Budongo Forest is found in the northwest of Kampala- in Masindi as you head towards Murchison falls national park along the escarpments of Lake Albert. The drive to Budongo takes 3 hrs from Kampala and it is has the largest concentration of East African Mahogany trees in the whole region. This forest occupies about 825 km most of which is covered by forest woodland, some areas have savanna grass and others are swampy areas. This forests is a habitat to a huge number of Chimpanzees and it is also one of the best birding sites in Uganda
Within this reserve there are several tourist sites worth seeing while on your Uganda Safari like the Kaniyo Pabidi Eco-tourism site and then Busingiro Eco-tourism site along Murchison Falls park boundaries. While the chimpanzees and other primates stay inside the forest, the less dense and isolated pieces of land that appear remote act as safe haven for the other wildlife like the Lions, Uganda kobs, the Leopards, the Buffaloes among others after they wonder away from the main national park. .
What to Do and See in Budongo Forest
Primate Watching
Chimpanzees are the major attractions in this forest and the adventure begins from Kaniyo Pabidi where the briefing is done, the trek is always a guided trek and the ranger is there to guide you through the forest. Trekking can be done either in the morning or in the afternoon and you can expect to find more than just the chimpanzees because there are over 600 primate species which include various types of monkeys, more than 24 species of mammals including small animals like the forest pigs, the duikers, among others.
Chimpanzee trekking permits have to be obtained before you arrive so that you are certain you will be tracking on that particular day because only a limited number of people are allowed in the forest on a particular day.
Bird Watching
Budongo is listed among the best birding sites that Uganda has got and it has over 360 bird species thus making it a really great destination for the bird watchers. Budongo forest has birds like the Black kite, Mountain greenbul, Drongo, African pied wagtail, Paradise flycatcher, crested guinea fowl, crowned eagle, Cassin’s hawk eagle, Yellow crested woodpecker and many others. You can expect to have an amazing adventure since during your walk in the jungle, you will see lots of other attractions for example the variety of tree species which are over 465 species, there are about 130 species of months, over 290 species of butterflies and a lot more.
Bird watching in Budongo can be done any time of the year however it is more rewarding if done from the month of February up to April and then June to September. Around June to September, there are lots of birds to see because it around the time when almost all trees are bearing fruits, therefore there is a lot of food for the birds and also majority of these birds are breeding. Then from November to April, there are lots of migratory birds in the forest which increases on their numbers thus making spotting them a lot easier.
Birding if related to the weather, the month from December to February, there is little rain but April to May and September to October, heavy rains are expected and this rain might make the roads impassable, the trails become slippery which makes hiking in the jungle as you search for the birds becomes very difficult.
Explore the Beautiful Eco-System
There are 3 important eco-systems in this reserve which were mainly intended help in the chimpanzee conservation as well as the other endemic species that live in this reserve. There is the Sonso which is along the Sonso river bank and it is the most valuable areas in this reserve as it is a habitat to about 53 chimpanzee groups which are only for research purposes and not tourism business. Then the other 2 are the Busingiro and Kaniyo-Pabidi where you can find the habituated chimpanzees which are therefore used for tourism purposes.
Accommodation facilities and around Budongo
The closest is the Budongo Eco lodge, there are also hotels in Masindi and you can also use one of the so many hotels in Murchison falls especially if you are visiting Murchison falls National Park too during your Uganda Safari. Often, Chimpanzee trekking or bird watching In Budongo is part of a wildlife safari to Murchison falls national park which means you can visit Budongo before or after your wildlife adventure in Murchison falls.
