Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park is one of the richest areas of floral and faunal diversity in Africa, with bird species being especially diverse, covers an area of about 220 square kilometers on Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the Albertine Rift, the western arm of the East African Rift in Bundibugyo District.

Semuliki National Park is a beautiful place to visit since it’s located on the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains of about 180km from Kampala city a 4-5 hour drive, this area is habitat to civets, numerous bird species and primates, some of which can be found along the Semuliki River. It has beautiful fascinating attractions within the Park such as hot springs, the tropical rain forest walk, bird watching, primate viewing and the twisting river Semuliki and so on.

Wildlife

Semuliki National Park harbors over 60 mammal species, ranging from widespread forest dwellers such as elephant and chimp to the rather more localized De Brazza’s monkey, leopards, hippos, bush babies, civets, elephants and pygmy antelope, 7 species of small mammals have not been recorded in other parks and almost 300 butterfly species.

Bird Species

For bird lovers, Semuliki Valley is a great place to see bird species with over 560 recorded in Semuliki National Park. There are also many birds found in this area that is normally found in the Congo region of Africa but also some that are only found in the Albertine Western Rift which includes Spot-breasted Ibis, Hartlaub’s, Duck, chestnut-flanked Goshawk, red-thighed sparrow hawk, long-tailed hawk, forest francolin. Nkulengu rail, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, black collared Lovebird, yellow-throated cuckoo, red chested Owlet, Bates’ nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf kingfishers, White-crested black Dwarf, Piping and Black-wattled Hornbills, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, spotted, lyre-tailed, and Zenker’s Honeyguides, African Piculet, Gabon woodpecker, Red-sided Broadbill, white-throated Blue swallow, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Sassi’s olive, Xavier’s swamp, simple and eastern bearded Greenbuls, yellow-throated.

Best time to visit

Dry season is the best time to visit Semuliki national park. The two dry seasons are from December to February and from June to July. In this season vegetation is thin and animals gather at waterholes, making them easy to spot, chimpanzee trekking is easy because of drier trails.

Getting there

Kampala-Fort Portal via Mubende is about 180km, or a 4-5 hour drive, making it the shortest route and Kampala-Fort Portal via Masaka, Mbarara and Kasese is longer at 465km (7-8 hrs). This route offers the chance to stop along the way at Lake Mburo National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, Rwenzori Mountains National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Activities

Visit The Hot Springs

Visiting the two hot springs is quite amazing; it gives you another view of the world and its attraction. The hot springs have a high temperature of around 100 Degrees Celsius, the female hot spring is called Nyasimbi and is a boiling geyser which spurts out bubbling water and steam about 2 meters into the air and the male hot-spring Bitende is about 12 meters in diameter such hot springs host some rare bird species which you can still observe here.

Nature Walk

Walking through the jungle is the one of the most interesting activity while in Semuliki National Park with its numerous trails, such trails have eye-catching attractions include bird species, mammals, butterfly and so on depending on which trail your descending too. Such primates include buffaloes, elephants, sitatungas, leopards, primates, bush pig, Water Chevrotain, White-bellied Duiker or Dwarf Antelope, Beecroft’s Anomalure or Zenker’s Flying Mouse and a wide range of forest such this makes it impressive to encounter while on your safari in Semuliki National Park.

Bird Watching

Bird Species at Semuliki National Park consist of the Broad-billed Roller, Green Wood-hoopoe, African Grey Hornbill, African Moustached Warbler, rapacious Red-necked Falcon, Black-winged Red-Bishop, White-winged Widowbird and Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Double-toothed Barbet, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Green-backed Eremomela, Piapiac, Black-chinned Quail-Finch, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, and Western Violet-backed Sunbird, the list is endless.

Game Drive

Being home of forest elephants and buffaloes which are smaller versions of their savanna-dwelling relatives, it also harbors large animals and lions, leopards and pygmy antelopes, which is a stimulating rhapsodic experience, it is the kind of the palce you go to not only to get immersed in.