Maramagambo forest : The Maramagambo forest is among the attractions found in Queen Elizabeth national park located in the south western part of Uganda.
The forest is located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park in Bushenyi district and it stretches from to Lake Edward. The name of the forest originated from one of the local folktales where two boys lost their way home and after spending time lost in the forest, the returned home and couldn’t speak.
Maramagambo forest is one of the tropical rainforests of Uganda with different trails which can be explored during safaris around the destination.
Some of the attractions found in the Maramagambo forest include the bat caves and also crater lakes which border the forest such as Lake Kyasanduka and Lake Nyamasingiri. Around the crater lakes, the tourists can engage in boat rides.
There are also different primate species which can be seen around the forest and they include chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, baboons, red tailed monkeys, potos monkeys and vervet monkeys as well as other wildlife species like forest elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pigs among others.
Activities to do around Maramagambo forest
There are different activities which are done around the Maramagambo forest and they include the following;
- Guided nature walks
When visiting the Maramagambo forest, tourists can engage in guided nature walks which bring them closer to the natural surroundings of the forest.
Some of the trails in Maramagambo forest are about 4 in number and they include the river trail, the Palm trail, Valley trail and also the waterfall trail. These walks can be half day tour experiences which take about 2 to 6 hours depending on the route used when exploring the forest.
The forest trail is flat and favors tourists who cannot manage difficult walks along steep terrain while the river trail in Maramagambo forest leads to the River Kajojo. During nature walks around the forest, the waterfall trail leads tourists to the Kilyantama waterfalls.
Nature tours along the River trail take about 1 hour and tourists can also see primates along the way. Walking tours along the palm trail take about 1 to 2 hours and it is about 2 kilometers long and palm trees among other tree species can be seen along this trail including those with medicinal purposes.
It takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete the waterfall trail during nature walks in Maramagambo forest. tourists can also engage in nature walks following the forest trail. During the nature walks, tourists are led by ranger guides who lead the way through the forest.
- Cave tours
There are bat caves which are part of the attractions found around the Maramagambo forest that can be explored by tourists.
From a view point close to the bat caves, tourists can enjoy seeing the caves where many bats live. There are also rock pythons found around the caves.
- Bird watching
Various bird species are found in the Maramagambo forest and they include the Rwenzori Turaco, Black-headed Batis, Red-tailed Bristle Bill, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, African Green Pigeon, White-naped Pigeons among others.
The bird species can be seen during nature walks through the forest which can be done throughout the year.
- Community tours
Tourists can engage in community tours and interact with the local communities as they explore the Maramagambo forest.
Community tours involve spending time with the locals and getting to know more about their way of life and culture.
- Wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park
Apart from visiting the Maramagambo forest, tourists can also enjoy wildlife viewing around other parts of Queen Elizabeth national park during their safaris. Some of the activities to do around the national park include game drives, boat rides, hiking, chimpanzee tracking, hiking among others.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park can be done in the morning or afternoon in different parts of the destination such as the Kasenyi plains, Mweya peninsula and also around the Ishasha sector. Some of the wildlife species which can be seen during safaris include elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, impalas, waterbucks, hyenas, warthogs, topi, hippos Uganda kobs and bushbucks among others. Tree climbing lions can be seen around the Ishasha sector.
Another activity which can be done around Queen Elizabeth national park is boat rides on the Kazinga channel formed where Lake Edward and Lake George meet. Different bird species and also a variety of wildlife species like hippos, buffalos, elephants among others can be seen by the water shores during this activity which can be done in the morning and also in the afternoon.
Chimpanzee tracking is another activity which takes place around Queen Elizabeth national park and it is done in the Kyambura gorge. During this activity, tourists spend time with the chimpanzees in the forest in the morning and also in the afternoon.
Best time to visit Maramagambo forest
The Maramagambo forest can be visited at anytime of the year with the best time for tours around the destination being the dry season when it is easier to explore the forest around January and February and also during the months of June, July, August, September and October.
Wildlife viewing around other parts of Queen Elizabeth national park is also best done during the dry season when wildlife species are known to gather to drink around the water sources.
Tours around Maramagambo forest can also be done during the rainy season which is a time when many bird species can be seen during safaris. The rains are received around March to May and also around November.
How to get to Maramagambo forest
The Maramagambo forest can be accessed by driving to Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 6 hours along the Kampala-Mbarara-Kasese route. Tourists can also access the forets by using the Kampala-Fortportal-Kasese route.
Tourists can also access the Maramagambo forest by booking domestic flights to Kasese airstrip or Mweya airstrip. There are scheduled and charter flights offered to Queen Elizabeth national park using airlines such as Aerolink Uganda
