Activities To Do in Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest is one of the biggest natural forests in Uganda. It is located in the Northwestern side of Uganda, and it forms part of the vast Murchison Falls National Park/Conservation Area. At Murchison Falls National Park, the largest National Park in Uganda, Budongo Forest Reserve lies on the Southern sector.

Budongo Forest occupies up to 825sq.kms of land area and it features the moist-medium-altitude, patches of the savanna, woodland, semi-deciduous forest and many more. The closest town to Budongo Forest is Masindi, and you can easily access the forest through the Kichumbanyobo gate. The lush tropical forest is comprised of three key tourism sites: Sonso, Busingiro and Kaniyo-Pabidi Forest.

Activities to do in Budongo Forest

Chimpanzee tracking or trekking

A total of about 800 chimpanzees freely roams in the Budongo Forest and a good number of them have undergone through full habituation. The habituated chimpanzee communities in Budongo are open for chimpanzee tracking or chimpanzee tourism. To trek chimpanzees, it is a lifetime opportunity to enjoy up close with our closest relatives while in the wild. This is a different experience from the usual that you perhaps you have had while at the zoo.

While tracking chimpanzees, there are diverse primates to interest you and these include the red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, pottos, black and white colobus monkeys, bush babies/galago species and more. Lots of forest birds also co-exist with primates at Budongo Forest and majority of them can be spotted while on a guided chimpanzee tracking safari.

Tracking Budongo chimpanzees begins at Budongo Eco Lodge area. Everyday, there are two shifts -the morning and afternoon chimpanzee tracking session, all of them last for about 2-4 hours and this covers an hour of magical encounter with chimpanzees, photography, and deep understanding about the daily behaviors of these interesting apes while in the wild.

At Budongo Forest, there are higher chances of encountering chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The ideal time to be at Budongo for chimpanzee tracking is during the dry season; June to September, December to February. Budongo Forest chimpanzee tracking permits are available for booking at USD130 per person.

Forest walks

Budongo Forest is a rich natural forest, a home to diverse floral and faunal species. The best way to enjoy a close interaction with nature is by embarking on a guided nature or forest walks. On a forest walk, the likely species to come across include primates such as the red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, baboons;

Birds including the grey headed sunbird, Sabine’s spine tail, Cassin’s spine tail, black eared ground thrush, white-spotted flufftail, spot-breasted lapwings, etc. On a forest walk, you may also reach up to the Waiga River, one of the endowed places with species such as Uganda Kobs, bush bucks, and a lot more.

Birding

Bird watching in Budongo Forest presents you a lifetime opportunity to look out for the 360 bird species. Over 100 species of birds can be spotted in a single birding tour and the must-see birds include spot breasted plovers, blue winged goose, thick billed raven, pitta reichenowi, illadopsis puveli, yellow-footed flycatchers, parmoptila woodhouse, etc.

Other birds of Budongo Forest include yellow-crested woodpeckers, kingfishers, lemon bellied crombec, yellow mantled weavers, speckled tinkerbird, western black headed oriole, Guinea Congo Forest Biome, pygmy crakes, dusky long tailed cuckoos, African pied, and more.

The useful birding sites in Budongo Forest include the Royal Mile which is located in the Busingiro area, a perfect place to enjoy sight of numerous rare birdlife.

Chimpanzee habituation

This is the process of initiating wild chimpanzees to get familiar to human presence. It normally takes a period of about 2 years for chimpanzee habituation to be completed and this includes taking note of their daily behaviors, taking pictures, naming the chimpanzees and others.

Picnic & photography

Budongo Forest is one of the best places in Uganda that is worth visiting if you are interested in exceptional views. This is a typical of African natural rain-forest and it features amazing sites such as Busingiro eco-tourism and Kaniyo-Pabidi. These are rich in primates and birdlife, flora and a lot more.

Getting to Budongo Forest -Murchison Falls National Park

Budongo Forest is about 6 to 7 hours’ drive off from Kampala and you will drive via Luwero town, Masindi then access it via Kichumbanyobo gate. As you drive, get a warm welcome from olive baboons while they play along the road.