracking and walking through the forest at Kaniyo Pabidi (managed by the Jane Goodall Foundation) is a favorite activity of clients. A forty-five minute drive from the Lodge, visitors are led by knowledgeable guides and learn about the fascinating tropical rain forest: home to different species of huge mahogany trees, tropical flora, wild fungi, primates (including the entertaining chimps), 360 bird species and a myriad of butterflies and moths…just to highlight a few. Advance bookings for the various activities are recommended, especially during high seasons. See FAQ section for more tips on tracking.
Birding
Murchison Falls National Park is a veritable paradise for bird watchers. Over 450 species have been recorded and Park rangers claim Sambiya is one of the richest areas for viewing birds in the Conservation Area. Up to forty-five species have been recorded in one hour. Because different spots at Sambiya support a mixed habitat near the Sambiya River, a vast variety of bird species are present year around as well as migratory birds from October through April. The acacia trees in the valley below the main lodge building is populated with various weavers, ibis, gonolek, kingfishers, guinea fowl, kites, hawks. Along the river ibis, storks, heron and eagles have been sighted. Going out on an early morning birding safari on foot from the Lodge with a ranger guide can be an exhilarating experience! Walking out to the main road one sees swifts, swallows, cordon bleus, cistocolas, buntings, bulbuls, bishops, tchagras, warblers, whydahs, kestrels…just to name a few! A birding checklist is available at the Lodge reception desk. Walking safaris
Sambiya has a resident UWA ranger guide who is happy to take guests out on walking safaris. Guides are knowledgeable concerning flora and fauna of the area. It is best to make arrangements 24 hours in advance to avoid disappointment. Early morning and later afternoon walks are cooler and more comfortable. Guests can experience, feel and see the vastness of Africa as the early explorers did! Lion, buffalo, kob, waterbuck, wart hogs, colobus monkeys, baboons and numerous bird species are just some of the wildlife that have been seen in the past.
Fishing
Being the Lodge closest to the top of the Falls and the best fishing pools, Sambiya gets many fishermen as guests. A “regular” recently wrote of a different world destination, “I can’t tell you how many times one or all of us reminisced how nice it was to have a shower and clean sheets a la Sambiya River Lodge after a day’s hard fishing.”
Sambiya River Lodge’s unique charm is in the atmosphere of intimacy provided to the guests. The twenty thatched cottages include either one or two bedrooms with twin or double beds. Each of the 26 bedrooms has its own private bathroom facilities as well as a veranda from which guests can relax and enjoy the tranquility of Africa. Service is friendly and unobtrusive. The staff is proud of their skills and is pleased to be of service. Sambiya River Lodge looks forward to welcoming you for a magical African adventure.
The Lodge has made it a priority to be eco-friendly. Solar water heaters provide warm showers. A generator provides electricity in the mornings from the first wake up call until 7am and in the evenings from approximately 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Cottages are equipped with rechargable emergency lights, but clients are advised to carry flashlights and spare batteries with them on safari! The open fronted lodge allows a panoramic vista of hills as well as game viewing along the Sambiya River and the adjacent grass covered flood plain. The surrounding area is known for viewing numerous species of bird life. For most of the year the park is hot by day and cool by night. A swimming pool offers a break from those hot African afternoons. Floodlights illuminate the river area after dark so that one can see as well as listen to the sounds of the African night before retiring.
The Sambiya River Lodge is centrally located in the famous Murchinson Falls National Park and is only 20 minutes from the top of the Falls. It is the perfect location for those who want to experience the unique ambience of Africa. The surrounding leopard country is a mixture of savannah plain and dense forest that supports a variety of wildlife untouched by mass tourism. The park offers stupendous views of the dramatic waterfalls of the Nile River which plunge 45 metres through a narrow 6-metre canyon of boulders.