3 Days Batwa visit & birding safari tour ranks as one of the best budget safari tour to Semuliki National Park. This budget Batwa visit & birding safari tour gives you the feel of worth and value for your money, with an exceptional safari experience. You will visit the Batwa pygmies of Semuliki in their villages to learn and share their lifestyle. The Batwa are hunters and gatherers who used to get their food, shelter, medicine and tools they needed, from the forest.
While on a budget birding safari tour you are likely to spot out the famous shoebill stork, the Blue Swallow, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul and Spotted Greenbul among others. There is more to see on this 3 days budget Batwa visit and birding safari tour including a visit to the hot springs of Semuliki National Park.
Budget Batwa Visit and Birding Safari Itinerary:
Day 1: Kampala – Semuliki National Park
The 3 days budget Batwa visit & Birding safari tour starts from Kampala after breakfast for the fascinating drive through papyrus swamps. Then through the thick jungle of the Nile Delta to Semuliki National Park, just below the Rwenzori Mountain ranges.
You may get your afternoon lunch in Fort Portal town, before proceeding to visit the Batwa Cultural Village just outside the park. The Batwa are, as they call themselves, ‘little people’ who traditionally lived on what the forest could give them. They were hunter-gatherers and got their food, shelter, medicine and tools they needed from the forest.
In modern times, the forests of Uganda have largely turned into farmlands and much of what remains is protected as national parks. As a result, the Batwa have limited access to forest areas they used to dwell in, which threatens their traditional lifestyle. Besides, your visit to the Batwa in their communities would give you an idea of their rich culture. Don’t forget to buy handmade crafts as souvenirs, to help sustain their livelihoods.
Dinner and overnight stay at Bumanga Cottages or Kirimia Guest House (Budget end facility) Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner.
Day 2: Wildlife Tour – Part of Budget Batwa Visit and Birding Safari
After breakfast, your morning is dedicated for a bird watching experience in Semuliki National Park. Get ready for a boat ride along Lake Albert for a huge birding opportunity. So, look out for the Lowland Akalat, Red-throated Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Red-eyed Puffback, White-tailed Robin-Chat and Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin among many others.
Your evening is dedicated to a game drive. Semuliki is home to forest elephants and buffaloes which are smaller versions of their savannah-dwelling relatives. It is also a home for over 53 mammals of which 27 are large mammals. 11 species are endemic to the park, including the pygmy antelopes and two flying squirrel species. It is also home to the peculiar water chevrotain, known as the ‘fanged deer’.
Dinner and overnight stay at Bumanga Cottages or Kirumia Guest House (Budget facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 3: Semuliki – Kampala/Entebbe
After your breakfast, you will visit the famous Sempaya hot springs as the most famous attraction of Semuliki National Park. These are the ‘male’ hot springs, known as ‘Bintente’.
The ‘male’ hot springs, locally known as ‘Bintente’, measures12 metres in diameter and are set in a lush swampy clearing. The ‘female’ hot springs, ‘Nyasimbi’, which means the female ancestors, is a boiling geyser (103°C) which spurts bubbling water and steam up to two meters high. The steam cloud can be seen from as far as 2km away. Local people used to cook their food in these boiling pools.
Thereafter, return back to Kampala via Fort Portal – Mubende – Mityana highway, with lunch en-route at your choice restaurant or hotel. You will then proceed to Kampala and Entebbe International Airport for your evening flight back home or to your next destination.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch. End of service
Budget Batwa Visit and Birding Safari Tour Inclusions and Exclusions:
Includes:
- Airport transfer and drop-off
- Transportation by a 4WD safari minivan
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- Park fees
- Birding safari
- Batwa visit
- Services of English speaking Driver/guide.
- En-route lunches
- Hot springs visit
- A boat ride along Lake Albert
- Park entry fees
Excludes:
- Night game drive in Semuliki
- Expenses of personal nature like: Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone bills, porter fees while trekking, personal insurance, and tobacco.