Semliki National Park

Semuliki is located in Bwamba County, a remote part of Bundibugyo, kasese district, in the western region of Uganda. It was formed in October 1993 and is naturally Uganda’s newest national parks. It is the only low lying tropical forest in East Africa and has over 60 wildlife and 441 bird species. Though because of these low lands, floods come during rainy seasons so its safest in summer seasons.

This park is dominated by eastern most extension of the great ‘ituri’ forest from the Congo basin. And of course this one is the largest and most bio diverse forests that survived the ice ages and the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago, so yes, it’s big. The national park also has a valley. The Semuliki valley contains numerous features associated with central- rather eastern Africa. Thatched hats are shaded by west African Oil palms; the Semuliki river (which forms the international boundary) is a miniature version of the big Congo river, and home to so many aquatic species.

The park also has the local people including a Batwa pygmy community that originated from the ‘ituri’. As a result, this park provides a taste of Central Africa without having to leave Uganda.

For the past 14 million years, the rift valley around Semuliki is still forming, or at least its forces still exist for it contains hot springs that bubble up from time to time making them hot and refreshing and exuberating to watch. You cannot miss out on this adventure of a life time.