Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve

Pros & Cons

• Excellent birding
• Seven primate species including chimpanzee
• Night drives and boat trips on Lake Albert are available
• Animal densities are low
• Chimp sightings are rare as they are only semi-habituated
• Limited accommodation options
• Some roads become impassable in the rainy season

Wildlife

Buffalo and elephant are rarely seen. Leopard can sometimes be spotted on night drives, but lion are more often heard than seen. The park is home to many primate species, including chimpanzee, but encounters are rare. Grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus, Central African red colobus, baboon, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey, de Brazza's monkey, vervet monkey, and Dent's mona monkey can all be found along the forest trails.

• More about Toro-Semliki’s wildlife

Scenery

The reserve, located in the Albertine Rift Valley, has an amazing setting between the Rift Valley escarpment on the east, the Congolese Blue Mountains on the west and the Rwenzoris on the southwest. The dominant vegetation is woodland and savannah. There are several rivers running through flanked by riverine forest, and patches of borassus palms are dotted around.

Weather & Climate

Toro-Semliki is characterized by a hot climate, with the temperature halving after the sun sets, and the constant prospect of rain. Its two Wet seasons (March to May and August to November) bring little relief from the heat, despite lots of rain – particularly from March to May when local roads get washed out. You’ll get slightly less soaked during what passes for the Dry seasons (December to February and June to July).

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Best Time To Visit

If you’re into birding, bring your binoculars during the drier, sunnier period from January to March. This is also a good time for chimp trekking, as is the mid-year dry stretch (June to July). At other times of year, you can expect rain, rain and more rain, so bring plenty of wet-weather gear.

• More about the best time to visit

Want To Visit Toro-Semliki WR?

Toro-Semliki Safaris

• Toro-Semliki Safaris & Tours
• Tour Operators for Toro-Semliki