Explore Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp on foot.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – Fabulous Birding & Primate Viewing in a Jungle Swamp
Explore Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp on foot: Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is a hidden gem of swampland jungle in western Uganda, near Kibale Forest National Park. As you enter the Sanctuary, you find yourself on a wooden boardwalk winding through tall papyrus reeds and thick vegetation. You can already hear the many birds that call this swamp home – the raucous calls of fish eagles, the high trills of weaver birds, and the deep croaks of hornbills.
As you continue along the boardwalk, the trees close above you, draping Spanish moss and strangler fig vines. The air is hot, humid, and rich with the scent of decomposing leaves and stagnant water. You periodically stop to peer into lily-covered ponds, spotting frogs and juveniles of the Nile tilapia fish that thrive in the swamp. Butterflies flit in vivid reds, greens, and blues, landing briefly on moisture-flecked leaves.
After about an hour, you reach a large clearing where the boardwalk splits in two directions. Here you can sit and observe a babbling stream feeding into the swamp and watch wildlife coming to drink. You may glimpse colobus monkeys descending from the canopy to feed on fallen fruit or the splash of a crocodile slipping into the water from a hidden inlet.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary offers a peaceful escape into Uganda’s equatorial jungle, with its thick greenery, meandering streams, and teeming wildlife. This vibrant swamp’s sounds, smells, and sights will stay with you long after you exit the Sanctuary, returning you to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Visit Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp near Kibale Forest in Western Uganda:
Visit Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is a Jungle Swamp. Bigodi Wetlands is an award-winning sustainable community UNESCO Eco-Tourism project where visitors can see a Jungle Swamp.No visit the Kibale Forest Area is complete without spending a few hours in Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is a one-of-a-kind Jungle Swamp not found elsewhere in East Africa.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is rich in Biodiversity; its Flora alone makes it worth visiting. Wild Palms, Polita Fig Trees, and the ever-dominant Papyrus, among the many other plants, flowers, and trees, await you. It is the perfect setting for an adventure in the African Jungle.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary represents a local community that is dedicated to conserving this rare jungle swamp for this and future generations, along with its nine species of primates, the over two-hundred species of birds, plus the variety of mammals that you find here, such as the Semi-Aquatic Sitatunga Antelopes, Otters, and other wildlife all making Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is one of the most popular and most visited tourist sites in Uganda.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp teeming with life
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp’s unique scenic beauty and rich Biodiversity set it apart from other same-same locations on an African Safari. The wetlands are part of an important wildlife corridor that stretches from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Queen Elizabeth Park to Kibale Forest.
There is a four-1/2-kilometer-long nature walk, much of it on a wooden plank boardwalk, which becomes your magical trail of up-close encounters with primates, birds, and wildlife. Your guide is a professional from the local community who is quite passionate about Bigodi Wildlife Sanctuary and the natural treasures found here.
The Sanctuary is proudly called “Home of the Great Blue Turaco,” one of the two-hundred species found here. Bird species include Hornbills, Turacos, Parrots, Cranes, Kingfishers, and many more swamp endemics. Furthermore,
Primate lovers are not left out. Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is the home two eight species of primates, including the Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus, Red-Tailed Monkey, Grey Cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, L’hoest Monkey, Vervet Monkey, and Blue Monkey. Chimpanzees are frequent drop-in visitors from neighboring Kibale Forest.
The swamp is also a haven for other mammals such as bushbucks and otters, the semi-aquatic Sitatunga Antelopes (they have webbed toes), who make their home here. Bush Pigs, Bush Bucks, Otters, and other mammals are found there.
There is a Tree-Top Canopy observation point where you can observe the swamp, wildlife, birds, and primates — the right spot for taking pictures.
There are two guided walks a day. The first is at 7:30 am, which is best for birders, and the second is at 3:00 pm. Arrangements can be made to accommodate the schedule of visitors.
The guides are from KAFRED, a community-based project – the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (Conservation). Your visit here benefits the local community, the individual guides, and the families. UNESCO has recognized the project as a Sustainable Tourism Project.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – its jungle-like setting in an African Swamp, its beauty enhanced by thick vegetation, and its colorful flowering plants and trees, butterflies, primates, mammals, and birds all make it a must-visit place in Uganda, especially if you are already visiting nearby Kibale Forest…enjoy the Pearl of Africa.
Visit Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – Jungle Swamp is a place not to be missed in Uganda.
If you like to include Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – A Jungle Swamp in your safari with us -, please contact us.