Hot springs in Uganda
Hot springs in Uganda are some of the major and interesting physical features that have attracted a certain group of travelers that find them fascinating. These are some of the features that spice up the Safaris Uganda tour packages. A hot spring is a spring of naturally heated water that rises to the surface of the earth from the crust as a result of subterranean volcanic activity.
In Uganda hot springs are among the tourist attractions and they can be included in itineraries for tourists visiting Uganda especially in the western region where the hot springs are located along the routes which lead to some of the national parks in Uganda.
The hot springs found in Uganda vary in terms of size and temperature of the water which rises from the springs. Some hot springs have warm water while other hot springs have very hot water.
Formation of hot springs
Hot springs around Uganda are formed differently and some of the theories about the formation of the hot springs include the following;
- Hot springs are formed when magma heats up the water below the earth’s surface as a result of volcanic activity. The deeper the water flows towards the mantle through carks and fissures, the more the rocks heat up the water. The water is then forced out of the earth through cracks as a result of underground pressure. The stronger the pressure underground, the stronger the force with which the water emerges from the ground.
- Hot springs can also be formed as a result of radioactivity which occurs when water is absorbed by rocks that contain radioactive elements. The absorbed water, in the same way, heats up and is forced out of the ground through fissures/cracks depending on the amount of pressure exerted on the water.
The mineral content of hot springs
Hot springs are said to contain certain minerals which include radium, lithium, calcium and some of these minerals are of medicinal value to the locals.
Some of the hot springs which contain very hot water however may cause harm to the body such as burns due to the hot temperature of the water.
Hot springs found in Uganda
Hot springs found in Uganda include the following;
- Sempaya hot spring: These hot springs are located in Semliki national park in western Uganda. The hot springs in this national park are of two types which include the male and the female hot springs. As tourists trek through the forest on their way to see the hot springs in the national park the different primate species which can be seen along the way include mangabeys, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys as they enjoy the beauty of nature around them. The name Sempaya was got from the Swahili phrase “sehemu mbaya” which translates to the difficult side which is a way of describing the steep nature of the terrain. There are many folk stories attached to these hot springs. One of the folk stories associated with the sempaya hot springs according to the bamaga clan is that the bamaga women had gone to fetch firewood from the forest and they saw a hairy man dressed in bark cloth wielding a spear and with a dog moving in a zig-zag formation around that location. The women ran back home to tell their husbands who decided to pick the man and take him to their homes where they got a wife for him from the same village. The man who became known as biteete continued hunting and one time he never returned home. Three days later, the men went out to search for him and at the spot where the male hot springs are found presently, it is said the men found only his spear with no trace of the man or his dog. The men assumed that he had disappeared from the same spot and they ran back to tell his wife who was called Nyansimbi. Nyansimbi ran to the forest and never returned and when the village men went to look for her only her clothes were found at the spot where the female hot springs are found presently. The bamaga people also believe that their female ancestors live beneath the female hot spring and their male ancestors live beneath the male hot spring and for this reason, the bamaga perform rituals at the springs to appease their ancestors. The locals also boil eggs and other foodstuffs in the hot springs.
- Kitagata hot spring: This hot spring is found in western Uganda in Kitagata trading center. Tourists can enjoy the views of the hills and valleys as they go to the hot springs. These hot springs are known for their curative power and people come to these hot springs to be cured of different illnesses. There is also historical importance attached to kitagata hot springs and it is said one of the Ankole kings used these hot springs. The kitagata hot springs are also referred to as “Mulago” in reference to Uganda’s referral hospital due to its ability to cure certain ailments. Many people flock these hot springs and it possesses high tourism potential due to its strategic location.
- Amoropii hot spring: These hot springs are located in northern Uganda in Panyimur which is a fishing village in Nebbi district. Amoro PII is in Alur language and it translates to mean “hot water” which is a description of the water in the hot springs. To access these hot springs, one must get permission and in incidences where a person visits the Amoro pii hot springs without permission, certain repercussions will be faced for example women who visit these hot springs without permission are said to become barren. Another result of people visiting the hot springs without permission is snake bites. Different people visit these hot springs for various reasons which include to get fairer and tender skin, to get healed of diseases and many other reasons. These hot springs are also of divine and mythical value to the local community and sacrifices are offered at these hot springs to the gods for example offerings of sheep meat is left in the open for the gods and the following day the meat is gone which according to the locals is a sign that the gods have taken the sacrifice. Amoro pii hot springs can also be visited by tourists on their way to Murchison falls national park. other hot springs which can be seen in Uganda include Nyasimbi hot spring, Rwagimba hot spring, Buranga hot spring, Ihimba hot spring, Kibiro hot spring.
“The magical hot springs in Uganda offer a unique and relaxing experience as tourists enjoy the gifts of nature around them.”
