Toro – Semuliki Reserve

The reserve was established in 1926 by the British colonial government which was ruling Uganda by that time. The reserve was among the first protected gazetted areas in the Great Lakes region and the main reason for its gazetting was to protect Uganda Kobs which were many in the area and were prone to poaching by the hunters who inhabited the areas in the vicinity.

Uniqueness and attractions in the Toro-Semuliki reserve.

It is important to note that this beautiful reserve has a lot of attractions that make it unique from the rest of the reserves in the area and these encompass;

Hot Springs. There are two hot Springs in this reserve that are so hot to the point of boiling eggs in minutes, this sets the reserve apart.

Biodiversity. The reserve is made up of different living things ranging from mammals and reptiles, plants and many others.  These are unique and some of them can only be found in this area.

Primates. It is quite noteworthy that the reserve is a habitat to at least 4 species of primates including chimpanzees, golden monkeys black and white colobus monkeys and L’hoests.

Cultural experiences. The National Park is surrounded by several tribes that are different from other tribes in East Africa. These include the Batwa and the indigenous Batooro who give distinguished experiences to the travelers that flock to the area all year round.

Spectacular landscapes. The park is made up of beautiful landscapes with views of the hills and valleys in its vicinity. These hills and valleys are covered by dense forest covers on the plantations that give magnificent views that attract visitors.

Activities done in the Toro-Semuliki reserve.

Various tourism activities are supported in this reserve and they are;

Ecotourism. This entails visits to natural places and it is supported in this particular activity since there are plenty of natural places to explore. This attracts nature lovers from all over the world to come and spend time in these natural places.

Chimpanzee tracking. It is important to note that chimpanzees inhabit the dense rainforests in this reserve and they can be tracked down by tourists. The activity of tracking is accompanied by professional tourist guides who provide information about the chimpanzees.

Bird watching. The reserve is home to over 300 species of birds and these can be observed in the gazetted areas for bird watching within the reserve. The birds in this reserve incorporate; secretary birds, African fish eagles, turacos, abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee-eaters, cinnamons, egrets, hammerkops, brailed frogon, eastern plantain eater, saddle-billed stork, marabou stocks, black-headed gonolek, gravers broadbill, African paradise flycatchers and the popular shoebill.

Cultural encounters. The reserve being next to the homesteads of the indigenous Batwa and the Batooro, offers an opportunity to have an encounter with these beautiful people. The Batwa have celebrated forest keepers for the past centuries and they help share information on how they survive in the jungle, they also entertain visitors that come their way in their homesteads.  This helps improve the experiences of travelers.

Photography. The reserve provides beautiful sceneries that are good for photographers and film-makers. This helps travelers to take pictures of the memorable experiences they had in this beautiful part of the pearl of Africa.

Nature walks. Nature walks can also be conducted in this reserve and they are guided by professional tourist guides who take visitors through the dense forests, mountainous areas and the valleys. This helps travelers to appreciate nature more and also relax from their busy schedules. This also adds up to the beautiful experiences the traveler gets well in the country.

How to get to the spectacular Toro-Semuliki reserve

The reserve can be accessed both by air and road transport however, road transport is the commonly used mode of transport to access it.

The reserve is approximately 354.6 kilometres from Kampala city centre which accounts for a six hours and 15 minutes drive. Travelers can also board Standard Chartered flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip from where they can get a tourist van that gets them to the reserve.

Best time to visit the Toro-Semuliki reserve.

The best time to visit the reserve is in the dry seasons of June to August and December to January.