Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park is found in western Uganda in the district of Bundibugyo which lies on Uganda’s border with DR Congo. The park is bordered by Lake Albert in the northern side and the Rwenzori Mountains on the south Eastern side. Two rivers, Lamia and Semuliki are found at the parks borders. Semuliki National Park lies on relatively flat land making it prone to flooding when the Park Rivers receive too much rain during the wet season.

Semuliki begun as a forest reserve in 1932 and was made a national park in 1993 mainly to curb deforestation. Semuliki National Park is often confused with the Semuliki Wildlife Reserve which is adjacent to the park. The forests in Semuliki are an extension of the great Ituri Forest that stretches all the way to the River Zaire. This extension implies that many of the tree and animal species found in Central Africa can be found in the park.

Why visit Semuliki national park?

Semuliki is well known as a top birding destination in Uganda. The park has over 410 species of birds. About 67 percent of the species are forest birds like the Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Capuchin Babbler, Dwarf Honey guide, Forest Ground Thrush and many others.

There are 60 species of mammal in the park among which include the bay duiker, Beecroft’s Anomalure, flying squirrels, bush babies, bush pigs, civets, Dwarf Antelope, elephants, fruit bats, Fire-footed Rope squirrel, forest buffalos, pygmy hippos, leopards, Little collard fruit Bat, mona monkeys, pygmy flying squirrel, Red-legged Sun Squirrel, Sitatunga, target rats, water chevrotains, water bucks, warthogs, Uganda Kob, White-bellied Duiker and the Zenker’s Flying Mouse. About 300 species of butterflies and 8 of primates can be found in the park forests like blue monkeys, chimpanzees, De Brazza’s Monkeys, Guereza Colobus, vervet monkeys and olive baboons.

Things to do in Semuliki National Park

Tourists interested in visiting Semuliki can choose to go for forest walks, birdwatching, primates watching, visiting the two hot springs, hiking and game drives. A cultural visit to one of the local tribes living outside the park should not be missed for a complete safari in Semuliki National Park.

Visiting the Sempaya Hot Springs

There is a female and male hot spring. The Male hot spring is about 12 meters in diameter and is called Bintente while the female in Nyasimbi. Boiling geyser gushes out steam and bubbling water several meters high and can be seen more than 1 kilometer away. The water gushing out is hot enough to boil eggs in ten minutes. In the past the people living in the forest would use the hot springs to cook food but this has been limited by the park management to allow tourists visit the place. As visitors head towards the hot springs, they encounter several species of birds and small primates climbing up and down the trees. The park authorities have built a tower and boardwalk for observing the hot springs at a safe distance. Local tribes usually organize cultural dances to entertain visitors who have come to see the hot springs. Apart from the hot springs, birds and primates, visitors can also visit the Mungiro Falls or go for a forest walk nearby.

Visiting the Semuliki River

Semuliki River is about 160 kilometers long. This muddy forest river is one of the water bodies that supply water to the great river Nile. The river is home to crocodiles, hippos and hundreds of birds. Visitors love taking long walks to follow the river as it meanders through forests and rift valley flours.

Forest and Nature Walks

One of the popular activities in the park is taking a walk in the forest jungles to spot the vegetation, birds, butterflies and primates. Forest Walks usually begin from around the Sempaya park gate ending at the hot springs. There are three established walking trails in the park. One of them is the Sempaya Nature trail which is 8 km long, the Red-monkey track of about 11 km and the Kirumia Hiking trail of 13 Kilometers. Hikers need to carry rudimentary items like machete to cut overgrown vegetation as they clear paths in the forest. Visitors interested in camping in the forest need to come with their own equipment.

Game drives

Game drives in Semuliki National Park offer opportunities to spot over 52 mammals already mentioned. The park has three major tracks used for game drives that pass through the savannah plains of the park. Both day and night game drives are arranged by staff in the park. Visitors need to come with a good four wheel drive vehicle to pass through the more difficult sections of the park particularly during the rainy season.

Chimpanzee tracking

The Indiana University habituated some clans of Chimpanzee that are now open for tourism. While tracking the chimpanzees, visitors should also expect to spot smaller primates like the Black and white Colobus monkeys, Central African red colobus, Dent’s Mona monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, Olive baboons and Red-tailed monkeys among many others. It is important to come prepared with the right clothing and equipment to protect against stinging insects, sharp tree branches and thorns.

Cultural visits and experiences

The area around the National park is home to by four indigenous tribes. Visitors can choose to visit any of the four tribes living in the edges of the park. The Batwa pygmies are hunters and forest gatherers while the Bakonjo and Bamba grow crops on the slopes of the mount Rwenzori. The Batuku live in the northern section of the park as pastoralists. Tourism and modernization is changing the lives of these tribes and particularly the Batwa. The Batwa used to live freely in the forests of Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo but have been relocated to areas outside the national parks. Some of the Batwa in Semuliki National Park have been resettled in an area near Ntandi with the help of a Christian organization but with little success as they still find themselves longing for their old way of life in the forest. Some of the Batwa with support from the Uganda Wildlife Authority showcase their cultural heritage to visitors through dance and storytelling.

Birdwatching

Semuliki National Park is one of the best places for birdwatching in Uganda. Semuliki National Park has half of the bird species found in the Democratic Republic of Congo because the park is an extension of the greater Ituri forest of the DR Congo which stretches up to river Zaire. This extension allows species from central Africa to move up to Semuliki National Park. Birding in the park can be done in the forest, around the Sempaya hot springs or behind the rangers post. Apart from species already mentioned earlier, others include the African Dwarf Kingfishers, African Piculet, Bates’ Nightjar, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Black-collared Lovebird, Black-wattled Hornbills, African Goshawk, Ayres Hawk-Eagle and many more.

Where to stay at Semuliki National Park?

The park has variety of safari lodges where tourists can lodge comfortably on their safari in Semuliki National Park and these range from mid-range accommodation facilities to luxury lodges. These facilities include Semuliki Safari Lodge, Kyaninga lodge, Ntoroko game lodge, Hotel Vanilla and others.

The best time to visit Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park is opened throughout the year. However, the best months to visit are during the dry seasons of April to June and July to September. During these dry months, driving through the park is easier because of less mud. The rainy season which falls between December to March and October to November cause difficulty navigating through the park. Some sections of the park become flooded as the rains fill up the rivers.

How to access Semuliki National Park?

The journey from Kampala to Fortportal by road is 300 km. There are two roads from Kampala to the park. One can use the shorter Kampala to Fort Portal road via Mubende which takes between four to five hours or use the longer route from Kampala through the towns of Kasese, Mbarara and Masaka. This longer journey offers opportunities to see some of Uganda’s great national parks like Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Mburo. Once one reaches Fort Portal town it takes about 52 kilometers to reach the junction leading to the park from the main highway. One needs a good 4WD to pass through the park roads especially during the wet season.