FORÊT DE BUDONGO

The Budongo forest is a pleasant day trip or two from Masindi. Known for its mahogany trees and chimpanzees, this forest massif of over 800 ^km2 is home to a number of eco-tourism sites. In addition to the Kaniyo Pabidi site (30 km north of Masindi), where you can enjoy chimpanzee tracking, the Busingiro, Nyabyeya and Kigaju sites are also worth a visit. The first two are renowned for their abundant birdlife (the Royal Mile, a mile-long forest road that will delight birdwatchers, is a must), while the latter offers the chance to spot pythons, colobus and baboons. Forest outings at these last three sites, on the southern edge of the Budongo forest, are accompanied by local guides. Unlike Kaniyo Pabidi, the Busingiro, Nyabyeya and Kigaju sites are located outside the boundaries of Murchison Falls National Park, so there's no need to pay entrance fees; you'll just pay for the services of your guide. You can also camp at Kigaju Forest Camp, a 15-minute drive from Masindi. If you're travelling with your own vehicle, you can reach the Royal Mile by following the Butiaba road for around 18 km, then turning right towards Nyabyeya Forestry College. Another excellent reason to visit Nyabyeya, on the edge of the forest, is the surprising Roman Catholic church built by Polish refugees during the Second World War. In fact, in the midst of the conflagration, some 2,000 Polish women, children and elderly people - interned as prisoners of war in Soviet camps until the summer of 1941 - settled in western Uganda, where the authorities of the British protectorate granted them asylum. Once they had completed their journey - by boat to Mombasa, then by train to Soroti and finally by ferry to Masindi Port - they were settled in eight camps near the Budongo forest, including Nyabyeya, where they erected the above-mentioned religious edifice. Built between 1943 and 1945, mainly by women, the church welcomed the Polish faithful until 1948, when the British administration dismantled the camps. With its adjacent cemetery, where dozens of these uprooted people are buried, and its original furnishings, this house of God has become a historic place of pilgrimage for the descendants of these refugees, who are actively involved in its upkeep.