SEMULIKI NATIONAL PARK
A 7-8 hours Journey from Kampala via Masaka via Mbarara through Kasese to Fortportal .Then a 2-3 hours drive to Bundibugyo.This is the most interesting route that you don’t feel the distance of about 465 kilometers due to the interesting scenaries raonging from the equator as you trail past the Queen Elizabeth National Park,Lake Mburo ,Rwenzori Mountains and the western rift valley. However, there is a shorter route from Kampala via Mubende which takes about 4-5 hours to get to fortportal and then the Route bundinungyo. This is not as interesting because there is nothing much to view .
ABOUT THE PARK
Located in the Western Region of Uganda ,in Bundibugyo District in Bwamba county and among the newest national parks was established in 1993 in abid to protect the forests as an integral part of the protected areas of the western rift valley.This park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and it lies along the Ugandan Border to the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is part of the Ituri Forest of the DRC which is a lowland jungle ,bordered by the Rwenzori Mountains in the South East and Lake Albert in the Northern part of the Park.
ACCOMODATION
There are variety of places to get accommodation facilities and these cater for the Upscale and the budget traveler and these include ;Semuliki Safari Lodge,Ntoroko game lodge,Crater safari lodge,Bamuga camp site among others.
WHY SHOULD SEMULIKI PARK BE ON YOUR MUST SEE LIST
Whenever the word Semuliki is said ,one thing runs to everyone’s mind,the HOT SPRINGS. This is the main and most exciting event in this park much as other activities take place since this can only be got here nowhere else.
Most of the locals refer to these springs as Sempaya however, it was a Kiswahili word Sehemu Mbaya(meaning difficult side).Owing to the steep rocks and terrain during the construction of the fort portal and bundibugyo road along the ridges of Rwenzori Mountain.
ORIGIN OF THE HOTSPRINGS
Geographically,geothermal heat that boils underground to bring about the offsprings .However, the locals have avery different story to tell.
The INDIGENOUS people
The Bamaga clan in particular,according to their leader ,is that the Bamaga women had gone to fetch firewood from the forest when they saw a hairly man dressed in a bark cloth,with a spear and a dog moving in a zigzag motion around that location.The women told their husbands whoc picked the man up and named him Biteete and got for him a wife. The man continued with his hunting not until one day he went to hunt and never returned. Three days later they looked for him and at the present day Male hot spring found a spear but no traces of the man or his dog.
The villagers came back to inform the wife Nyasimbi who ran to the forest never to return as well, in search of her whereabouts, they found her clothes at the present day female hot spring. The Bamaga people call them their ancestors and they perform annual rituals to appease their ancestors with the permission of the park authorities.
THE MALE HOT SPRING /BITEETE SPRING
An hours trail to the pool of hot water .the path to the spring leads you through a patch of forest where red monkeys,mangabey monkeys,black and white colubus monkeys are common. On this trail there is a tree house that provides an aerial view of the park.
THE FEMALE HOT SPRING/ NYASIMBI
This is a 30minute walk through the palm forest to the inner female spring and it is dominated by a boiling geyser which forms a 0.5meter high fountain.The temperatures reach 100degrees celcius.Come see water bubbling ,aminals salt licking and the shoe bill stork every birders dream.
On this spring the hungry visitors can boil their eggs and also their green plantain.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Much as the major activity is Visiting the hot springs but while at the park you can do a boat cruise along with Lake Albert which can give you a closer view of the water animals like the hippopotamus, crocodile, and a very beautiful view of animals licking salt.
In Semuliki birding can be done around lake Albert, Nature forest areas and river semuliki.
There is also primate viewing like the chimpanzees and the monkeys. Yet still, you can do a game drive in the morning which will bring you closer to the nocturnal mammals and hunter animals like Leopards, Bushbabies among others.
Don’t miss out on the experience, come explore and see for yourself!