The hotsprings at Sempaya are Semuliki’s most famous attraction within the park. The Sempaya Hot Springs are located in the eastern zone of Semuliki National Park, approximately 3 kilometers from the main gate.
The site features two geothermal springs: the Male Hot Spring, known locally as Bintente, and the Female Hot Spring, called Nyansimbi.. The two main springs are set in a lush swampy clearing close to the south eastern corner of the forest. The outer spring is just a few minutes’ walk from the park office.
These formations lie within a cleared section of lowland forest and are accessible via a 30-minute walk on a maintained trail.
The Male Spring presents as a bubbling pool, with temperatures averaging 106°C at the vent. Steam rises steadily throughout the day.
Its shallow structure allows for extended viewing and photography. Several animal tracks are often visible along its periphery, particularly those of duikers and baboons, attracted by the warmth and minerals.
Roughly 200 meters ahead, the Female Spring discharges through a narrow vent with visible eruptions reaching up to 2 meters high. The forceful vertical jet produces a constant hissing sound. The immediate area contains natural clay deposits, sulphur stains, and thermophilic algae around the outlet. UWA guides usually demonstrate egg boiling at this location. Eggs submerged in the spring cook thoroughly in about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on water agitation.
This is dominated by a boiling geyser 103 degrees centigrade which spurts up to 2m-high from a white, iced cake like base precipitated mineral. They have a spray shooting up 2 meters from a wide-ranging hole of about 8 meters.
The springs that boil up from the rock bottom of the earth; reveal great underground topographical forces that have for many eras ago shaped the Rift Valley. Water also bubbles in small pools in which eggs can be cooked.
The more distant inner spring is reached by a 30 minute trail that leads through beautiful palm forest before crossing the swamp on a boarder walk. This spring is a broad, steaming pool about 10m across. These marvelous hot springs are an attraction for tourists who frequently visit the place when they go for wildlife tours in the park.
Vegetation near the springs is adapted to thermal stress. Dominant flora includes Phoenix reclinata, Raphia palm, and scattered patches of Imperata grass.
Bird calls from the forest margin accompany most visits. Notable species include the Ross’s Turaco and Great Blue Turaco, which are common in the canopy above the trail.
Beyond geophysical value, the springs hold cultural significance. Oral accounts by Bamba and Bakonzo elders explain that Nyansimbi, the female spring, is associated with ancestral fertility spirits.
Women historically conducted access rituals, although modern visitation is secular. Visitors are briefed on this context during the guided walk.
The trail remains operational throughout the year, although sections may flood during peak rainfall between April and May.
Gumboots are advised during these months. UWA maintains the path and provides guided access daily between 08:00 and 17:00 hours.
Entry is included within the general park admission fee.
The site remains one of the few places in Uganda where geothermal activity is observable without technical restriction or distance barriers.
As you come down the escarpment of the Western Albertine Rift Valley, you will find the views most amazing, vast savannah grasslands, forests, bordered by the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon.
The Semliki Valley is also a virtual treasure trove for birders and those who love tracking chimpanzee. If you love primate watching safaris, you should not miss an adventure through the Semuliki Valley Forest, an extension of the vast Ituri Forest of Congo.