Budongo Forest is located near Murchison Falls National Park in the northwestern part of Uganda, and it is covered with semi-deciduous forests that are part of Murchison Falls National Park, which is the largest national park in Uganda.
Budongo forest is renowned for its chimpanzees but it also boasts other animals, including animals that can be found at Murchison falls national park, over 300 species of birds, 130 moth species, over 290 butterfly species, over 400 plant species, differentspecies of butterflies, plant species, 9 species of primates and many more. The best season for chimpanzee trekking is from October to January.
Budongo forest is drained by small rivers that flow to lake Albert this are; river Wake, river Sonso, river Wasaike and river Bubwa supporting the growth of five major forest types.
Budongo Forest boasts the highest concentration of chimpanzees in Uganda and the largest mahogany forest remaining in east Africa. It’s characterized by patches of Savannah vegetation, woodlands and the Great Rift Valley slope.
Budongo forest is divided into three sections: the Sonso section, Kaniyo pabidi and the Busingiro section. The Kaniyo pabidi and Busingiro section chimpanzees have been habituated for tourist activity, while the Sonso section has got about 53 groups of chimpanzees that have been kept from tourists’ activities but for field research only.
Tourists visiting Budongo forest have higher chances of seeing animals like lions, buffalos and leopards, to mention a few. These animals often come to the forest from Murchison falls national park.
Budongo forest is a borders Paradise where bird enthusiasts can go for birdwatching; the forest boasts over 300 species of birds some of the birds here are endemic to his area, like the Guinea-Congo forest Biome, illadopsis puveli, parmoptila woodhousei, pitta reichenowi and the yellow-footed flycatcher. Some of the birds in Budongo forest can not be seen elsewhere in East Africa.
Chimpanzee trekking is the main tourist activity at Budongo forest, tourists who would love to trek chimpanzees can do it at Budongo forest other than any other place in the country, and the forest has various trails where you can spot chimpanzees plus lots of other primate species like different types of monkeys.
Nature guided walks can be taken at Budongo forest with armed rangers the walks will take you through the well-set-up woodlands and Savannah terrain where you will encounter the wilderness on foot.
While at Budongo forest, tourists should endeavor to visit the scenic Kaniyo Pabidi site for ecotourism, endowed with ironwood and Mahogany trees covering an area of 115 kilometers; this is where you can have great opportunities to watch wildlife licking salt at the forest glades in the morning hours.
Budongo forest can be accessed from Kampala, which is approximately a three-hour drive from the city main center. It’s in the northwestern part of the country.
Where to sleep while visiting Budongo forest will depend on the tourist’s budget; some of the lodges in the forest include the Budongo Eco Lodge, Masindi Hotel, and many others. Camping at Murchison Falls is also an option in Budongo forest.
The best time for visiting Budongo forest is from October to January; during this time the chimpanzees tend to move a lot in the forest, hence easy spotting this is due to the trees being shorter and the scarcity of fruits, which makes them move a lot in search of fruits.
For a more wilderness thrilling experience, tourists can combine their chimpanzees trekking safari with a big five experience at Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park in Uganda boasting with a lot of wild animals it’s also crossed by the longest river in the world, plus it has great views of the mighty giant Nile crocodiles.
