Royal Mile Budongo forest, Busingiro Uganda
Royal Mile Budongo forest, Busingiro Uganda – Murchison falls National Park
Royal mile budongo forest – The Royal Mile is found in the 793 km2 Budongo Forest Reserve, within Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom that lies at the edge of the Albertine Rift and is attached to Kabalega (renamed Murchison) Falls National Park in the south. Known for its popularity as a traditional leisure stop-over for Uganda’s royalty, the Royal Mile is a superb birding spot with many west and central African species, as well as a variety of sought-after key species.
The Royal Mile gets its name from Omukama of Bunyoro, Kabalega. It is a spectacular one-mile-long forest road that was made by Omukama Kabalega as military training ground for his Abarusura Army. It is reported that it is this very road that he used to escape from the colonialists, before he was arrested in Dokolo and exiled in the Seychelles Islands.
The road opens with a simple gate before sloping gently towards River Sonso in the middle of an expansive, natural symphony of hardwood trees rising high above the ground in what comes off like competition for the skies. This is what makes the Royal Mile one of the most ideal places in Uganda to have a guided birding tour.
Birds of Royal mile.
There are several bird species within the Royal Mile budongo forest. And 2 species are endemic to the trail-the Illadopsis puveli and the yellow-footed flycatcher and other numerous species endemic to the Albertine Rift region. Some of the notable bird species you will encounter within the Royal Mile Trail include the Hairy-breasted Barbet, the Blue-breasted Kingfisher, the Nahan’s Francolin, the Cassin’s Spine tail, the Fire-crested Alethe, the Dwarf Kingfisher, the Black-capped Apalis, the Blue-throated Roller, the Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, the Ituri Batis, the Lemon-bellied Crombec, the Rufous-crowned Eremomela, the Western-black Headed Oriole, the Piping Hornbill, the Spotted Greenbul, the Yellow-browed Camaroptera, the Sabine’s Spine tail, the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, the Yellow-billed Barbet, the Grey-headed Sunbird, the Yellow-spotted Barbet, the Brown-eared Woodpecker, the Chestnut-caped Flycatcher, the Yellow-crested Woodpecker, the White-spotted Fluff tail, the White-thighed Hornbill, the African Crowned Eagle and the Red-capped Robin-Chat, to mention but a few.
Animal species in Royal mile.
Royal mile has variety of primate species including chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white Colobus monkey, red tailed monkey, antelopes like bush bucks, duikers, giant forest hogs, elephants.
Best time to visit Royal mile
The best time to visit Murchison Falls National Park is during the dry seasons from December to late February and from June to September, as the animals congregate around water bodies making them easier to observe.
Also you should not forget the green season from March, April, May and September October and November are the rain seasons in the park and usually the park is green.
How to get to Royal mile.
From Murchison falls
The 130 km road from the Paraa ferry to Masindi is the easily accessible by 4wheel drive as the road from Masindi to royal mile can be slippery.
From Kampala via Luwero -Nakasongola
You can also drive to Royal mile from Kampala, the 245km road via Luwero and Nakasongola where you can also visit the rhinos at the Ziwa rhino sanctuary
Where to stay
There are accommodation facilities in royal mile but travelers can stay in the nearby Masindi town, Masindi hotel, court view hotel.Contact Great Adventure Safaris to book any activity around the royal mile budongo forest-busingiro Uganda and wildlife safaris.