Semuliki national park.
Semuliki National Park is one of the Africa’s most bio-diverse forests, and beyond it lies the Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve with the open savannah grassland and riverine forest. Semuliki national park is visited by the low numbers of the visitors. The park is known for its unique attractions like the bird species, Sempaya hot springs and others. The park is best explored in foot given the numerous trails that takes the visitors through the ancient forest and the papyrus swamps for birding and to the Sempaya hot springs. Semuliki national park is located in western part of Uganda and covers an area of 220 square kilometers with 670 to 760 above the sea level. The park was established in 1993.
Attractions in Semuliki national park.
Sempaya hot springs.
Sempaya hot springs are the most outstanding attractions in Semuliki national park. Sempaya hot springs are the main reason to why the travelers visit the park on a Uganda safaris because it has an experience of a life time recommended for anyone to experience.
Bird species.
Semuliki national park is a home of the lots of bird species that means that the park is a true birding haven for the bird lovers. Semuliki national park inhabits various bird species that are over 450 that represents about 40% of the total number of bird species in the country. Some of the bird species that are found in the park includes red-bellied, Red-eyed puff back, Black winged starling, Red-billed Helmet shrike, Lyre tailed Honeyguide, Ituris Batis and among others.
Animal species.
Semuliki national park is the stunning safari destination that offers the large population of the animal species. The park boasts animal species like forest elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, crocodiles, pygmy hippopotami, leopards, bush babies, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees’ waterbucks and among others. There is another place of interest outside called Toro-Semuliki wildlife reserve that is known as the old game reserve in Uganda where chimpanzee trekking take place.
Semuliki River.
Semuliki River in Semuliki national park is the most attractive one that is 160 kilometers long river and it flows from the Rwenzori mountains and it pours it into Lake Albert and finally into River Nile, the longest river. On a safari in Semuliki national park that’s where tourists can spot the animal species like hippos, crocodiles and various bird species including the historical shoebill stork and among others.
Activities to do in Semuliki National Park.
Visiting Sempaya Hot Spring.
Semuliki National Park is an incredible safari destination that is everyone’s naturalist dream. Exploring the Sempaya Hot springs the main attraction in the park that is there is ‘’male’’ springs also known as Bintente that measures 12 meters in diameter located in the lush swampy clearing where as there is also ‘’female’’ springs Nyasimbi that means the female ancestors where it has the boiling rate of over 1030C that spurs bubbling water and steam and reach up to two meters high. Local people used to come their food like matooke, eggs from the hot springs. Visiting the Sempaya hot springs is the best safari experience in Semuliki National Park.
Chimpanzee trekking in Toro-Semuliki wildlife reserve.
Chimpanzee trekking is the popular safari activity that takes place in Toro-Semuliki wildlife reserve, in the dry forest as this makes the chimpanzees to move far and wide in locating and securing enough food which makes it a bit challenging to find the chimpanzees in the reserve during the trekking, but after finding them it becomes a fascinating while observing the chimpanzees in their habitants. As the chimpanzee trekking can be joined by the team of researchers on a primates’ walk in the forest.
Bird watching.
Semuliki National Park is fully known as the birder’s haven with diverse numbers of the bird species that makes bird watching perfect in the park. Semuliki National Park has some of the bird species in the park that includes Black-collared Lovebird, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Red-thighed Sparrow hawk, Red-sided Broadbill, Sassi’s Olive, African Piculet, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, and Ituris Batis and among others.
Game drives in Toro Semuliki Game reserve.
Game driving in Semuliki National Park is the adventurous and the magical spotting of the African wildlife in the park. Game drives takes place in Toro Semuliki Reserve close to Semuliki National Park. The reserve has got the basic tracks that do cross the savannah grassland of Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve. This is where the tourists experience or spot the attractive animal species in the reserve from the open safari vehicle with the presence of well experienced safari guide. Some of the African species to be spotted includes leopards, Uganda kobs, warthog, waterbuck, buffalo, Forest Elephants and others. Then during the night game drives that’s when the travelers get to spot the nocturnal animal species in the reserve like bush babies, white-tailed mongoose and others.
Cultural and community experience.
Tourists who visit Semuliki National Park experience the cultural experience which is one of the very interesting Uganda safari activity in the park. Visitors engage themselves and visit the Batwa hunter-gatherers that are the dependent on Semuliki forest for food, shelter, medicine, tools. This is where the locals entertains the visitors with their music and dance performances at Ntandi. Visitors can get themselves the handicrafts for souvenirs from cultural village or a boma built so that Batwa can demonstrate how they used to live in the forest, as well you can opt an experience of community walks.
Nature walks and forest walks.
Semuliki National Park offers the tourists with the wilderness this is the travelers do explore the park on foot with the presence of well experienced safari guide where you can have the ultimate and thrilling safari experiences where you adventure the different trails like Kirumia Nature walks Trail. That takes you in the heart of the park of the forest this is the best safari moment where you experience and watch the colourful bird species in the park, also you can take the red monkey track where you get to spot the rare deBrazza’s monkey to the Semuliki River.