MARAMAGAMBO FOREST

Maramagambo forest safari in Uganda

This the largest natural forest in East Africa positioned in Bushenyi district in Queen Elizabeth National Park which ranks the 2^nd largest among the 10 National Parks in Uganda and frequently toured in south-western Uganda. This forest begins from the cliffs of Kichwamba all vi Lake Edward. Now once upon a time there was a group of young people who totally got lost within this same forest and eventually when they got their way back to the village they were wordless/speechless due to the fact that they were exhausted and tired and this is exactly where they got the word maramagambo. Therefore, this word maramagambo does imply someone who is wordless /speechless. Maramagambo forest does shelter a total of about 7primates such as Chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red tailed monkey, pottos, Baboons, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, bush babies, blue monkeys, pythons, elephants, bates, pygmy antelopes, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, and so much more plus bird species inclusive.

When to visit maramagambo forest

Remember the forest can be toured year in and year out but then the finest time/period is the peak season of months like June-September and December –February. In this period there are little amounts of rainfall and so the shrubs, bushes, trees will be short which permits you to spot and sight clearly primate species therein, during the nature walks the trails are dry and travelable which is not the case in the wet season.

Travelers can still tour in the rainy season, with the fact that there are heavy rains but then birding activity is well done in the rainy season because there is abundancy of food for these birds which makes the activity of bird watching very easy. In this way they will be much easily sighted/spotted with completely no walking /trailing deep into the forest.

Activities in Maramagambo forest

Directed Nature walks

This is an exhilarating activity that grants tourists a chance to walk on foot with in the forest as they discover the attractive settings, craters lakes, wild animals, tree species, bird species, and so on. Once engaged in this activity you will have to follow the trails like the forest trail which is advised by the physically unfit to use since it is passing via the flat landscape, palm trail which has gotten the frame trees with leaves that are thought to upsurge female libido, waterfall trail which confers you to Kilyantama waterfalls, valley trail &river trail where you will tour river Kajojo.Nature walks tend to consume approximately 2-6hrs.During your nature walks you can also tour the crater lakes like lake Nyamasingiri & lake Kyasanduka at the boundary of maramagambo forest, but while at these crater lakes you can engage in canoe riding as well. Still through this activity you can get a chance to spot insects, butterflies, primates like the red tailed monkey, black and white colobus, blue monkeys, baboons plus chimpanzees, and many more.

Bird watching

This forest is recognized as the finest birding terminus for bird lovers, so then bird watchers should be able to sight and view birds like pink backed pelican, white tailed lark, papyrus canary, African skimmer, martial eagle, black bee-eater, chapin’s flycatcher, African green pigeon, etc.

Primate sighting/spotting

Maramagambo forest does shelter about 7 primates like Olive baboons, chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, plus nocturnal primates like the pottos which are only spotted at night during the nocturnal/night walk, bush babies, etc. Maramagambo being a vast forest, chimpanzees do traffic a lot in this forest therefore several of the chimpanzees that are spotted on /during nature walk are not yet familiarized/habituated for chimpanzee trekking. And because they move deep into the forest especially during the peak season, that makes trekking a lot bit take longer hours.

Cultural Encounters

Through this activity you are able to interrelate with the indigenous people that stay around the forest. Once engaged in this activity you can be able to tour the pre-historical cave close to Nyanziibiri community where you will get to know more how the cave is opposed to preserve people from bad luck and other tragedies. This cave during the year of 1980’s it was used as a sanctuary for absconders who were running away from the dictatorial regimes. Find out more about their way of living, the food they eat, how to make crafts such as mats, baskets, etc.

Bat watching

This is another activity that I have not narrated about so much in the above mentioned activities but also does take place in maragambo forest. Bat caves were the frequently toured attractions in the forest before 2008 when they were bolted due to the fact that some tourist contracted Marburg virus that which is caused by bats, and then because of the collaboration with the American center of Disease control, there is a protected spotting that has been recognized outside the caves where tourists can spot these bats in the cave as well as the python that does feed on these bats

Travel options to maramagambo forest

One can access maramagambo forest through use of road transport, that is to say transfer from Kampala through Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi-then straight to maramagambo forest of which it will consume basically 6hrs transfer. Still can reach this forest by use of public means –boarding a bus from Kampala-Bushenyi and then rent a private taxi to the forest offices.

By Air means still one can reach maramagambo forest because there is existence of domestic companies such as Aero-link Uganda which works on timetable and rented flights day in and day out from Entebbe Airport /Kajjansi Airfield to Mweya airstrip. So tourists who are not comfortable transferring long distances can book a flight to Mweya Airstrip and then join by the road to maramagambo forest.

Travelers who tour maramagambo forest can join it with other activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park like boat cruise, game drives, hot air balloon, chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura gorge and so on which does offer you such an implausible safari/tour in Uganda.