Budongo Forest, Fact, history, Location, Things do
Budongo Forest is a natural mahogany forest situated in the Masindi area within Murchison Falls National Park, the largest and most frequented national park in Uganda. The forest encompasses an expanse of 825 square kilometers and supports diverse wildlife, including nine primate species such as chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. It also contains 24 mammal species, 280 butterfly species, 130 moth species, and 465 plant species, including ancient mahogany trees that can reach heights of up to 80 meters. Additionally, the forest is home to 360 bird species, including the black-headed paradise flycatcher, forest robin, yellow-mantled weaver, little green sunbird, chocolate-backed kingfisher, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, yellow hornbill, African emerald cuckoo, and Cassin’s hawk eagle, among others.
Activities in Budongo Forest
Chimpanzee trekking is an engaging and challenging pursuit in which participants venture into the jungle to locate habituated chimpanzee families. Chimpanzee trekking is the second most popular activity in Uganda, following gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Budongo Forest is home to around 600 chimpanzees, making it one of the premier chimpanzee trekking sites in Uganda, following Kibale National Park, which hosts the largest population of chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest occurs in two sessions: the morning session begins at approximately 8:00 AM, and the afternoon session commences at around 2:00 PM. The trekking commences early in the morning with a briefing at the information center at Budongo Eco Lodge. Subsequent to the briefing, you will be organized into groups of six, assigned a chimpanzee family to track, provided with a guide, and then commence walking in the forest.
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest
The duration of a forest excursion ranges from 2 to 3 hours, or perhaps an entire day, contingent upon the location of the chimpanzees, as they tend to venture deep into the forest in pursuit of food during the dry season. Upon locating the chimps, you will get the opportunity to spend one hour observing them in their natural habitat, acquiring knowledge about their lifestyle, behaviors, and habits, while capturing photographs and documenting the experience.
Visitors wishing to participate in chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest must first get a chimpanzee trekking permit, priced at $90, which permits one hour of interaction with the chimpanzees and is valid for one day. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Budongo Forest should be obtained three months in advance due to high demand and frequent sellouts.
Experience with chimpanzee habituation.
This procedure involves training chimpanzees to acclimate to human presence, requiring a duration of two years for completion. The Budongo Forest conducts chimpanzee habituation experiences during the low season, specifically from March to May and October to November. During the chimpanzee habituation experience, visitors have the opportunity to accompany a team of researchers, trackers, and park guides to learn about chimpanzee behaviors and habits, watch their feeding and activity, and help in identifying the chimpanzees. Participants in chimpanzee habituation spend four hours with the chimpanzees in their natural environment, in contrast to the one hour allocated for chimpanzee trekking.
Guided nature excursions,
This exhilarating activity allows guests to traverse the forest on foot, savoring the fresh air and cool breeze while listening to the melodious sounds of birds. On the guided nature walk, you will traverse pathways to Kaniyo Pabidi forest, where you may observe towering mahogany trees over 70 years in age and wild animals that come to lick salt from the trees. You will traverse routes across the savannah plains leading to Murchison Falls National Park, where you can observe wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, Uganda kobs, and many bird species.
Bird watching,
Budongo Forest hosts around 360 bird species, including those that are exclusive to the region, establishing it as one of the premier birding locations in Uganda. Birdwatching in the forest is conducted with a knowledgeable guide who will lead you to the Royal Mile, located in the Busingiro region, which stretches to a forest college. While birdwatching, one may observe avian species such as the yellow-footed flycatcher, pygmy crake, white-spotted flufftail, Cassin’s hawk-eagle, crowned eagle, yellow-browed camaroptera, blue-throated roller, yellow-crested woodpecker, brown twinspot, little green sunbird, grey-headed sunbird, chestnut-capped flycatcher, dwarf kingfisher, fire-crested alethe, red-capped robin-chat, brown-eared woodpecker, Ituri batis, and black-capped apalis, among others.
Best time for a visit to Budongo Forest
The Budongo forest is accessible year-round, although the optimal visiting period is during the dry season, specifically from June to September and December to February. During this month, rainfall in the forest diminishes, rendering access routes to Budongo Forest navigable. The paths for chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, and birdwatching will be arid and traversable, in contrast to the wet season when the trails become muddy and treacherous.
Budongo Forest is accessible throughout the rainy season, specifically from March to May and October to November. Despite the forest experiencing substantial precipitation during the rainy season, chimpanzee trekking remains accessible due to the abundance of food for the chimpanzees, facilitating their visibility at the information center. Chimpanzee trekking permits are less sought after, and one can also participate in the chimpanzee habituation experience.
Accommodations in Budongo Forest
Budongo Forest offers a variety of hotels, including luxury, midrange, and budget options such as Masindi Hotel, New Court View Hotel, Budongo Eco Lodge, Hotel Victory Bijja, and Kabalega Resort Hotel, among others. The lodgings include high-quality services and facilities, including comfortable rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a restaurant, a bar, conference halls, complimentary Wi-Fi in public areas, a gift store for souvenirs, and gardens for leisure, among others.
Budongo Forest is located in the southern region of Murchison Falls National Park; hence, tourists intending to access the northern sector must traverse the River Nile via a ferry that operates on a regular schedule. The northern sector of the park contains the highest density of wildlife, allowing for activities such as game drives and boat cruises upstream to the base of the falls and downstream to the Victoria Nile Delta, where one can appreciate breathtaking vistas of the landscape, avian species, and fauna including elephants, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, and giraffes, among others.