Budongo Central Forest Reserve is the largest survival natural forest in Uganda and largest Mahogany Forest in East Africa, with a total surface of approximately 825 square km, of which 430 square km is continuous forest.
Budongo Forest Reserve is a medium altitude, moist, semi-deciduous tropical rainforest which the reserve was officially gazetted in 1932 and managed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA). The name Budongo derives from the local Bunyoro word ‘fertile soil’.
A well developed and extensive trail system with a length of 115 km in total is found throughout the forest, which enables tourist activities like forest walks, chimp tracking and birding.
Apart from the 465 species of plants, the reserve is also famous for the age-old, Mahogany trees which can grow up to 80 meters. Some of the best bird viewing is found in the area known as the Royal Mile, which is part of Budongo Forest Reserve.
The extremely rich biodiversity includes 24 species of small mammals, 9 species of primates and 280 butterflies. It is also the natural habitat of more than 600 chimpanzees, of which a small community has been habituated for eco-tourism purposes.
This family consists of 80 individuals, allowing visitors the unique opportunity to view these amazing apes in their natural environment. Other primates that can be observed are the Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red-tailed Monkeys, Blue Monkeys and Grey-cheeked Mangabeys.
This forest comes second after the Semliki National Park as the most important forest in Uganda. About 360 species of birds are recorded in the total area, including the rare Puval’s Illadopses which is endemic to the region. Others include the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Chestnut Crowned Eremomera, Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-browned Camaroptera, Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher, Slender-billed Greenbul, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Forest Robin, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow and Grey Longbill, Little Green Sunbird, Western Black-headed Oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellow-manted Weaver, Crested Malimbe and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle among others.
Certainly one must take the time to go and see the famous birding area “Royal Mile” which is a short distance in the Busingiro area of Budongo.
Budongo Forest also has a post World War Church, and during World War II it was home to a large number of Polish refugees.
The evidence can still be seen at the Catholic Church in the forest that is still visited by Poles and is used weekly for Church services for the local population.
One can spend a day or night here with the various activities one can partake in as Budongo Eco-Lodge provides nice meals and comfortable cottages for those wanting to stay overnight and continue to Murchison Falls Park or to Kampala the following day.
