Sempaya Hot Springs in Semuliki National Park Uganda

Sempaya Hot Springs in Uganda are found in the Semuliki National Park in western Uganda. These amazing hot springs that can boil at very high temperatures of up to 103 degrees Celsius; have a spurt shelling up 2 meters from a wide hole of about eight meters. The springs that boil up from the rock bottom of the earth exhibit the great underground geographical forces that have for many centuries ago formed the Rift Valley. Semuliki National Park covering 220 square kilometers is among Uganda’s latest National Park and was put into a gazette in October 1993. When you choose to have any of the tours in Uganda that involve visiting safari attractions in Western Uganda, ensure that these hot springs are included in thee itinerary.

Sempaya hot springs are found in two places. The first one is called the male and second is the female. The hot springs, among the tourist sites in Uganda have greatly attracted a bigger number of travelers who visit Uganda.

An hour-long track to the outer, “male” hot springs takes you through a spot of woodland where the grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys and the black-and-white colobus monkeys among others are regularly seen. There is a tree house on the way which offers a clear aerial view.

On the other hand, a 30-minute walk via the palm forest from the main road leading to the inner, “female” hot spring, characterized by the boiling spring. Here, Eggs and banana can be cooked instantly for consumption by hungry hikers in the blistering waters! A visit to Semuliki National Park will encompass a tour to Sempaya hot springs.

Formation of the Hot Springs

Scientifically, hot springs are a spiral formed by an appearance of geothermal heated underground water from the earth’s layer. The hotness of rocks inside the earth upsurges with deepness. When water infiltrates deep plentifully into the crust, it is heated as it gets into contact with the very hot rocks. Hot springs are made by fissures spreading deep towards the exceptionally hot temperatures of the earth layer, and water trickling down is heated and enforced back up with much pressure to produce bubble.

Semuliki is considered to be a dense forest and also part of the great Ituri forest which stretches in the Congo. Animals that are found in Semuliki National Park leopards, elephants, civet, chimps, pygmy antelopes, buffalo, bush baby and scaly tailed flying squirrel. This park has got eight primate species and about 400 species of bird plus 300 butterfly species. Tourists at the park also use set trails to visit the hot springs and also prepared walks to various areas of the park.

From a Geographical perspective, the Semuliki River is a small tributary of the bigger Congo River. The forest in the park is a place of stay for Batwa community. Batwa are a group of people in Uganda who are endangered and may face extinction. Their populace has reduced severely over time, and their lifestyles need to be learnt about.

In case you are a lover of birds, visit Mungilo waterfalls, which is an ideal spot for the bird watching activity. Among the bird species found in this area include the black dwarf hornbill; the yellow-throated nicator and shining blue kingfisher are.

Semuliki National Park offers a sense of taste of Central Africa even when you are in Uganda. A boat cruise on Lake Albert is a breathtaking experience. Semuliki, a dense forest is part of the great Ituri Forest which bounces into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Semuliki is the only national park in Uganda featured with predominantly with tropical lowland jungle. The geography is pretty flat, creating a shocking dissimilarity to the jagged Rwenzori Mountains proximate. River Semuliki at the park is a water source for several animals and birds in this wildlife reserve.

You can visit Sempaya hot springs when you are on the Uganda safari tours of Semuliki national park. It may be also be an additional activity for tourists on chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest or a nature walk of the crater lakes and caves around Fort Portal area. One can also visit Sempaya hot springs with Queen Elizabeth National Park safari or tour any other tourist attractions in western Uganda.

Related Hot Springs in Uganda

Other hot springs in Uganda also include Kitagata Hot Springs in Bushenyi District, Ihimba Hot springs.