Budongo Forest (793 sq kms) is one of these forests. It is about three hours drive north west of Kampala en route to Murchison Falls National Park. It is one of the largest Mahogany forests in East Africa and home of a large population of chimpanzees in Uganda. Budongo has one of the longest recorded logging histories in the world and thus make an excellent location for studying forest regenration in the wake of selective logging and its impact on wildlife.
Sadly, this forest is under threat, with only an estimated 22% of the forest remaining “virgin”, that is undisturbed by human interventions. Your participation in various forest based activites helps to redirect the local communities away from destructive efforts such as logging, cutting of trails or introduction of foreign species and replace those with the positive benefits of tourism as a form of income generation.
The main tourist areas are Kaniyo Pabidi Ecotourism site and Busingiro Ecotourism site. Activities offered at the Budongo Forest include walking, hiking, birding and chimpanzee tracking.
Kaniyo Pabidi Ecotourism site lies within the boundaries of Murchison Falls National Parks composed of Mahogany trees and Iron wood. The one hundred and fifteen kilometres area is an isolated block of Budongo Forest that also provides sanctuary for lions, leopards and Forest buffaloes.
Busingiro Eco Tourism Site has the largest Mahogany forest in East Africa where trees grow up to 80 meters. The forest is famous for its chimpanzees (600-800), which form a number of groups. Six groups have been habituated; hence visitors have the chance of visiting them at close quarters. The forest also hosts rare specie of birds that include the Lemon Bellied Crombec, and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher. Busingiro can be assessed as you visit Murchison falls National Park. From here you will also be able to view the blue mountains of Congo and the Rift Valley Escarpment.
Walking and hiking are popular. It is possible to take nature walks ranging rom 1 to 6 hours in duration. While passing through the forest, you can see many species of birds, trees, shrubs, mushrooms, butterflies and moths, as well as some of the 10 species of primates found here. As you enter the forest you will start to relax as you shed your city skin and reach into your promordial past.
The “Royal Mile” in Budongo Forest is considered to be the best bird watching site within Uganda, and it is not uncommon to site 50 – 60 species within a 2 -3 hour visit. The best place to take guided bird walk is along the Royal mile which runs between Nyabyeya Forestry college and the research station. The forest boasts some very rare forest species such as the blue-throated warbler, dwarf kingfisher, grey-chinned sunbird and the velvet-mantled drongo.
Chimpanzee Tracking is a top attraction of the forest. The wild primates of this area have been habituated, which means that through the hard work of dedicated conservationists, some families of chimpanzees have become accustomed to the presence of humans. There are an estimated 500 - 800 chimps in the reserve. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) roam wildely across the forest in search of food like fruits and nuts. Early morning is the best time for you to meet forest creatures licking salt in the forest glades provided by River Waiga that provides refreshment for the forest animals. You will also encounter other species of primates including Olive baboons, Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Vervet monkeys, Brown monkeys, Blue monkeys, Black and White Colobus monkeys and the nocturnal pottos and bushbabies.
Conservation and education are import components of ecotourism projects. Despite on-going efforts, the destruction of the Albertine Rift Valley's flora and fauna continue. Major threats to protected areas within this region include illegal timber harvesting, charcoal burning, encroachment for farmland and poaching for bush meat. Each of these activities has increased over the last 40 years and had a major effect of degrading the protected areas, which has in turn led to reduced numbers of both flora and fauna species. Improved protection activities resumed in the 1990’s, which has slowed the decline, and in some cases lead to a steady increase in many large mammal numbers. Maintaining the totality of this area will preserve a large percentage of Africa’s biodiversity and contribute to the development of national and local economies.
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of local Ugandan culture, visits can be arranged to the local community. See traditional costumes and jewelry making. Locally produced craft items can be purchased from the park tourist office, at the various Lodges and along the road at various craft markets.
