Semliki National park
Semuliki National Park is one of Uganda's most important park that is known for bird watching and chimpanzee tracking . The Park covers an area of 220km and is found Bundibugyo district in the down floor of the Semliki section of the Albertine Rift Valley. This forested park contains numerous species associated with those in central rather than eastern Africa. Thatch huts are shaded by West African oil palms, the Semliki River which is marked as an international boundary since the river branched from riverCongo .
Biodiversity
Semuliki is one of Africa's most biodiverse forests and is particularly noted for its varied bird population. This biodiversity is enhanced by its great age, for it is one of Africa's most ancient forests. During the dry conditions of the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago, most of Africa's forests shrank and disappeared. Only a few patches like Semuliki and Bwindi survived, protecting forest species during the arid apocalypse until they could eventually emerge to recolonise a better, wetter world. Today the Semuliki valley is a hothouse for vegetation growth, with temperatures rising to a humid 30°C doused by an annual 1250mm of rain, mostly between March-May and September-December.
While Semuliki's species have been evolving for over 25,000 years, the park contains evidence of even older processes.
Hot springs bubble up from the depths beneath Sempaya to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years.
The low lying park lies on the rift's sinking floor, most of it just 670m above sea level. Large areas may flood during the wet seasons; brief reminders of the time when the entire valley lay at the bottom of a lake for 7 million years ago.
Flora and fauna
Classified as Moist Semi-Deciduous forest, Semuliki is the only tract of true lowland tropical forest in East Africa. The centre of the forest is dominated by Cynometra but the edges are attractively varied, with river swamp forest along the Semliki River and beautiful mixed forest around Sempaya.
A spillover from the Ituri of the Congo basin, Semuliki contains 336 tree species. It also supports an exceptional variety of mammals, birds and butterflies. This is attributed to the forest's great age, its transitional location between central and eastern Africa, and to a variety of habitats, notably forest, swamp, and savannah woodland.
About 441bird species are recorded that represent 40% of Uganda's total of 1007. 216 of these are forest species - 66% of the country's forest birdlist - while the list is expanded by the riverine habitat and a fringe of grassland in the east of the park.
The forest is home to 53 mammals, of which 27 are large mammals; duiker-sized and above, several are Central African species found nowhere else in East Africa. Hippos and crocodiles are found in the Semliki river while the forest is remarkably rich in primates. Chimpanzee, black and white colobus, central African red colobus, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey, de Brazza's monkey, vervet monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, baboon, and Dent's mona monkey are present. Nocturnal primates include potto and bush baby.
Local people
There are four ethnic groups living around the pari Bamba and Bakonjo are found in the valley and mo slopes respectively and are agriculturalists who plant cash crops such as coffee and cocoa while food crops that include bananas, rice and potatoes for their family upkeep and above there are also pastoralists inthe lower values due to the prensence of water for the animals reared.
- Written by Kitandara
Rwenzori National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park, with a geographical area of 966 sq km, protects the upper slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains sometimes referred to as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ – the snowy source of the Nile River referred to by early geographers. Africa’s highest range, with six distinct mountains above 4600m translates into a montane Wonderland in which misty snow peaks loom above glaciated valleys filled with fantastic giant forms of lobelias, heathers and groundsels. Rwenzori is Africa highest range. Its loftiest peaks include Margherita (5,109m) and Alexandra (5,083m) on Mt Stanley. These are exceeded in altitude by only Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya both of which are extinct volcanoes standing in isolation above the surrounding plains. The Ruwenzori ranges contain four other glacial peaks besides Mt Stanley. These include Mt Speke (4,890m), Mt Gessi (4,715m), Mt Emin (4,791m), and Mount Luigi da Savoia (4,627m).
The Ruwenzoris are not only famous for challenging hiking and climbing possibilities. They have a well-deserved reputation for being very wet at times. This was best summedd up by a comment on the wall of Bujuku hut: ‘Jesus came here to learn how to walk on water. After five days, anyone could do it.’ The ranges support a diversity of fauna including 70 mammal and 177 bird species, several of the latter being Albertine Rift Endemics. The park is the only one in East Africa where the Angola colobus has been recorded. Besides, the black-and-white colobus monkeys are widespread on the mountains. Similar to other East African mountains, the Rwenzoris can be devided into several altitude zones, each with its own distinct microclimate and flora and fauna. The forest zone which commences around 1,800m has the most varied fauna. Some of the mammals present here include Angola colobus, black-and-white colobus, blue monkey, chimpanzees, elephants, golden cat, servalline genet, yellow-backed duiker, and giant forest hog among others.
The forest zone accommodates a diversity of birds including Rwenzori Turaco, handsome francolin, white-starred forest robin, Archer’s Ground Robin, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, long-eared owl, Rwenzori Batis, bar long-tailed cuckoo, Lagden’s bush shrike, golden-winged sunbird, blue-headed sunbird, strange weaver and a variety of barbets, flycatcher, greenbul, apalis, montane sooty boubou, illadopsis, slender-billed starling and crimsonwing.
Beyond the altitude of 2,500m, true forest gives way to dense bamboo forest stands. Between the altitudes 3,000m and 4,500m, the open vegetation of heather andd Alpine zones is renowned for its otherworldly quality: forest of giant heather plants, and giant lobelias and groundsel up to 10m high. The beautiful Lobellia wollanstonii and Senacio addmiralis are most common above 3,800m. Mammals are rare above the forest zone, but there a few birds worth looking out for: the Lammergeyer (bearded vulture) and black eagle are occasionally seen soaring overhead, whereas the alpine and scarce swifts andd scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird are confined to high altitude habitats in East Africa.
- Written by Kitandara
Murchison falls National park
The Murchison falls National park is situated in the northern part of Albertine Rift Valley and A long day's drive from Kampala, with a possible overnight break at Masindi. There is only public means of transport from Kampala to Masindi town. A place where the massive Bunyoro escarpment joins into the enormous plains of Acholi land. it was known as a game reserve set up to protect the savannah grassland and the park covers an area of about 3,893km2 .This area is an addition to Murchison falls thus covering an area of about 5,072km2 including Bugungu as well as Karuma wildlife reserves.
The Albert Nile corridor is on the low plains of about 612m at delta point. The temperatures tend to be hot with a maximum of 29Oc and the affected months are December,mid February, June as well as July. The rainy season is between April and November.
Rabongo and Kaniyo Pabidi forests
Trails through Kaniyo Pabidi forest for 8 kilometer inside Kichumbar Gate, offer the opportunity to track chimpanzee and primates below Uganda’s largest left mahogany. Bird watching is excellent with the opportunity of sighting rarities while the yellow-footed flycatcher, white hornbill and shoebill, red billed weaver, red headed weavers. Nature walks are as well offered at Rabongo forest.
Flora and Fauna
The Park is covered by woodland, wetland, savannah as well as tropical forest that is well known to be a habitant for over 76 mammal species and over 450 different bird species. Among the big mammals include hippo, Rothschild’s giraffe, warthlog, Cape buffalo, Uganda kob, hartebeest and elephants. The Nile corridor of the Murchison has a big collection of water birds such as rare shoebill stork and also has a large concentration of Nile crocodile.Kaniyo Pabidi forest is a home to primates, chimpanzees and over 360 species of different birds. And the accommodations include Paara Safari Lodge, Simbiya Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Red Chili Rest Camp.
- Written by Kitandara
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is probably the best option since it contains a wide variety of wildlife and is easily accessible in the western corner of Uganda and takes about 4-5 hours driver from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. As such it is near Kibale Forest, the Virunga Volcanoes and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and thus it can be combined with gorilla and chimp tracking.
The park is located at the base of the 'Mountains of the Moon the Rwenzori Range and the views from some of the camps are simply spectacular.
Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts an array of wildlife including lion, leopard, elephant, antelope including the native Ugandan cob and the park is home to over 600 bird species - a quarter of Africa's total birdlife! It spans an area of about 2000 sq km with rolling hills and savannah plains, lush rainforest, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel. This 32km long body of water runs between Lake Edward and Lake George and is filled to the brim with hippos and crocodiles.
The park is expansive and most tourists choose to stay in and around the village on the Mweya Peninsula. It is set on a splendid waterfront at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains and offers great game viewing. For those wishing to get off the beaten track, the Ishasha Sector is remote, rough and ready with its tree-climbing lions. And you can head to the beautiful Lake Mburo National Park which is halfway between Queen Elizabeth and Kampala
Flora and fauna
The park is home to 95 mammal species while the birdlist is 612 species long. This diversity is the result of an impressive range of habitats. Fifty-seven vegetation types have been identified though these can be summarised as just five: forest; grassland; bushy grassland; Acacia woodland and lakeshore/ swamp vegetation. Residents of the park's grasslands include elephant, Cape buffalo, Uganda kob, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, lion, leopard and hyaena. Topi are found in Ishasha, while forest primates are found in Kyambura Gorge and Maramagambo Forest.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has an impressive birdlist exceeded only by the neighbouring (and far larger) Virunga National Park. Key bird species include martial eagle, black-rumped buttonquail, African skimmer, Chapin's flycatcher, pink-backed pelicans, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, papyrus canary, corncrake, lesser and greater flamingo, and shoebill stork.
- Written by Kitandara
Mount Elgon National Park
Monutain Elgon is an extinct volcano With the largest surface area of any extinct Volcano in the world (50km by 80km), the fourth highest in E.Africa .Mounatin elgon national Park is the second Uganda’s interesting National Parks for Mountain climbing or Mountaineering after mountain of the moon (Rwenzori mountain). Mountain Elgon has been a regional landmark for a long time and is one of Uganda's oldest physical features due to the fact there are more features which can't be found any where else forexample the landslid,mass wasting effect that has created more effect to the mountain which lead to the formation of more features which are recent examples to the people. The mountain is a highly important water catchment area and this is because It’s forests receives up to 3000mm of rain each year, which they store and release to support flora, fauna with in the park and to the surrounding population.
Mount Elgon in Uganda receives fewer visitors than other higher and more famous mountains in East Africa. However its now experincing an increase in the number of visitor due to the formation of new feature which can only be found on mountain elgon only due to recent landslids.
Location
It is located in Mbale district in Uganda occuping an area of 1,154 sq. km. The Park is located on the border of Kenya and Uganda and this make the park to be shared by uganda and kenya with many rivers originating from it top due to the high rainfall recieved throught the year among these rivers include Nzoia River , Turkwel River
HIKING MOUNTAIN ELGON
This is the most tourist activity taking place in Mount Elgon National Park. Climbing Mt. Elgon is relatively easy as the mountain is not difficult to climb and there fore there are no specialized skills or equipment is required to access the peaks. Tourists are free to climb this mountain any time of the year though the dry months of June to August.
Other Tourists attraction
The Park has other attractions such as the Elephants and buffalo which are found on the lower slopes. The park is also home to a variety of small antelope and forest monkeys, such as the Black-and-white Colobus and Blue Monkey. It also has over 300 birds which can be found in the area plus fauna and flora, the park has a variety of physical features like cliffs, caves, waterfalls, and the mountain peaks.
LOcal people
Bagisu and Sabin are the two ethnic tribes found around the Mountain. These practice subsistence farming and conduct circumcision ceremonies every year to prepare young men and woman for challenges of adult hood. These two communities have made agreement with the park for sustainable harvest of traditional forest product.
- Written by Kitandara