Semuliki National Park : Semuliki National Park is one of the newest national parks located in western Uganda which was gazetted in 1993. It’s bordered by the Democratic republic of Congo with in the western Arm of the East African Rift valley covering an area of about 220 sq. Kilometres. The park encompasses Tooro-Semliki wildlife Reserve with a mix of tropical rainforest and grassy savannah intersecting with flat plains. The park is an Extension of the Ituri Forest which makes it one of the best areas with Fauna and Flora.
Attractions in Semuliki National Park
Sempaya Hot springs
Semuliki national park has one of the prominent attractions which are Hot springs. There are two hot springs i.e., the Female Hot spring Nyasimbi and the male Hot spring called Bitende which covers about 12 metres. Tourists who visit this area get experiments such as boiling foods such as eggs, Potatoes, banana among others since the water from these hot springs are very hot.
Birdlife
Semuliki national park is one of the best birding stops in Uganda with over 450 Bird Species. The park has a diverse vegetation cover which acts as habitats for different bird species with a good checklist for birds which is impressive to the Birders. These species include White-crested Hornbill, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Gabon Woodpecker , Spotted, Lyre-tailed , Piping Hornbill, Yellow-throated Cuckoo , Yellow-throated Nicator, Great blue and Ross’s Turacos, Congo Serpent Eagle, long tailed hawk, Nkulenga Rail, Black-wattled Hornbill, Lyre-tailed honeyguide, buff-spotted Fluff tail, African Wood Owl, African Goshawk, Red-thighed and Great Sparrows, Ayres Hawk-Eagle , Ituri Batis, Maxwell’s Black weaver, Red-billed Helmet-shrike, Swamp Palm Bulbul and Crested Malimbe
Wildlife
Semuliki National park inhabits a variety of wildlife which includes over 70 mammals such as Elephants, Water bucks, Civets, Target Rat, Antelopes, Flying Squirrels, Kobs , Leopards , pygmy Hippos among others . The park also has 9 primate species which include Chimpanzees, Black and red-tailed monkeys, Olive Baboons, Blue monkeys, Vervet, Grey checked mangabey etc
Batwa
Batwa cultural experience is one of the most stunning attractions in Semuliki National Park. These are commonly known as the Bambuti pygmies. These live on both sides of the Semuliki River, these people are close relatives to the Basu pygmies of the Democratic republic of Congo.
Activities in Semuliki National Park
Game Drives
The Game drives in the park are very interesting as they take you through the savannah field in Semuliki valley. The game drives in the park take about 3 to 4 hrs. Game drives are done in the morning from 6:00am, evening from 3:00pm a Night game drives. During game drives in the park, you will spot wildlife such as Leopards, forest elephants, pygmy antelopes, Primates such chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus monkey and lions as well as bird species such as Nkulengu Rail, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Bates’ Nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-crested, Black Dwarf, Red-billed Dwarf, Piping and Black-Wattled Hornbills, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Spotted, Lyre-tailed
Bird Watching
Semuliki National Park is a popular bird spot for bird lovers. The bird species here include African Piculet, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed Malimbe, Yellow-throated Nicator, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Nkulengu Rail, Piping Hornbill, blue-billed malimbe, Yellow-throated Cuckoo and Leaf-love
In the Semuliki national park there is also Nocturnal Bird watching around Sempaya. The Birds to spot include buff-spotted Fluff tail, African Wood Owl, African Goshawk, Red-thighed and Great Sparrows, Ayres Hawk-Eagle and Cassin’s Spine tail are seen.
Visiting Sempaya Hot Springs
Paying a visit to Sempaya hot springs is an adventurous and wonderful experience that helps you appreciate the power and creativity of God. While visiting the hot springs you get to witness hot water bubbling which steams up to 2 meters high where local people and tourists cook food and eggs on the hot pool water from the springs.
Nature walks / Hiking
Nature walks in semuliki national park are done in the Ituri forest which is part of the park. Nature walks and hiking in the forests are done by a professional tour guide. During nature walks you get to encounter birds, primates and other wildlife in the park. This should not be missed because tourists get the up-close view of these fauna and flora
Cultural Experiences
Batwa cultural experience takes the tourists through their way of ancient life of the life. During cultural tours with the Batwa, you will get to know their way of living, the way the eat, their traditional cultural dances etc
Chimpanzee tracking
Semuliki national park is covered by the lowland forests which is a home of the primates especially chimpanzees. The chimpanzees can be spotted on the tree tops jumping. There is also Chimpanzee habituation experience in the park.
Best Time to visit Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park is open throughout the year and can be visited any time. However, the best time to visit the park are during the dry seasons of April – June and July – September. During these dry months, driving through Semuliki National Park is easier to navigate because of less mud. The rainy season which falls between December – March and October to November cause difficulty navigating through the park
Getting to Semuliki National Park
The park can be accessed both by Road and by Air.
By Road: form kampala to Fort Potal is 300km. There are two roads from Kampala to the park. One can use the 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 which takes 7 to 8 hours.
By Air: Domestic flights can be organized to Semuliki National Park. Clients can fly from Entebbe International Airport to Semuliki airstrip which takes on 2 hours.
Accommodations in Semuliki National Park
Semuliki national park has a wide range of accommodations. These range from mid-range accommodations, Budget accommodations and Luxury Accommodations. These include;
UWA Bandas Guest House, Kirimia GuestHouse, Mountains of the moon Hotel, Ntoroko Game Lodge, Nyati Game Lodge, Semuliki Safari Lodge, Local shoe string lodges, Hotel Vanila et
