Accompanied by a local guide, you will have a captivating Bigodi community tour near Kibale Forest National Park, western Uganda. Located in Magombe swamp, Bigodi wetland forms a continuous ecosystem with Kibale Forest National Park, which is around 6 kilometers away. A guided Bigodi community tour takes at least 3-4 hours in the pristine countryside. This is a great time to encounter unique people in addition to natural wonders, that include various wildlife species.
What to do during a Bigodi community tour?
A guided Bigodi community tour will offer you numerous opportunities to enjoy the following activities.
Encounter the local community.
Have a guided tour in Bigodi to meet the local communities. These people are mainly comprised of Batooro and Bakiga. These offer great insight into their cultures and traditions. These include cooking, crafts making, entertainment and traditional healing practices etc. They will offer knowledge about how they have played a huge role in the conservation of Bigodi wetland. You will learn about their language and also learn a few words to respond to them.
You will also have a guided exploration at Rest in Banana. This is an exciting place where you will get immense knowledge regarding the harvesting of bananas and using them to brew the local banana beer. An opportunity to taste the delightful beer is offered. You might want to purchase the beer for more consumption or the locally produced craft as a souvenir for your memories in Bigodi. Very sweet organic ripe bananas are harvested and offered to you to eat.
Birdwatching excursions
A Bigodi community tour also offers birding excursions in the pristine swampy habitat. Bigodi wetland is a bird paradise and renowned in Uganda for its 138 recorded unique and colorful bird species. The birds you will see include the papyrus canary, papyrus gonolek, great blue turaco, western nicator, black-crowned waxbill, grey-winged robin-chat, superb sunbird, white-spotted flufftail, redheaded bluebill, swamp flycatcher, yellow-spotted barbet, etc.
Viewing wild animals
Kibale National Park has 13 primate species and some of them are found in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. These include the black and white colobus monkeys, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, common chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, etc. Mammals in the Bigodi swamp to see include species of the sitatunga, bushbucks, bush pigs, otters, mongooses, etc.
Nature walk
A guided nature walk makes the Bigodi community tour even more exciting. This is because you will be guided on specific trails to see unique wildlife species, landscapes, and people. The local guides are also knowledgeable and able to offer insight into the different roles played by the local communities in conserving Kibale Forest. They will also tell you about their folklore. They will help you identify different bird species, butterfly species, and other things.
How to reach there?
Bigodi is just a close distance away from Kibale Forest National Park. Reaching here is either by road or air transportation. From Kampala, you will enjoy a 320 kilometers scenic trip via Mubende, Kyenjonjo and Fort Portal. Driving is for 5-6 hours and the trip is very enjoyable on a private 4X4 safari land cruiser. You might as well enjoy the journey in a saloon car, drone, minivan, or a bus for a group. Standard Safaris offers these cars for hire and a guide to handle the driving.
Air transfers are also available with domestic flights operated by AeroLink from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip. Enjoy a peaceful transfer for 2-3 hours as you enjoy aerial views of western Uganda’s physical features. You will arrive in Kasese where our representative will meet you. Then you will complete your journey to Bigodi by road, covering slightly over 100 kilometers. Booking a flight ticket is conveniently possible through Standard Safaris.
Best time to go for a Bigodi community tour?
Every day is good for a Bigodi community tour, but the best time is the dry season. This is because you will love to interact with the locals without worrying about the inconveniences brought about by rainfall. It is important to know that the dry season in this region is often from June to August and also December to February. Dry seasons generally offer clear skies and low chances of rains. This is an opportunity to enjoy a continuous Bigodi community tour.
But, in Uganda, the peak season is generally in the dry season. Therefore, accommodation, transport and most tour activities are offered at their normal prices. For discounts on accommodation and transport, you will have to travel for a Bigodi community tour during the wet season. This is experienced in the region from March to May and October to November. You should just keep in mind that the chances of rainfall during this time are relatively much higher.
The wet season brings damp conditions that make movement on foot in the communities quite challenging.
