Just outside Kibale National Park, on the road to Kamwenge, a papyrus swamp winds through farmland and forest. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is one of the best-loved community tourism projects in Uganda: a boardwalk swamp walk led by local guides, full of monkeys, birds and butterflies, and run entirely by the people who live beside it. It is a perfect companion to chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, and a very good way to spend money that stays in the village.
A community success story
The sanctuary protects the Magombe swamp and is managed by KAFRED, the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development, a community organisation created in the 1990s. Income from visitors pays for guides and community projects, and local women’s groups make and sell crafts from banana fibre, raffia, palm leaves and recycled paper. The swamp acts as a wildlife corridor for the forest, and the neighbouring villages have learned that a living swamp brings more benefit than a drained one.
What you will see
- Birds: more than 200 species have been recorded. The great blue turaco, the sanctuary’s star, is often seen, along with the yellow-billed barbet, hornbills, kingfishers and, if you are lucky, the vocal but elusive papyrus gonolek.
- Primates: red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, vervets, olive baboons and the Uganda mangabey. Chimpanzees from Kibale sometimes cross into the swamp when food is scarce in the forest.
- Other wildlife: sitatunga, bushbuck, otters, mongooses and bushbabies, and a great many butterflies.
- Plants: papyrus, wild palms, figs and ferns.
The swamp walk
Guides lead groups on a walk of about three hours and four to five kilometres through boardwalks, forest edges and farmland. They are trained to spot birds and elusive primates from a distance. The path can be muddy in places, so gumboots are usually available to borrow. Morning and late afternoon are the best times.
Village and cultural experiences
Book ahead for village walks with trained guides, a visit to the women’s craft group, traditional dance, a Tooro meal and even a night in a community home. These experiences are part of what makes the project work.
Practical information
- Location: on the Fort Portal–Kamwenge road near Kibale National Park, about an hour from Fort Portal.
- Getting there: roughly six hours by road from Kampala. Most visitors combine it with a chimpanzee trek in Kibale, usually as an afternoon after a morning trek.
- What to bring: a hat, insect repellent, a rain jacket, binoculars and, if you prefer, your own walking shoes.
- Fees: walk fees support the community and change, so we confirm them at booking.
- Health: swamp areas mean mosquitoes; see our Health & Safety page.
Bigodi with Offmap Safaris
We include Bigodi on Kibale stays, either after the chimpanzee trek or on a rest day, together with time in Fort Portal and the crater lakes. See our page on Kibale National Park. Plan your safari, message us on WhatsApp +256 701 243 304 or email [email protected]. Please also read our Responsible Travel page.
