Semliki National Park (but sometimes spelled Semuliki?)
I have been intrigued ever since I heard Madame Reiss coo about her time in the Congo. She and her husband lived there with their young children to film footage for French documentaries. This would have been in the 1970s. My French wasn’t sufficient to ask questions, so I let her reminisce. It was evident that the Congo deeply impacted her and her husband. She yearned to visit, though by this time she was blind and frail of body. We both knew that a return trip to Africa was only but a dream.
Some 20 years after meeting Madame Reiss I thought of her again. We had stayed in her flat on our first visit to Nice in the early 2000s. Madame Reiss was a marvelous hostess, making sure we knew our way around her neighborhood and sharing a glass of sherry with us when we returned from a day of bicycle riding. Now I was living alone in Uganda as an American volunteer, somewhat overwhelmed by loneliness and the lack of natural space. I often wonder what Madame Reiss do in my place.
I contacted a travel company in Kampala to arrange a tour of Ugandan national parks. Since Semuliki National Park is the westernmost park, I added it to the itinerary. Semuliki is located in the Congo Basin. The Rwenzori mountains isolate Semuliki from the rest of Uganda, so the environment and its citizens have more in common with the DRC than with the rest of Uganda. Madame Reiss would approve of this choice.
drive through the Rwenzori Mountains
The road from Fort Portal goes through the Rwenzori Mountains to Semliki National Park.
Blue-throated Roller
Semliki National Park is known for its diverse birdlife, flying squirrels, and hot springs.
Hot Springs
What I learned in Semuliki National Park
Do not rush. We tried to fit too many destinations in a day and did an injustice to this unusual park
Be prepared for all weather. It was very hot and sticky under the thick canopy of the rainforest. Later that afternoon the weather turned wet and chilly.
Mornings are best, birds will be singing and the soft light will enhance your photography.
UWA Signs have not been updated
A word about Semliki
Semliki Vally is in the Congo Basin in a very remote area of Western Uganda
Sometimes Semliki is spelled Semuliki
The Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is on Lake Albert. It is a very different environment than Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park is a 90 minute drive from Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, it is a hard, rough drive
Semliki National Park is a twitcher’s paradise, bring an expert birding guide!
CACAO FARMERS IN THE SEMLIKI VALLEY
We drove past small cacao farms on the way to Semliki NP and I insisted that we stop. Smallholder farmers of the Semliki Valley often supplement their income with cacao. Their cacao trees are intercropped with banana and other fruit trees, producing quality cacao beans. Latitude Chocolate, from Kampala, works closely with the cacao producers in Semliki.
Buy Latitude Chocolate when you visit Uganda! It’s available at the Carrefour grocery chain or at their factory in Kampala across the street from Acacia Mall. It’s really the best.
Agriculture is always present in Uganda. Each region has their specialities. Semliki grown cacao is absolutely fantastic.