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.
The Sunbird Hill Experience award winning site has the best nature guides in western Uganda who are knowledgeable, passionate & dedicated conservationists. Here are some of the exciting experiences for true conservationist and lovers of our green planet. Winners of “Big Birding Day” 4 years in a row.
- A bird population monitoring program
- Enjoy our secluded bird hide & viewing platform
- Wander around their Ekimuli Garden with butterflies, beetles & native wildflowers.
- Exclusive Birders’ Lounge with an extensive natural history library, armchair birding & photography – with views on their bird baths, butterfly mud puddle, frog pond, grassland patch & fig tree cluster.
- Spend time with Mzee Silver Kyamkama – ex-poacher, former butterfly collector, retired Uganda Wildife Authority ranger guide & chimpanzee researcher.
- See Village Conservation in Action at Butterfly Village with our Healing Garden, Butterfly House, Village Bird Clubs alongside elephant-deterrent beehives & trench.
- Complimentary tea, snacks & water bottle refills
- Half-day morning or afternoon visits
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:
#1
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.
The swamp is also a haven for other mammals such as sitatungas, bushbucks, and otters. Local and knowledgeable guides will take you on an interpretive tour as they escort you through the lush vegetation. This is the perfect opportunity to view the wildlife from the forest pathways, boardwalks and atop a tree house tucked high in the canopy.
#2
Combine your Nature Walk with a Cultural Village Tour. Learn everything about Ugandan traditions, herbal medicines, the making of local coffee, and much more.
#3
Visit The Bee Hive Bar & Bistro opposite the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. This great vibe restaurant and bar is worthy of a delicious meal, appetizer, or drinks. This is a popular stopover among visitors.
#4
To find out more about the Chimpanzee Habituation program in Kibale which gives visitors the opportunity for an extended and more personal involvement in the Chimpanzee Habituation program. Visit our Kibale National Park page. This is an all-day activity.
