Tucked into the forest edge near Kibale National Park in western Uganda, the Sunbird Hill Experience is one of the most thoughtfully built conservation and community travel stops in East Africa. It is not a game drive destination and it does not try to be. What it offers instead is something rarer: a genuine window into how villages, wildlife, and conservation organizations learn to share the same landscape, through beehives, trenches, bird clubs, butterfly gardens, and guided walks with people who have lived this story firsthand.
The experience is built around several linked projects on a single property and can fill a full morning or afternoon. It pairs naturally with a Kibale chimpanzee trekking day or a Fort Portal layover and is included in Back to the Source Tours itineraries covering the western Uganda circuit.
We love this community-based project. You can literally spend all day on the property exploring from one project to the other. My personal favorite was touring the elephant trenches and the bee hive projects. This is a very undersold and more of a word-of-mouth type of experience. This is surely an activity we do when visiting Kibale National Forest. Their treehouses are impressive and the overall peacefulness gives this destination a MUST-SEE grading. Read below all about them.
The Sunbird Hill Experience: Have a peek at Village Conservation in Action with a guided tour of the Healing Garden, Butterfly House, Elephant Deterrent Beehives, and Trenches. Visit the Village Bird Club and walk with an ex-poacher to understand the problem and our programs. This journey begins in the secluded edges of Kibale Forest.
See over 240 bird species, 14 sunbirds, 186 butterflies, and a plethora of dragonflies, reptiles, and amphibians. Enjoy a tea/coffee station and the Bird Hide & Birders Lounge with its fascinating books library on natural history. Must be booked in advance.
What to Expect at Sunbird Hill
Cover the Healing Garden, Butterfly House, Elephant Deterrent Beehives, the Bird Hide and Birders Lounge, and the Village Bird Club.
Birding at Sunbird Hill
Over 240 bird species recorded including 14 sunbird species. 186 butterfly species. Bird hide with library of natural history books, bird baths, butterfly mud puddles, and frog ponds.
Walking With Mzee Silver
The walk with Mzee Silver Kyamkama, the ex-poacher turned conservationist, is the most powerful part of the experience.
How to Book and How to Get There
Must be booked in advance. Located on the edge of Kibale Forest near Fort Portal. Best combined with a Kibale chimpanzee trekking day. Contact Back to the Source Tours to include in a western Uganda itinerary.
The Sunbird Hill Experience is included in the Back to the Source Tours 9-Day Walking Safari and the 12-Day Primates Wildlife and Culture tour as a scheduled activity.
The Sunbird Hill Experience is included in the Back to the Source Tours 9-Day Walking Safari and the 12-Day Primates Wildlife and Culture tour as a scheduled activity.
Browse all Uganda safari packages or schedule a meeting with a travel expert to add Sunbird Hill to your western Uganda itinerary.
Chimpanzee primatologist Julia Lloyd is transforming lives of the local community living near edges of Kibale National Park. Her initiatives, such as Bee Keeping and Conservation training have greatly curbed human-wildlife conflict in addition to improving livelihoods.
Other community activities:
Bigodi Wetlands is rich in biodiversity, wildlife, and scenic beauty. A 4.5km long walk will take you through this important wildlife corridor of Kibale Forest National Park. The walk can be as short as you want it to be or up to 3 hours all the way through.
This is home to the “Great Blue Turaco”, a real bird watcher’s paradise. This wonderful place shelters over 200 species of birds including Hornbills, Turacos, Parrots, Cranes, Kingfishers, and many more swamp endemics.
The sanctuary is home to 8 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 the Blue Monkey.
Combine your Nature Walk with a Cultural Village Tour. Learn everything about Ugandan traditions, herbal medicines, the making of local coffee, a culinary experience, and much more.
Plan this experience with Back to the Source Tours: East Africa Tour Packages, East Africa Group Tours, and/or Request Your East Africa Safari Quote.