Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, East Africa, is among the most popular forests in the country and one of the largest surviving natural forests, covering an area of 306 sq. km.
The Mabira forest Uganda is the largest remaining group of semi-ever green rainforest in the Victoria Basin forest savannah mosaic eco-region.
Mabira Reserve has been protected as Mabira Central Forest Reserve since 1932. It has over 315 bird species, including endemics and migratory birds.
The Mabira Central Forest Reserve is also home to 218 butterfly species, 97 moth species, 23 small mammal species and a habitat for over 312 tree species.
The Ugandan Mangabey is an endangered species that you can easily see in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Central Uganda.
Inside the Mabira Central Forest Reserve are the beautiful Griffin Falls, providing beautiful scenery from a distance.
Various tourist activities occur in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve, for example, birding, Mabira Central Forest walks on the well-developed trails stretching to over 68km, mountain biking, identifying butterflies, zip line experiences, and primate watching.
Mabira Central Forest Reserve was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932, and it survived deforestation plans in 2007 by the Sugar Corporation Limited of Uganda after nationwide condemnation. In the 1970s and 1980s, the government allowed the planting of bananas and coffee plantations in the beautiful reserve.
Read more about the Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Central Uganda below.
Mabira Central Reserve is located on the main Kampala-Jinja Highway in Buikwe District, near Mukono District. It is 54 km from the center of Kampala City and 26 km from Jinja Town in East Africa.
The forest in Central Uganda sits in the north of Lake Victoria and it is drained by streams that empty into the Nile River.
This therefore makes the Mabira Central Forest Reserve easily accessible by all the safari vehicles throughout the year.
The forest boasts stunning attractions, attracting tourists from around the world and they include the following:
Mabira boasts more than 312 species of flora, most of which are ancient trees that are home to various wildlife species that welcome various tourists for wildlife viewing. Examples of some trees/plants in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve include Cordia millenni, malilia excels, and Warburgia ugandensis.
46% of Uganda’s forest birds can be seen more easily in Mabira Central Forest Reserve than in any other forest. Some of the common bird species in Mabira Forest include the following:
Mabira is home to different animals and some of them include
Other attractions in Mabira Forest include the butterfly species and the Moth species. With over 218 butterfly species and 97 moth species, Mabira is a great destination to have this incredible experience.
There are different captivation safari activities that you can enjoy on your safari to Mabira Central Forest Reserve, as seen below.
The guided nature walks in Mabira Forest will allow you to experience the nature of the atmosphere as you enjoy wildlife viewing, for example, birds, butterfly species, and small mammals.
The Mabira Central Forest Reserve is also a water catchment for different water bodies, for example, the Nile River, Sezibwa River, and Lake Kyoga. The streams call for protection and should not be destroyed through deforestation and illegal logging, which may lead to soil erosion and also affect the water balance. To prevent this, the Kabaka and the Anglican Church offered land for the production of sugarcane to prevent deforestation.
On the nature walks, you can have unique views of these streams.
Nature walks in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve lead through different scenic trails, for example, the white trail, the red trail, and the yellow trail, for incredible wildlife viewing.
Discover different bird species through the Mabira Central Forest Reserve birding or nature walk experiences. Some of the bird species in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve include the Great Blue Turaco, Superb Sunbird, Black Billed Turaco, Red Headed Malimbe, Speckled Tinkerbird and Tambourine Dove, among others.
Like noted earlier, Mabira has an incredible population of primates to watch during your excursions to this amazing destination. Some of these primates include the mangabey, which is an endangered species. Other primates in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve include monkeys, vervet monkey species, and olive baboons, among others.
Colorful butterflies are an amazing sight to experience in the forest, which is home to over 218 species. Therefore, the experience will give you the opportunity to find and explore these many endangered species in their natural environment.
With well-developed programs to help primary, secondary, and university students do research and study the different wildlife species of the park, including plants, birds, and animals, as they enjoy amazing wildlife.
With the natural environment set in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve, you will enjoy a camping experience tucked away in the protected wild nature and welcoming wildlife of the rainforest.
The campsite in Mabira rainforest accommodates about 12 tents and one is expected to do self-catering for food.
There are many things to add to your packing list as you visit to Mabira Reserve and some of them include the following:.
Mabira Central Forest Reserve can be visited all year round, that is both the dry season and the rainy season. However, the best time to visit the beautiful rainforest in Central Uganda is in the dry season, as certain periods make the trekking experiences much easier.
Although it is also possible to visit the Mabira Central Forest Reserve in the rainy season, the season makes tracking much more hard. However, the rainy season is great for budget travelers as the accommodations are much cheaper due to fewer crowds.
The dry sea also makes transportation faster on the road, taking about an hour, like noted earlier.
Mabira Central Forest Reserve has limited lodges where one can spend the night as one can sleep in neighboring Mukono District and Lugazi and do activities during daytime in the rainforest reserve.
The Alam group, in partnership with members from Netherlands, is building an Eco-lodge to help promote tourism in the forest.
Some of the lodges in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve include the Mabira Forest Camp/Griffin Falls Camp, Mabira Rainforest Lodge and the Mabira Forest Eco-Tourism Centre/Mabira Forest Lodge.
This lodge is located between Kampala City and Jinja, and its natural surroundings and beautiful environment make it one of the most preferred lodges by tourists on a safari to Mabira rainforest.
This ecotourism site has bandas that provide accommodation to about 6 family members and it is located in a forest glade with its own latrines and bathrooms.
This camping site sits at the trail edge that goes to Griffin Falls, offering tourists beautiful views and experiences during their trip.
By road transport, the forest can be accessed from mostly Kampala City through Jinja and you will get off at the famous Najjembe Market, which is 500 meters away from the highway.
You can access the Mabira Central Forest Reserve in about an hour from Kampala City since it is about 56 kilometers from Kampala City and 20 Kilometers from Jinja City. However, with traffic, it can take about an hour or up to two hours.
For travellers connecting from Jinja, they can get a taxi heading to Lugazi and then stop at the Najjembe Market, as noted earlier.
Mabira Central Forest Reserve is the most famous natural forest reserve in the country, known for protecting some of the endangered primates like the Mangabey Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkeys (named after the red tail), Olive Baboons, Tree Hyrax, and Bush Babies, among others.
As noted earlier, Mabira Central Forest Reserve is the biggest natural forest in the country.
Mabira Central Forest Reserve has many local people in the local communities because it is not just a tourist attraction but also a place where many locals can earn a source of income.
These local people are guides, waitresses, cleaners, and drivers, among others.
The Mvule and the East African Mahogany, which are ancient trees, are the major types of wood in the rainforest that help provide timber.
The Mabira Central Forest Reserve covers an area of 300 square kilometers in Buikwe District, as noted earlier, and it is located between Jinja and Lugazi.
In conclusion, visiting Mabira Forest is an amazing experience to have for your safaris and adventures. Visiting this natural Mabira Central Forest Reserve provides the opportunity to explore its uniqueness and nature on your Uganda safaris and tours.
Book with us your Mabira Central Forest Reserve tour today for the best planning and experiences!
Cate
Samuel
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