Sempaya hot springs are the most outstanding attractions in Semuliki National Park which is one of the newest national parks gazette in 1993 on an area of 194 sq. km of east Africa’s lowland tropical rain forest. Semiliki National Park is located in the west of Uganda in Bwamba County in Bundibugyo district on the border of the democratic republic of Congo and Uganda. The park is blessed with a diversity of plants, 70 mammals, and over 400 bird species for bird-watching safaris. You will also find 8 primates which include red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue and de Brazza’s monkey, grey-cheeked monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys as well as chimpanzees and 300 butterfly species.
These are found in two places and are known as male and female hot springs, these hot springs are the most visited attractions in Semiliki National Park and these hot springs as well attract birds and aquatic animals but animals can’t survive for long. The Sempaya hot springs are also known as Semiliki hot springs with temperatures reaching up to 130 degrees centigrade? The word Sempaya was derived from the word “Sehemu Mbaha” a Kiswahili name to mean difficult side. The Sempaya hot springs were called so because of the difficulty in the construction of Fort Portal Bundibugyo road because of rocks and ridges of mountain Rwenzori
The male hot springs are believed to be a sacred shrine for the male gods and referred to as Mumbugu by the local Bamaga although tourists find them as tourist attractions. The male hot springs are to do with the wealth and sacrifices offered by men to appease the male gods or ancestral spirits in exchange for prosperity. You can find this male hot spring after an hour’s journey into the woodland.
It’s believed that the hot springs were of historical formation by the Bamaga people, according to the head of clan Mzeei Balinsanga Adonia he says the place we find hot springs is historical. The story of this hot spring is based on the story that a certain woman had gone to fetch water and it is where he found an old man wearing a black cloth holding his spear with a dog moving in a zig-zag way around this location, the man was hairy so the woman had to run home to tell her husband who came and picked the man and took him to their villages and got him a wife and this man was given a name “Biteete”. The man was a hunter but one day when he went to go and hunt he never came back so after 3 days the village men started looking for him but only found his spear, it was from here that the village people assumed that the man disappeared at this hot spring hence the name male hot spring.
They are locally known as Nyasimbi by the local Bamaga tribe who have a belief that the sacred location of their female’s gods in the hot springs. It’s believed that when the man went hunting and never came back the wife called Nyasimbi decided to go into the forest and look for the husband but she also disappeared and left the clothes around the other hot springs known as female hot springs and this how it came to name the female and male hot springs. The Bamaga people believe that their female ancestors live beside the female hot spring while the male ancestors live beside the male hot springs and the Bamaga people perform rituals every year around these hot springs.
Although the area is now gazette as a national park, the Bagama people are allowed to access their ancestral spirits so while on your safari to Semiliki national park you might find these people undressed on the springs to search for blessings. The Sempaya hot springs are located one hour walk from the main road through the forest tracks of Semiliki national park. Once you get to the hot springs you can see hot boiling water and you can boil some simple food such as banana, eggs, or plantain in the hot springs.
Africa Adventure Vacations Ltd
Plot 85 Kanjokya Street, Uganda
Phone: +256 752 974500 +256785025022
Email: info@gorillatrekk.com
africaadventurevacations@gmail.com
15 Days Gorilla Safari Tour
12 Days Gorilla safari tour
10 Days Gorilla Safari Tour
8 Days Best Of Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzee And Tree Climbing Lions
8 days Uganda safari tour – rhinos, wildlife, primates and gorillas
8 Days gorilla safari trip
6 days gorilla safari tour – gorillas, wildlife and chimps safari
7 Days gorilla adventure Tour safari
7 days gorilla tour primates, wildlife safari and gorilla trek
6 Days gorillas and chimpanzee trekking
6 Days Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari in Rwanda
5 Days gorilla safari and Water rafting
5 Days gorillas and wildlife tour
4 Days Gorilla Trekking and Lake Mburo Safari
4 Days gorilla safari and Kampala city tour
17 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Safari and Cultural tour
1 day Short Gorilla trip – Rwanda
2 Days Gorilla Tracking
3 Days gorilla tracking in Rwanda
3 Days Magical Gorilla Tour And Culture
3 Days Nyiragongo Volcano Hike
3 Days Nyungwe Chimpanzee Tour
3 Days Primate Safari
4 Days gorillas and Lake Kivu tour
5 Days Gorilla Trekking Experience
5 Days Rwanda gorilla safari
6 Days Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking Safari in Rwanda
6 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Tour
6 Days Special Package
7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Tour
8 Days Best Of Rwanda
8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Holiday Tour
9 Days Expeditions To Rwanda
14 Days Best of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi Tour
15 Days Best Of Uganda Safari Tour
16 Days Remarkable African Safari
19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda
2 Days Gorilla Safari in Volcanoes Rwanda
3 Days Affordable Gorilla Safari in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
3 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee Trek In Nyungwe
3 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari In Akagera National Park
4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari, Dian Fossey & Golden Monkey Tracking
4 Days Double Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda
5 Days Best Rwanda Primates Safari
7 Day Uganda Wildlife Safari & Gorilla Habituation Experience
7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour & Wildlife Safari
6 Days Mountain Gorilla trekking in DR Congo and Rwanda
9 Days Uganda, Rwanda DR Congo Gorilla Safari
10 Days Gorilla trekking Safari in Congo and Uganda
14 Days Uganda and Rwanda safari
15 Days Uganda gorilla safari tour
16 Days Uganda and Rwanda safari tour
16 Days Uganda and Rwanda safari
16 Days Uganda and Rwanda gorilla safari
20 Days Uganda and Rwanda safari
3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari Uganda
3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale National Park
3 Days Murchison Falls Wildlife Safari
3 Days Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking safari
3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking safari from Kigali Rwanda
4 Days Double gorilla trekking safari Uganda
4 Days Gorilla Fly In Safari Uganda
4 Days Luxury Safari to Kidepo Valley National Park
5 Days Mountain Gorilla Tracking and Wildlife Tour In Uganda
9 Days Primate Safari and Genocide Trail
10 Days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Tour
10 Days Fly In Uganda Gorillas – Rwanda Wildlife & Primate Safari
11 Days Magical Hike To Rwenzori Mountain Ranges
11-Day Hiking Sipi Falls, Abseiling, White Water Rafting and Gorilla Tracking Experience
13 Days Luxury Classic Wildlife Safari in Uganda
1 Day Kampala City Tour
2 Days Lake Mburo National Park Tour
3 Days Nyungwe Chimpanzee tour
3 Days Primate Safaris Rwanda
3 Days Nyiragongo Hike
3 Days Sipi Falls Hiking And River Nile Exploration
3 Days Group Tour To Queen Elizabeth Tour
3 Days Magical Experience In Queen Elizabeth National Park
3 Days Murchison Falls National Park – (2 Nights)
3 Days Experience Murchison Falls
4 Days Tree Climbing Lions And Chimpanzees
4 Days Queen Elizabeth And Lake Mburo Safari
5 Days Kampala And Source Of The Nile Tour
5 Days Green Rwanda Experience
5 Days Kidepo Valley National park tour
5 Days Zebra And Lions’ Tour
6 Days Special Package
7 Days Gorilla Trekking And Tree Climbing Lions Of Ishasha
7 Days and 6 nights wildlife safari to Uganda with Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking
8 Days Rwanda Wildlife And Cultural Tour
8 Days Best Of Rwanda
9 Days wildlife Safari to Uganda
9 Days Visit Rwanda
10 Days Rwenzori Mountains Climbing
10 Days Mountain Rwenzori Climbing expeditions
12 Days Best Karamoja Trip Uganda
13 days wildlife safaris and jinja city tour
14 DAYS Big Five & RAFTING – 14 DAYS (13NIGHTS)
15 days Bird watching Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari
15 Days Uganda Hardcore Forest Birding Safari