Budongo Forest Tours in Uganda : Budongo forest tours take place in the north western part of Uganda and is part of the Murchison Falls conservation area. The forest is among the largest tropical rainforests found in Uganda and is home to a variety of primate species and bird species. The different parts of the Budongo forest where the tours are done include Kaniyo Pabidi, Busingiro and Sonso.
Among the attractions found in the Budongo forest include chimpanzees which can be seen during tours around the destination. Over 360 bird species are also found around the forest which is also home to over 250 butterfly species and also has about 450 tree species.
Other primate species which can be seen around the Budongo forest include black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys and many others which can be seen when following different trails through the forest. Wildlife species which are found in the forest include bushbucks, duikers, giant forest hogs among others.
There are different rivers which cross the Budongo forest and they include River Sonso, River Waisoke among others. The Budongo forest also consists of woodlands and also savannah where the different primates can be seen during safaris.
Tours around the Budongo forest can be combined with wildlife safaris in Murchison falls national park during which tourists can engage in activities including morning and afternoon game drives, boat rides to the bottom of the Murchison falls, hiking to the top of the falls, viewing of the top of the falls, bird watching among other experiences.
Activities to do around Budongo forest
A variety of activities can be done during tours in the Budongo forest and they include the following;
- Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is among the activities which can be done around the Budongo forest and it is done in the morning and in the afternoon.
The Budongo Forest is home to different habituated chimpanzees which can be visited during the chimpanzee trekking tours at the destination. A briefing is done at the Kaniyo Pabidi center before tourists take part in the search for the chimpanzees in the forest.
Ranger guides move with the tourists as they engage in the chimpanzee trekking experience in Budongo forest. Permits for the chimpanzee trek are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and they can be booked through licensed tour operators.
The cost of chimpanzee trekking permits for the Budongo forest is 130 USD per person and allows tourists to spend 1 hour in the presence of the chimpanzees in their natural habitat and enjoy watching their behavior closely. Depending on the location of the chimpanzees in the forest, tourists can spend 3 to 4 hours or a shorter period of time in the forest.
Tourists move in groups of about 8 people to search for the chimpanzees in the Budongo forest with their assigned guides. Another activity which takes place in the forest is the chimpanzee habituation experience which also involves encounters with the chimpanzees.
During the chimpanzee habituation experience in Budongo forest, tourists are accompanied by ranger guides as they search for the chimpanzees undergoing the habituation process which involves getting the chimpanzees used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat.
- Bird watching
Another popular activity which tourists engage in when visiting the Budongo forest is bird watching which is done in different areas in the forest.
The Royal mile in the Budongo forest is among the popular locations where bird watching is done at the destination. This area is located on the edge of the Albertine rift valley and it was named after the King of Bunyoro.
During the bird watching experience around the forest, tourists can engage in half day birding tours or explore the forest for a full day in search for the various bird species.
Some of the bird species which can be seen when touring the Budongo forest include Nahan’s Francolin, Ituri Batis, Grey-headed Sunbird, Yellow spotted Barbet, African crowned eagle, Yellow billed barbet, Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-crested woodpecker, White-spotted Flufftail, Lemon-billed Crombec, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Fire-crested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robinchat, Spotted Greenbul among others.
- Guided nature walks
Tourists visiting the Budongo forest can also engage in guided nature walks which take place in the company of ranger guides.
The nature walks take place at different times of day including the morning and afternoon hours and go for a duration of about 2 hours. Different parts of the forest are explored during the nature walks as tourists enjoy encounters with different primates and bird species at the destination.
Best time for tours in Budongo forest
Tours around the Budongo forest can be done throughout the year with the best time of the year to visit the destination being the dry season.
During the dry season from June to September and also December and February tourists can visit the Budongo forest to engage in various activities. Activities such as chimpanzee trekking in the forest are best done in the dry season when the trails in the forest are easy to trek through and nature walks can also be done with ease during this time of the year.
When visiting the Budongo forest during the wet or rainy season, it is also easy to see chimpanzees as well as various bird species. The months in the rainy season occur around the months of March, April and May and also in November.
How to get to Budongo forest
There are different ways to access the Budongo forest during tours in Uganda and they include driving and also flights. Tourists can get to the Budongo forest by driving along the Kampala-Masindi route which takes about 3 to 4 hours.
Another way to access the Budongo forest is by flying to the different airstrips in Murchison falls national park which includes the Pakuba airstrip, Bugungu airstrip and Chobe airstrip. Scheduled and charter flights can be booked from Entebbe international airport to the airstrips. These domestic flights can be booked with airlines such as Aerolink Uganda which offer flights across different destinations in the country.
