Maramagambo Forest is located in Uganda’s Bushenyi district. It is part of Queen Elizabeth National Park and is one of the biggest forests in East Africa.
In Uganda’s Bushenyi district, there is a forest known as the Maramagambo forest. It is one of the biggest forests in East Africa and a part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. From a Kichwamba escapement, the forest extends to Lake Edward.
The term “Maramagambo” comes from a legend about a group of young people who spent several days wandering in the wilderness. They were so exhausted and traumatized by the time they made it back to the hamlet that they were unable to communicate for an extended period.
Thus, the term “Maramagambo” describes someone who is mute or, more precisely, “can’t speak.” Several animals such as chimpanzees, elephants, bush pigs, pythons, bats, and the endangered Bates’s pygmy antelope all reside in the Maramagambo forest.
While its rivers supply household water, the forest brings rain to the nearby human towns. Along with lumber and poles for building their huts, the villagers who live close to the forest also receive fruits, firewood, traditional medicines, and poles.
Aside from Maramagambo, Uganda is blessed with further woods at Mabira, Budongo, Bwindi, Kibale, and Busitema, to name a few.
Is the Maramagambo Forest Safe?
A Dutch visitor who was believed to have contracted the Marburg virus from one of the forest’s bat caves made international headlines in 2008, bringing the park into the spotlight.
Although this was a unique incident that hasn’t occurred in the last ten years, the publicity it generated unfortunately may still be deterring some tourists from visiting this wonderful forest.
The region and other parts of Uganda are home to millions of bats. Uganda would be dealing with a terrible outbreak if they did carry the virus.
It is completely safe to enter the forest, and tourists are welcome at any time of the year. The entire rumour about the Marburg Virus is a hoax! Nothing should deter you if you intend to visit the forest.
Tourist activities at the Maramagambo Forest
Maramagambo woodland is one of Queen Elizabeth National Park’s least frequented attractions despite having a wealth of species.
For chimpanzee tracking and environmental walks, many people choose to go to the Kyambura Gorge because it is closer to the park headquarters.
If you want to explore the forest with fewer people, Maramagambo woodland is a great option. We hope that with time, the authorities will be able to accustom the chimpanzees in Maramagambo and allow more tourists through.
Listed below are some of the most popular tourist activities available in the Maramagambo Forest.
Bird watching
Uganda is one of the world’s top birding destinations due to the immense number and variety of birds present in the Maramagambo Forest. Rwenzori Turacos, Forest Flycatchers, and White Naped Pigeons are the main draws of Maramagambo Forest.
African green pigeons, bat hawks, black-headed batis, dark-capped yellow warblers, fawn-breasted wax-bills, red-tailed bristle-billed turacos, sulfur-breasted bush shrikes, and white-naped pigeons are among the other species.
Primate watching
A good number of Vervet monkeys, Colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Blue monkeys, Baboons, Red Tailed Monkeys, and Chimpanzees live in the Maramagambo jungle.
During night treks, it’s possible to hear nocturnal primates like Bush babies and Pottos. Because they have not been habituated, the chimpanzees in the Maramagambo jungle are not accessible to tourists.
Also, it would be impossible to regularly track chimpanzees due to the immensity of the jungle.
Since they move about a lot, chimpanzees can’t stay in one place for very long. It would entail having little chance of success as we followed them far into this massive jungle. But on the nature hikes, guests frequently see chimpanzees.
Forest Walks
One of the best locations in Uganda for nature walks or forest walks has to be the Maramagambo Forest. You can spend two to six hours on a nature stroll.
The half-day nature hikes offer chances to delve further into the forest and even discover stunning crater lakes. One can go for walks in the Maramagambo forest. Caves in the Maramagambo Forest can be reached by several trails, including the waterfall trail, valley trail, forest trail, river trail, and palm trail.
The forest trail is appropriate for individuals who are unable to climb hills due to its relatively flat topography. The Palm Trail is well-known for the frame trees whose leaves are claimed to boost female desire, while the River Trail ascends to River Kajojo. You can reach the stunning Kilyantama waterfall through the waterfall trail.
You must keep an eye out for soldier ants as you cross any paths. These ants form 100-meter-long columns that are perfectly aligned. A handful of them had already gotten inside your garments by the time you realized they were even there.
Although painful, their bite is not poisonous. We recommend putting on long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect yourself from these ants.
Forest Conservation & Research
To find out what is being done to protect the forest, one can visit the tourist centre. The park officials ought to be able to communicate information regarding their activities and ongoing forest research projects.
Tourist Attractions in the Maramagambo Forest
The Maramagambo Caves
The Maramagambo forest contains many caves where millions of bats live. The park was forced to collaborate with the American Center for Disease Control to construct a secure viewing platform as a result of the unfavourable media attention the 2008 Marburg Virus incident received.
Visitors can see African rock pythons eating bats from the viewing platform. It is forbidden to get too close to the bat caves, and tourists are still warned against doing so for fear of contracting the Marburg virus.
The Nyanziibiri Community
Visitors to Maramagambo Forest have the option of visiting a historic cave in the village of Nyanziibiri for a cultural encounter. Prominent individuals travel to the cave in the hope of finding protection from bad luck and other life disasters.
Those fleeing Uganda’s totalitarian regimes in the 1970s and 1980s chose the cave and its covert location as an ideal hideaway.
The Banyaruguru house, located close to the cave, contains lovely items that illustrate the way of life of the community’s forefathers.
A visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park
A portion of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the Maramagambo forest.
This means that after taking in everything that the forest has to offer, tourists can take a game drive in the Kasenyi and Ishaha sectors of Queen Elizabeth National Park to witness elephants, lions that can climb trees, buffalo, hyenas, warthogs, and many other well-known African creatures.
One of the greatest ways to observe wildlife when travelling through Africa is to take a boat tour along the Kazinga Channel. The more structured chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge is another option if you haven’t spotted the chimps in Maramagambo.
The attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park are numerous. It makes sense why it is Uganda’s most popular national park.
The best time to visit the Maramagambo forest
The months of December through February and June through October are the greatest for visiting forests because there is little chance of weather interfering with a peaceful nature stroll.
The rainy season is also a good time because birds will be less active and easier to spot during this time. The forest is open to visitors throughout the year, and for bird lovers, this is the best time to visit.
Conclusion
The Maramagambo Forest in Bushenyi district is one of Uganda’s many forests. It’s a place that will leave you in awe with all the lush vegetation and wildlife to see.
The forest is completely safe and so far there hasn’t been any case of anyone contracting the said Marburg virus.
So, tourists are welcome to visit and admire the bats in the caves including other bird species and wildlife. It’s also imperative to come with long-sleeved clothes for reasons we already mentioned in the article.
