Mabira forest is Uganda’s largest natural forest left and it is located 54 km from Kampala along Jinja road. Mabira was gazette into a forest reserve in 1932, occupying an area of 300sqkm and known to be a sanctuary of hundreds of bird species, primates as well as so many small animals whose survival is also supported by the existence of variety of the vegetation cover. You can also engage in some other forest activities like.

What activities to engage in while visiting Mabira Forest?

Mabira is a home to a number of different wildlife.

You can go for a guided nature walk with a well-trained ranger to keep you safe and also guide you around the forest as you search for different attractions that live in this forest. There are about 23 different small mammal species living in this forest composed of over 312 species of trees, there are primate species like the monkeys, there are animals like the squirrels, wild pigs, among others. The guide will help you identify the different tree species and animals as you meet them during your walk.

It’s a great birding site.

Mabira forest is a sanctuary to over 315 different bird species including birds like Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, the White-bellied Kingfisher, the Grey Parrot, the yellow-crested, Brown-eared, Cassin’s Spinetail, White-spotted, Afep Pigeon ,Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, purple throated cuckoo, Fluff tail, Black-shouldered, Blue-throated Roller, the Sabine’s Spine tail African Dwarf-kingfisher, Speckled Tinker bird, Nightjar, Forest Wood hoopoe, African Pied Hornbill and many more others just as you will see them as you walk through the forest. The very keen bird watchers will be thrilled by the big number of bird species that they will be able to see. You might be able to see more than half of the total population of birds in that forest and you are free to take as many pictures as you possibly can for your own collection. This is the main attraction found in this.

Butterflies.

Mabira forest is a home to  over 218 butterfly species and this  makes it a great site for butterfly watching. The forest also houses over 97 species of Moths.  For butterfly loves, we recommend a walk through the forest and you will not regret your decision. The walk in search for the butterflies ends with spectacular views of  the magnificent Griffin falls.

Adventure- Zippline in Mabira (super Skyway)

This is one of the most exciting adventures in this forest and it’s the very first skyway or Zip line in Uganda set in the middle of forest and it’s composed of 5 Zip Lines. It is such an interesting activity and will have you wheel through those very tall rain-forest trees. Along the Zip line, you will be led through these ancient trees by well trained and very experienced Sky Captains who will ride with you across that stretch of 250 meters cutting across River Musamya.

You need to have safety climbing gears. While high up in the forest canopy, you can enjoy the beautiful view of layers of this forest and you can also see mammals like the grey cheeked mangabeys, the red tailed monkeys, different birds like the palm nut vultures, great blue turacos, among others and also see griffin falls roaring while you are above it. From the skyway back to the camp, you will have to walk back, walk past the Griffin Falls before you get to the camp. This adventure takes just about 4 hours.

Some of the accommodation facilities in Mabira.

For those that are interesting in spending a night near Mabira forest, there are hotels like the Griffin falls lodge as a basic accommodation; the luxury travelers can use the rain forest lodge. All these are found within the forest therefore surrounded by nature which means, you get to wake to sound of birds which is like music.  Mabira forest is often visited enroute to Jinja , however giving it a day or two on your Uganda trip will alow you appreciate  mother nature.