What to expect on Semuliki national park safari
What to expect on Semuliki national park safari: Uganda boats a wide range of wildlife zones that people flock to every year and one of the destinations is Semuliki national park. Semuliki national park is one of the newly gazetted national parks situated in western Uganda in Bundibugyo district on the borders of Uganda with DR Congo. It was gazetted in 1993 as a national park and today protects over 53 mammals, 435 bird species, 9 primates, and 448 butterfly species.
There is a lot tourists should expect on their safari in Semuliki national park. The national park has lots of attractions that tourists can see once they take part in different activities organized there. Nature walks, bird watching, butterfly watching, cultural tours, and chimpanzee trekking are some of the activities you will do while in Semuliki national park that will help you discover the attractions of the park.
Things to expect on a safari in Semuliki national park
A lot of animals
Semuliki national park has over 53 mammals and 9 primates among which include the chimpanzees. While on a safari in Semuliki national park expect to see most of these animals during park activities like nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, and many others. Primates of Semuliki national park include chimpanzees, de brazza’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white monkeys, olive baboons, and mangabeys.
Mammals which tourists should expect to see include forest elephants, Uganda kobs, crocodiles, sitatungas, warthogs, forest giant squirrels, hippos, leopards, forest buffaloes, and side-stripped jackals to mention but a few. Since there are no game drives in Semuliki national park tourists can only see these animals during nature walks.
Bird species in Semuliki
Semuliki national park harbors over 435 bird species most of which can be seen by tourists on a birding safari in the park. Among the birds include Shoe bill stork, Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike, White-crested hornbill, Black-dwarf hornbill, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, White thighed hornbill, Orange Cheeked waxbill, Great blue Turaco, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Black-Dwarf hornbill, and Lemon-bellied Crombec.
Other birds are Zenker’s honeyguide, Congo serpent eagle, Purple-breasted sunbird, Crested Malimbe, Red-billed dwarf hornbill, White-bellied kingfisher, Spot-breasted Ibis, Gabon woodpecker, Long tailed hawk, Chestnut owlet, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Yellow-throated nicator, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Crested Malimbe, White-throated Blue Swallow, Hartlaub’s duck, and swamp palm bulbul among others.
Butterflies
Semuliki national park has the highest number of butterflies in Uganda totaling to over 448. On a safari to the park, tourists that love butterflies should expect to see a number of them. Butterfly species include zebra pyrale, euphaedra rattrayi, euphaedra alacris, common nephele, widespread forester, common mother of pearl, cadarena pudoraria, coffee berry moth, becker’s creamy yellow glider, and euphaedra hollandi.
Other butterflies to see in Semuliki national park are marcipalina umbrosa, andriasa contraria, pikachu moth, veined swordtail, cymothoe confusa, catuna crithea, euphaedra eberti, neuroxena ansorgei, common glider, amata marina, common glassy Acraea, euphaedra edwardsii, mylantria xanthospila, biston abruptaria, nemetes sailer, mulberry hawkmoth, angular glider, lycoa Acraea, and choroclanis virescens among others.
hot springs in Semuliki Park
Semuliki national park has two hot springs inside the park which tourists can visit any time they happen to go to the park. Hot springs in Semuliki Park have been named the female and the male hot springs with the female being more popular than the male. The female hot spring has very hot waters that are over 100 degrees Celsius and the way the geyser pours out its water is very magical.
At the hot springs in Semuliki Park, especially the female hot springs, tourists can boil eggs if they have time because the waters are too hot. Tourists who will get a chance to visit Semuliki hot springs will be thrilled to see the hot water boiling, and jetting from the ground. The vegetation surrounding the hot springs is home to some of the wildlife species in the park and you will be able to see some of them.
Cultural visits to local villages
There are so many cultures in Uganda, areas around Semuliki national park are filled with batwa pygmies. The batwa pygmies had been living inside Semuliki national park for many years not until the government evicted them during the time, they were gazetting the park. When they got evicted, they decided to stay near the park and today they can be found in Ntando villa or Boma village.
If you love the African culture, on your safari to Semuliki national park you should expect to visit the batwa pygmies. Visiting the Batwa will enable you to learn about their culture, listen to stories of along ago, and get to know what they do today to earn a living. When tourists visit the Batwa, they get entertained by the traditional dancers, how to cook, and even how to make their clothes.
Wide range of accommodation options
Semuliki national park can cater for a huge number of tourists who would love to stay a night or more in the park. The national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities from budget to mid-range to luxury options. A tourist stays in a lodge that suits their budget inside or outside the national park. Tourists that love camping can bring their tents or hire from the park and stay at Bumaga campsite.
When to go to Semuliki
Semuliki national park is a place you can visit any time of the year. If you are looking for the best time to go then it’s the dry season from June to September and December to February. This is when the weather is good as it’s characterized by little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine which favors most of the park activities. Walking trails are dry and easier to go through and the vegetation is short with good views of attractions.
Tourists can still go to Semuliki national park in the rainy season from March to May and October to November. Tourists should know that this period has too much rainfall and little sunshine which affects some of the park activities. Too much rainfall makes the walking trails muddy and slippery and it also supports quick growth of vegetation hence giving unclear views of some of the attractions in the park.
