Semuliki National Park

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Semuliki National Park sprawls across the floor of the Semuliki Valley on the remote, Western side of the Rwenzori Mountains. The park is part of the Guinea-Congo biome, the only lowland semi-deciduous forest in Uganda with a spectacular scenic beauty enhanced by the presence of hot springs at Sempaya. It is characterised by several endemic and endangered species dominated by the Eastern most extension of one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests of the Congo Basin. While Semuliki’s species have been accumulating for over 25,000 years, the park contains evidence of even older processes, hot springs bubble up from the depths to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years.

Semuliki Forest Reserve was created in 1932 and upgraded to national park status in 1993.

Activities

The reserve is known to host about 400 bird species.The permanent wetland in neighbouring Rwangara CWA area is a habitat to the endangered Shoebill Stork. The area can easily be accessed on water through Lake Albert.

Game Drives

Three tracks cross the savanna grassland of Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve. Smaller forest and larger savannah elephants are regularly seen along with buffalo, waterbuck, crocodile, warthog and Uganda kob. With luck you may even see pygmy hippopotami, leopards and elusive bush babies.

Primate/Forest walks

During the enjoyable 4-6 hour guided nature walks in the gallery of Mugiri forest you are likely to see chimps and other primates as well as birds, elephants, buffalo and occasionally a lion, Chimps are commonly found during the rainy season when food is abundant.

Boat trips on Lake Albert offer excellent opportunities to see rare shoe bill stork, shore birds, hippos and the rift valley escarpment sharp drop into Lake Albert.