Tooro Semliki wildlife reserve hot springs are mostly known as Sempaya hot springs by the locals, which originated from the Kiswahili word Sehemu mbaya, meaning "the difficult side," owing to the challenging steep rock and interlocking spurs during the fort portal-Bundibugyo road construction along the ridges of mountain Rwenzori. Click here to see mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

 Scientists technically explained that these hot springs' origins are known by the local Bamaga clan, who are neighboring these hot springs, which attract tourists to the Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve and have their own story from folklore. Click here to view our recommended gorilla trekking safari

Tooro semliki wildlife reserve history originated with Mzee Adonia Balinsanga, a Bamaga clan head. Mzee Adonia Balinsanga said the site of the male steaming hot spring is historical in nature. It is poetry that the Bamaga women had gone to collect firewood from the valley's thick forest when they saw a hairy old man dressed in dark clothes and with a dog moving in a zigzag within the hot springs’ location. These women rushed back home to tell their husbands, and their husbands decided to pick up the hairy man and take him to their homes. Immediately, they got the hairy man a wife in that same village.

The hairy man later became famous as Biteete, who continued hunting but, after some time, never returned home. After three days, the village men went out searching for him where he used to go for his hunting spots near the male hot spring, but to their surprise, they only found his spear, and there was neither his way nor his dog about. So, the locals assumed that the hairy man had disappeared from his hunting spot, and they ran back to tell the wife (Nyansimbi), who had also run to the forest but never returned. And only her clothes were seen near the female hot spring. That is how the two hot springs became known as the male and female hot springs.

Primate walk:

Participate in a 3- to 4-hour primate walk that is carried out near Semliki Safari Lodge, where tourists meet our experienced park ranger guides. Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve Key primate species on this particular walk include chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, red-tailed baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys. Angulates that can be spotted include bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, and elephants.

Game drives:

The Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve offers three tracks within the savannah grassland. Smaller forest and larger savannah elephants are seen regularly, along with buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, and Uganda kob. With luck, tourists can also see leopards and bush babies. Game drives at Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve can be done either in the morning, afternoon, or at night. After dark, tourists may spot curious nocturnal species like the white-tailed mongoose.

Nature walk:

Nature walks take about 3 hours, and they go through a wide range of habitats, from the savannah woodland to the riverine forest. Wildlife species that can be spotted on this walk may include ground hornbills, Uganda kobs, warthogs, vervet monkeys, baboons, and black and white colobus.

Boat ride:

The boat ride at Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve is done on Lake Albert, and the key attractions are rare shoebills, blue-breasted African Pygmy Goose, blue-headed coucal, and blue-cheeked bee-eaters.

Hike to Nyaburogo Gorge:

Trekking to Nyaburogo Gorge is an ideal walk for bird lovers that begins at the Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve Headquarters. This hike is 7 km long and goes through a wide range of habitats, including savanna, woodland, and a tropical forest in the gorge. Common birds viewed include the Arrow-marked Babbler, Black-headed Bushrike, Tropical Boubal, and Luhdrers Bushrike, and primate species include baboons, vervet monkeys, and occasionally chimpanzees (Black and White Colobus).

Visit the Sempaya hot springs:

The Sempaya Hot Springs are situated in the Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve in south-western Uganda. These amazing hot springs have high temperatures that boil up to 100 degrees Celsius. The hot water force, strength, and hotness of these springs indicate the strength of the geographical forces from underground.

Bird watching:

The Toro Reserve supports over 440 bird species, such as red-necked falcon, black-billed barbet, and Abyssinian ground hornbill. The shoebill can be seen in the marshes of Lake Albert.

The dry season is the most suitable time for any trip to Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. The two dry seasons start from December to February and again from June to September. The wet season months include March to May and October to November. The roads leading to the national park are muddy and slippery, and wildlife viewing becomes limited.