Turaco Treetops

February 20, 2021

Turaco Treetops

Every so often I have an intense desire to leave the city and escape to nature. The hustle and bustle of Kampala can be overwhelming and I need an occasional break to recenter and refresh. During the kid's mid-term break in February we took the opportunity to travel to a new destination in North-Western Uganda to a place called Turaco Treetops. As we were planning our trip we realized that it was going to be quite a drive, which is not always very fun to do in our 1994 Toyota Prado with three kids in the back seat. We decided to go the longer route through a town called Masaka, which allowed us to stop along the road to take the obligatory tourist photo at the equator. We stayed a night in Masaka at a lovely place called Villa Katwe where the kids played with the resident dog and the curious, friendly children who lived next door.

We continued on the next morning and arrived at our destination in Kibale Forest National Park. The park is known for its variety of species of primates including the main attraction, chimpanzees. Unfortunately children under 12 are not allowed to do the chimpanzee trekking so we were unable to make it happen this time. Turaco Treetops consists of eight cottages that overlook the forest, a swimming pool and a beautiful open-air structure to enjoy meals and drinks. Our cottage was the last one on the trail which allowed for privacy and great views of the forest. We spent our time swimming, reading, playing games, watching monkeys from the porch of our cottage and enjoying the quiet location.

We ventured away from the lodge one morning to go on a guided walk in the nearby Bigodi Swamp. We spotted a variety of birds, including the Blue Turaco. However, the highlight of the walk included carefully walking on slippery wooden planks above parts of the swampy water, getting stung by bees as we walked by some trees, and then finishing with a slightly terrifying stroll through a field full of baboons. We walked by villagers working on their crops and came across some young boys selling clay figures of chimps and gorillas. We bought some of the figures and laughed when later down the path we saw the same boys trying to sell to us again.

On the way home we drove through the park on the way to Fort Portal. We came across more baboons along the road and slowed down so we could observe them. One of the baboons was sleeping on the side of the road and at first glance we thought maybe he had been hit by a car. As soon as we pulled up near him, he jumped on the hood of our car and peered through our windshield. He then made his way to the side of the car to see if he could find a way in. It was both terrifying and hilarious. We were thankful that our windows were up! He finally jumped down after my husband started moving down the road again.

The drive to Fort Portal was stunning, full of green rolling hills and tea plantations. We look forward to returning to further explore the park, visit the crater lakes and finally see the chimps.