Activities to do in Budongo forest : The Budongo forest in the southern part of Murchison falls national park is a destination where many activities can be done during safaris in Uganda.
During tours in Uganda, tourists can access the Budongo forest by driving for about 4 hours from Kampala via Masindi and get to enjoy various activities at the destination and flights can also be booked from Entebbe international airport to Pakuba airstrip to get to the forest.
Throughout the year, different activities can be done during safaris around the Budongo forest and the best time to visit the destination is during the dry season in the months of June to September and around December to February when it is easy to explore the forest.
The different activities which are done during tours around the Budongo forest include the following;
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is among the activities which are done during tours around the Budongo forest throughout the year.
There are over 600 chimpanzees which are found in the Budongo forest which is also home to other primates including black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys among others.
Budongo forest is home to different habituated chimpanzee groups which can be seen during the chimpanzee trekking tours at the destination. In the morning and afternoon, tourists visit the forest to spend time with the chimpanzees and watch them closely.
Briefing is done at Kaniyo Pabidi where tourists are also assigned ranger guides before they trek into the Budongo forest to engage in the chimpanzee trekking experience. For a period of about 3 to 5 hours, tourists engage in the search for the chimpanzees at the destination.
When the chimpanzees are found during the chimpanzee trekking experience in Budongo forests, tourists get to spend 1 hour in their presence. Permits are required for the activity and they are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and they cost 130 USD per person for foreign nonresidents visiting the forest.
Tourists are advised to book the chimpanzee trekking permits in advance for the tour to Budongo forest. These permits can be booked through licensed tour operators and are issued to individuals above the age of 12 years.
The best time to engage in the chimpanzee trek in Budongo forest is during the dry season during the months of June to September and also around December to February when it is easy to trek through the forest.
Bird watching
Another popular activity which is done during tours in the Budongo forest is bird watching. There are various bird species found at the destination.
Budongo forest is home to over 360 bird species which can be seen during half day tours and full day bird watching experiences. Guides accompany tourists during their birding experiences as they explore the forest.
The Royal Mile is one of the places where birding is done during tours around the Budongo forest. it is among the best birding destinations in Uganda and some of the bird species which can be seen include Yellow footed flycatcher, Black headed Gonolek, Blue shouldered Robin chat, Purple starlings, Yellow Billed Barbet, African mustached warbler, Little green sunbird, Yellow Billed Oxpecker, Grey headed sunbird, Splendid starling, Crowned Hawk eagles, Little crake among others.
The best time to engage in bird watching tours in Budongo forest is during the months of November to April which is a time when migratory bird species are present at the destination.
Guided nature walks
During tours around the Budongo forest, tourists can also engage in guided nature walks and explore different parts of the forest.
Ranger guides accompany tourists during the nature walks around the trails in the Budongo forest where they encounter various primate species and also see different bird species. The experience can be combined with chimpanzee trekking and bird watching.
Around the Kaniyo Pabidi center, tourists can see various tree species during their nature walks around the forest such as the mahogany trees. The walks bring tourists closer to the forests and attractions found in the Budongo forest.
The nature walks can be done around Budongo forest and also extend to the savannah plains and woodlands of Murchison falls national park where different wildlife species can be seen during the safaris.
Guided walks in Budongo forest offer insight into the beauty of the forest including its tree species and wildlife and bird species with help of the expert ranger guides who know the trails in the forest.
Chimpanzee habituation experiences
Chimpanzee habituation is another activity which can be done during tours around the Budongo forest. The gradual process of habituating the chimpanzees can go for a period of about 2 years.
During chimpanzee habituation experience in Budongo forest, the chimpanzees are introduced to the human presence in their natural habitat. The group going through the habituation process can be visited and tourists get to watch them closely with researchers and ranger guides.
For a full day, tourists take part in the chimpanzee habituation tour around the Budongo forest and spend more time with the chimpanzees.
When visiting the Budongo forest, tourists can also enjoy photography and capture the beauty and biodiversity of Budongo Forest. Pictures of the primates including chimpanzees as well as of the different birds as well as butterflies and tree species can be taken during Uganda primate tours in the forest.
Other activities which can be done when visiting the Budongo forest include wildlife viewing in Murchison Falls National Park where tourists can engage in game drives, boat safaris, hiking to the top of the falls among other experiences.
Game drives in Murchison falls national park involve searching for various wildlife species including elephants, lions, buffalos, hippos, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, leopards, warthogs, hartebeests, bushbucks, elands, Uganda kobs among others. These game drives can be done in the morning and also in the afternoon in search for the various animals.
Tourists can also enjoy views of the Murchison falls during torus to the national park as they enjoy the different activities at the destination.
