Mabira forest is one of Uganda’s thick dense tropical rain forests and the largest tropical rain forest there’s in the country but it’s a greatly endangered ecosystem standing high risks of massive destruction due to the on-going human activities encroaching its land. Mabira Forest is found on the Kampala – Jinja highway (about 54 kilometres from Kampala and 20 Kilometers from Jinja) in Najjembe Village.
There are several well networked trails that are usually used by visitors on either a guided or an unguided forest walk (summing up to 10 networked trails). There’s a Mabira forest project which was initiated by the European Union in a bid of conserving the environment.
While on your Uganda tour visiting Jinja you can take en-route trip to Mabira forest which is usually along the Kampala – Jinja highway, for tourists interested in nature walks, Ziplinig and bird watching safaris and great destination for the researchers. Mabira forest is a strategically located natural resource only 2 hour’s drive from the city and can be reached easily by both public and private means from either Jinja Taxi Park or Kampala Taxi Park at a fare of 1500 Ugandan shillings. A visit to Mabira forest, rewards tourists with several tourist centres and activities via its numerous forest rails which include among others;
The Camping Site: Amidst Mabira forest you find a wonderful spacious camping site. It area entails a 12 tent place, a camp fire area, picnic side, and room for tables and chairs. This is basically for those carrying their camping supplies. It also provides a well thatched camp shelter with its own latrine and bathing facilities which offers great comfort to visitors.
The Forest Trails: There are several well networked walking trails through the forest that ease the forest nature walk activity. These trails lead to both the primary and secondary parts of the forest and can be used by tourists from all age groups.
Picnic Trail: The picnic trail stretches through the forest up to the Mabira running water. It usually covers about 15 – 20 minutes meandering about this trail. It offers great views of the Mabira forest. It’s an ideal path for all ages.
Grassland Trail: This is the best recommended trail for bird lovers, as it offers great wonderful birding sights to visitors who enjoy various bird species within the forest as they linger around the fruiting trees. It usually connects to the Najjembe stream valley. This Grassland Trail loop gives visitors an insight into the secondary forest of Mabira forest. Trailing Mabira via this trail usually covers an area of over 3km between an extended period of 2 and 3 hours. It can be done on a self-guided walk or on a tour guided walk with the tour guide interpreting the different sights and sounds ha may be obtained from the forest.
The Radio Hill Trial Network: It is one of the best trails of Mabira forest as it offers great sights of varying wildlife species which are usually viewed during the forest walk via this trail. It’s best done with the help of a guide for both fun and safety. During the forest nature walk via the Radio Hill trail, visitors always experience the wilderness of Mabira forest as they climb over the steep slope in the north of the forest, rewarding them with a panoramic view of the forest canopy. Across the main road, lies the primary forest trails that lead visitors to bubbling forest streams, giant tree trunks, twisted stems of strangler figs and the chattering monkeys high above in the forest canopy.
It’s very important that these primary walks are taken in the presence of a guide.
The Market Loop: This trail is well known for hosting some primates like the monkeys and while on a forest walk via this trail, visitors are usually rewarded with wonderful sights of the Red Tailed monkeys, Black/ Grey cheeked monkeys feasting on the fruited trees. It’s about an hour’s walk from the forest center to this station of the monkeys. The monkeys here are very friendly and entertaining that they don’t fear humans, the often rain human gardens for the ripened fruits especially the bananas and maize.
The River Mabugwe Loop: The River Mabugwe forest trail is about 2 hours away from the forest center and it’s a renowned sight for birding and butterfly seeing. River Mabugwe is a permanent river flowing through the forest. The trail stretches along the Mabugwe River with in the forest rewarding visitors with wonderful sights and sounds of the birds through the woods.
Gangu Ridge Trail: The Gangu trail is one of Mabira’s toughest loop as it takes quite a long while hiking up its lane. This loop is located some miles away from the Kampala- Jinja highway and extends through three valleys of the forest with the Gangu valley inclusive. It gives tourists a chance to view some bird species and primates like the bush pigs as well as the various types of beautiful butterflies. It’s an interlinked loop that connects to the Butterfly loop and Radio Hill Circuit.
The Fig Junction Trail: The fig junction trail is featured by an extraordinary fig tree junction in the primary forest. It’s known for offering great birding views where several bird species like the Black Billed Turaco, Yellow Billed Barbet or Dusky Long Tailed Cuckoo can be witnessed. This trail covers between 2 and 3 hours from the center of the forest
Butterfly Viewing Trail: The Butterfly viewing trail is a 2 hours walk away from the forest center. This trail features an open and sunny location, abundant blossoming plants like Latana Camara ( with bright colours of pink and yellow) making the area rich with several butterfly species, several bird species such as the White Throated Bee Eaters and Pied Kingfishers. It’s therefore a haven with in Mabira forest.
Macaranga Loop Trail: The Macaranga loop trail is well known for its unique concentration of the macaranga tree species (these trees are made of thorny stems that they tend to use for protection against intruders). It’s only an hour and a half’s walk from the forest center (the initial starting point) for all trials within the Mabira forest.
Buwoola Pond: The Buwoola pond is a great birding sight for birders. An afternoon guided forest nature walk via this loop introduces visitors to wonderful bird species: White Spotted Fluff tail, Sooty Boubou, Shinning Blue Kingfisher, and Jamesons Wattle Eye.
Cycling routes: Mabira forest also offers amazing mountain bike riding experiences to travellers. These r Ides usually follow along the cycling trails of Namusa hill top and Wagala ridge pylon. The Namusa Hill top trail is quite challenging as compared to the Wagala ridge pylon ride. It covers a distance of 8 kilometres from the forest center and both its Namusa and Wagala routes stretch out to Lugazi (which is an exit of tea and sugar plantations) nearing the Mabira forest. For the curious cyclists, they can get the reward of the beautiful Griffin water falls after the Namusa hill top.