Semuliki National Park is located in the western region of Uganda in Bundibugyo District. It lies on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It covers an estimated area of approximately 219 square kilometres and is located in the Albertine Rift of the western arm of the East African Rift Valley. The Park is home to diverse ecosystems ranging from lowland tropical rainforests to thick savannah vegetation cover. This Park is known for being a nature haven for various bird species and the Sempaya hot springs.
History of the Park
During the Belgian colonial rule in Congo in the early 20th century, the Semuliki region was under the Ituri Forest Reserve. After the formation of the borders, Semuliki fell to Uganda, but the British government in Uganda preserved it as a Semuliki Forest Reserve.
After Uganda had gained independence, the Forest Reserve was later elevated to national park status. In 1993, Semuliki Game Reserve was gazetted as a national park to protect the diverse ecosystems and cultural heritage.
Semuliki National Park is home to the only lowland tropical rainforest in East Africa. It lies in the Semuliki Valley on the western side of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
The area around Semuliki National Park is largely dominated by the four ethnic groups of people that live harmoniously in different physical settings. These ethnic groups of people, including the Batuku cattle keepers, live on the Semuliki open plains.
The Bakonjo are traditional cultivators who have adapted to stay on the slopes of the Rwenzori mountains. The Bwamba people are also cultivators and farmers who occupy the floor of Mount Rwenzori. The last group that lives in the area are the Batwa pygmies.
These stay at the edges of the forests, surviving in the natural forest by gathering food and hunting. Be sure to check out and engage with these groups through interactions while on a Ugandan safari tour in the Park, and you will be left in amazement and wonder.
What to see in Semuliki National Park?
What is so special about Semuliki National Park? Well, sit tight as we take you through what you can expect while on a Ugandan safari tour in Semuliki National Park.
Sempaya Hot Springs
Sempaya Hot Springs are the major tourist attraction in Semuliki National Park. It is located at the edge of the park bordering Congo’s Ituri Forest Reserve. Hot springs are formed when underground magma heats the water that flows out to the surface through vents in the ground.
Sempaya Hot Springs is divided into two sections: the male and female hot springs. The male hot spring is in a swampy area measuring approximately 12 meters in diameter, and is known as Bintente.
The female hot spring is known as Nyasimbi, which boils water over 100 degrees Celsius. The steam from Nyasimbi can be spotted from afar due to the heat produced by the hot spring. Visiting this park while on a Uganda safari will surely leave you with unforgettable memories.
Bird species found in Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park is one of the best birding destinations in Africa. The park is a natural haven for approximately 441 bird species, with 23 Albertine rift endemics. It is also home to forest bird species, migratory bird species, and over 35 Guinea Congo biome. Long-tailed hawks, white-bellied kingfishers, capuchin babblers, white-tailed hornbills, yellow-throated cuckoos, and purple-breasted sunbirds, among others,
Wildlife
The Park consists of over 60 species of mammals scattered across different ecosystems. Among the mammals in the park, there are forest elephants, Uganda kob, waterbucks, buffaloes, and leopards, to mention but a few.
The park also houses some primate species among the 60 mammals, and they include chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, and olive baboons, among others and also harbours the night shift primates, that is, the patas and galagos. These two can only be spotted active in the night hours. Many tourists and researchers have visited and still visit the park for adventure and research purposes.
Community tours at Semuliki National Park are a must-do for many tourists on a Uganda safari. Community tours are usually done as a form of research by many researchers interested in studying the livelihood of people living close to wild animals.
Community tours can also be done for leisure purposes by interacting with the local people and seeing how they live and survive. Some of the communities often visited by tourists in Semuliki National Park include the Rwebisengo community and the Ntoroko fishing community, among others.
What to do in Semuliki National Park?
Visiting the Sempaya Hot Springs
Visiting the Sempaya Hot Springs in Semuliki National Park while on a Ugandan safari experience will not leave you the same. The two hot springs offer different experiences as you get closer to them. Nyasimbi, the female, shoots the 100 degrees Celsius boiling water in the air, with the steam spotted over a kilometre away. Bintente, the gentle 12-meter diameter, is a male hot spring that will also leave you in awe and marvel at the beauty of Mother Nature.
Bird watching in Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park is an important birding area in Uganda, harbouring up to 441 bird species. Do not miss out on a chance to witness some of the 23 Albertine endemics that have decided to make Semuliki National Park their home. While on a safari experience in Uganda, visit the Park and see firsthand the Migratory bird species from neighbouring Congo, as well as the 35 Guinea-Congo biome species. Trust me, you would not miss these birds for the world while on a safari experience.
Cultural Encounters
Take a community tour around Semuliki National Park and get a chance to hang out with the locals of the area. Visit the Rwebisengo community of the Batuku pastoralists and enjoy the relationship they share with their cattle. Sit and listen to the tales of the elders as they take you through the ancient history of their forefathers. The Batwa community tour experience will leave you wondering and questioning your survival skills after witnessing the livelihood of the keepers of the forest.
Nature walks and hikes
Breathe in the fresh, pure air of the forest and swamps during nature walks and hikes in Semuliki National Park while on a Ugandan safari tour. This is the best way to exercise and put your physicality to the test as you observe beautiful scenes of Mother Nature and listen to the chants of primates and melodies from the singing birds.
Game Viewing
During game viewing in Semuliki National Park, you will get to witness some wildlife out in the wild in the comfort of your vehicle. Elephants, buffalo, hippos, giant hogs, and Uganda Kobs, among others, are some of the commonly spotted animals that you will get an opportunity to see while on a game drive. Game viewing is best done in the dry months of December to February and from June to July because the Park is in a lowland area that often floods in the wet season.
Where to stay in Semuliki National Park?
The accommodation facilities in and around Semuliki National Park are all affordable, depending on your preference. They vary in size and location as well as price levels from budget, midrange, to luxury. Book yourself a stay in the park to enjoy a chilly night under the canopy of primates and the melodies of the birds. You can also enjoy a quiet night around a campfire outside the park. Some of the accommodation facilities in the park include Semuliki Safari Lodge, Nyati Game Lodge, and Hotel Vanilla, to mention but a few.
How to access to Semuliki National Park?
The Park is strategically located on the main highway from Fort Portal to Bundibugyo, which makes it easy to access and can be easily accessed by both road and air transport. Travelling to Semuliki National Park by road is the most popular and cheapest means of travel. It can take you approximately 6 hours to travel a 372-kilometre journey from Kampala.
Travelling from Kampala to the park by air transport takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to fly directly to Semuliki Airstrip. This is the quickest way to the park. The domestic flight industry in Uganda has improved with the emergence of private flight companies. Flights begin from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip and go directly to Semuliki Airstrip.
What is the best time to visit Semuliki National Park?
The park is never off the business all year. The best time to visit depends on the activities you wish to engage in. For instance, the dry season – the months of December to February and June to September presents to best time for game viewing. Nature walks and hikes are also favourably done during this season.
The wet season, however, presents the best time for birding since it is the favourable time to spot some unique migratory bird species.
Conclusion
Semuliki National Park is a place blessed beyond imagination. From the rolling, steep slopes of the Rwenzori mountains, the park is jealously gifted with vast attractions of flora and fauna. The dangerously beautiful Sempaya Hot Springs that boil all day long, the various bird species, wildlife, and cultures, to mention but a few, around the park, attract visitors from far and wide.
There are various activities of game viewing, birding, and hiking, among others, to engage in all offered at the park. Plan your best to come and visit Semuliki National Park, turn your dreams into memories and leave the fantasy world for reality.
