The Sempaya hot springs in Uganda are an attraction which is found in Semuliki national park in the western part of the country. The national park is located at the border of Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo at the edge of the Ituri forest. The district where the Sempaya hot springs are found is Bundibugyo district.
The Sempaya hot springs are male and female hot springs which are also a major tourist attraction in Semuliki national park during tours in Uganda. The national park also has other attractions including primates like red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys as well as a variety of bird and butterfly species.
The hot springs are very powerful and the temperature at which they boil is high and they also release a strong smell of hydrogen sulfur as you get closer to the hot springs during a visit to Semuliki national park.
The male hot springs and female hot springs are found in different locations at Semuliki national park and there are scientific theories that explain this as well as local myths and stories which explain the location of the Sempaya hot springs.
According to the locals, the male hot springs are a place where sacrifices are made by the locals. The locals also throw coins into the hot springs and believe that their prayers will be answered. They believe that the sacrifices made at the male hotsprings appease the gods and they receive what they ask for after making these offerings. The story behind the male hotsprings talks about how a man who was a hunter was moving in the forest hunting with his dog and one day his village people searched for him and failed to find him and found only his spear and it is believed that he disappeared at the place where the male hot springs are found.
The female hot springs in Semuliki national park are referred to as ” Nyasimbe” by the locals. When the wife of the hunter was told that he had disappeared, she ran into the forest to search for him and she also disappeared in the forest and only her clothes were found at the place where the female hot springs are located. The local women go to the female hotsprings to ask for fertility and the pregnant or expecting mothers pray for safe delivery.
Some of the activities which tourists take part in when visiting the Sempaya hot springs are boiling eggs, boardwalk to the male hotsprings, bird watching, wildlife viewing, cultural tours, nature walks among others. Attractions around Semuliki national park include wildlife species, bird species, Ituri forest, River Semuliki among others.
When visiting the Sempaya hot springs, after being briefed at the park headquarters by the rangers, you can head into the forest to visit the hot springs. The eggs are boiled at the female hotsprings which boil at a temperature of about 103 degrees celsius. The water that flows from the hot springs also contains different minerals which mix with the soil and can cure diseases such as skin infections among others.
A tour to the Sempaya hot springs can also be combined with a tour of the national park where you can take part in a wildlife viewing experience and drive around Semuliki national park in search of wildlife species such as hippos, uganda kobs, buffalos, white tailed mongoose, forest elephants, warthogs among others. Park entrance fee is charged for a tour to the national park and this fee varies for nonresidents, residents and East Africans. Nonresidents visiting Semuliki national park are charged park entrance fee of 35 USD, 25 USD for foreign residents and 15,000 Uganda shillings for East African adults. Children are charged a park entrance fee of 5 USD for foreign residents and nonresidents while East African children are charged a fee of 2500 Uganda shillings.
Semuliki national park can also be visited for bird watching experiences during a tour in Uganda. The destination is also a bird watchers haven with over 450 bird species some of which include hornbills, crested flycatcher, weavers, papyrus gonolek among others which can be seen in different parts of the park.
Forest walks or nature walks are also done when visiting Sempaya hot springs. This activity is exciting and brings visitors closer to nature and primates like black and white colobus monkeys among others can be spotted while moving in the forest. The surroundings around the hotsprings are also scenic making the nature walks an enjoyable experience and photography is also enjoyable during this activity.
Formation of Sempaya hot springs
The hot springs are said to have formed as a result of geothermal activity during which water underground is heated by the underlying rocks and the water forces its way through the rocks due to the build up of pressure in the earth which leads to the formation of the hotsprings.
The Sempaya hot springs are said to have been named after swahili words “sehemu mbaya” which means the difficult side as a way of explaining the difficulty with which the road leading to the destination was constructed along the ridges of the ranges of Mount Rwenzori.
How to get to Sempaya hot springs
Sempaya hot springs can be accessed using the Kampala, Masaka , Mbarara, Fort Portal route which takes about 7 to 8 hours drive. Another route which is used to get to the destination is the Kampala, Mubende, Fort Portal route which is shorter and takes about 5 to 6 hours to get to the hot springs.