Maramagambo Forest : Maramagambo forest covers a part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, from the Kichwamba slope to Lake Edward. The area’s landscape is good for hiking safari and taking wildlife walks on the trails. Hiking and wildlife walks take about one and a half hours and are half-day safari activities. You will enjoy looking up at the green treetops.
The name Maramagambo forest originates from the folk lore of the region. People think that when they were young, two boys went into the forest and got lost, so they stayed in the forest for a few days. And the event that shocked the locals enough to give the forest its current name was that when the boys came home from the forest, they couldn’t say a word. This is where the name “Maramagambo” comes from, because the young boys came out of the forest unable to speak.
Maramagambo forest is situated in Bushenyi District part of Queen Elizabeth national park. It is in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. It is well-known for the bat holes. Two crater lakes, Lake Kyasanduka and Lake Nyamasingiri, are on either side of the Maramagambo forest. It is home to chimps, red-tailed monkeys, and bêtes pygmy antelopes, among other primate species.
During your walk through the forest, you might see primates like chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys. The two primates that are active at night, Pottos and bush babies, are the most interesting.
You can also see different kinds of wild birds in the Maramagambo forest. There are a lot of rare bird species in Maramagambo forest, such as Rwenzori Turaco, white-napped pigeons, and fly catchers, among others. Because of this, Maramagambo forest is a perfect safari destination for birders to visit. And this unique and big group of ants that all match will make you happy. These big groups of ants that all look the same are 100 metres long and 6 metres wide.
You will also enjoy the view of the bat cave from the view point made for tourists after the 2008 incident of Marburg that some tourists got from inside the bat cave. People weren’t allowed in the caves, but after a while, the Ministry of Tourism decided to let them back in, but this time they built a lookout point to make sure nothing bad happened. At the bat caves’ lookout point, you can see big snakes inside the cave or outside trying to get warm in the sun.
The existence of chimpanzees in Maramagambo forest will pique your mind to tracking these endangered animals and learn about their behavior. And walking along the Lake Kyasanduke crater will reveal you a lot about the area, such as the types of trees there.
The following are the categorized safari activities that you can enjoy with in Maramagambo forest;
Forest trail hike will make you encounter a lot of exciting safari attractions. But this might not be a good idea for people who aren’t fit enough to climb up and down the hills.
River trail involves walking along River Kajojo. The walk is about 2 1/2 kms long and takes about an hour. It is called the River Kajojo because elephants used to bathe in it. The name Kajojo, which means “little elephant,” comes from this fact. You will see signs of primates and climax tree species like Parinari shines.
The palm trail; is a 5km walk which takes about 1 1/2 – 2 hours over fairly flat terrain. It’s good for everyone who comes. You will see a lot of amazing safari attractions, like different kinds of trees, and learn how they are used. For example the frame tree said to be liable for stimulating libido in women, Raphia Palms are sources of raw materials that women use for making mats and the incredible dragon tree among others.
The valley trail is about 3.5 kilometres long, and it takes about two hours to walk it. This is also very interesting. As you walk along the hill, you will see many interesting Uganda safari attractions in the forest, such as the Viagra tree and other interesting trees.
The waterfall trail is an 11km walk over the valley about 4-5hours through the forest to the hilly parts of Maramagambo forest and through the wet terrain. The path will take you to the beautiful water falls of Kilyantama, which in the local language are called “sheep eater falls.” You can see plants like backcloth figs, which the men in the area use to make traditional clothes, bags, mats, tablecloths, and other things.
Other interesting safari activity in Maramagambo forest include;
Forest research.
When you make the right choice and add the Maramagambo forest package to your safari itinerary, you will learn about conservation from the tourist information centre and the locals, among other interesting attractions.
