An affordable weekend of camping, options to walk/run through a serene forest combined with some Halloween festivities?…. Sounds fun? Then read on……

We are planning a MCU trip for a night in the beautiful Mabira Forest, with a fancy dress Halloween BBQ planned under the spooky forest canopy on the Saturday night…..

The Mabira Forest is a rainforest area covering about 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) (30,000 hectares (74,000 acres)) in Uganda, located in Buikwe District, between Lugazi and Jinja. It has been protected as Mabira Forest Reserve since 1932. There are options to bird watch, trek to see Mangabey monkeys, hike (both relaxing and long and adventurous options available) and bike through the forest and nearby sugar cane and tea plantations, or just simply come to relax with the sounds of the forest… Walking and running trails of various lengths can be enjoyed throughout the forest, and on the Saturday night, a fancy dress Halloween BBQ party will be organised in the spooky forest…. (don’t forget your fancy dress costume!)

The trip will run from Saturday 28th October to Sunday 29th October, which gives ample time to explore the tranquil forest and surrounds.

Accommodation, Food and costs:
We will stay at the basic, but peaceful, Griffin Falls camp (also known as Mabira Forest Camp). As part of the MCU, we have been fortunate to be able to negotiate some great savings off their normal prices and rates, and we have all been offered a FREE 2-hour forest walk!. Longer hikes are also available (UGX10k per person).
There are 3 accommodation packages for the weekend:

• 4 self-contained twin econests. (UGX120k per person, based on 2 people sharing);
• 1 x Quadruple banda (four beds) (UGX100k per person), or;
• Camping (unlimited) (UGX80k per person).

All packages include the following:
• One-night accommodation in accommodation of choice;
• Park entrance fees;
• Lunch on either the Saturday or Sunday (a full yummy local buffet);
• A 2-hour guided forest walk;
• Breakfast on Sunday morning;
• Entrance to the Halloween BBQ party (bring your own meat, but charcoal, salads, condiments and bread will be provided).

Cold showers are available, and there are eco-friendly toilets. And if you ask nicely, they will heat a bucket of water for you to enjoy a warm shower under the forest canopy.

Beers and sodas are available for purchase at the camp, although there are no refrigeration facilities, so if you are partial to a cold drink, a cool box/ esky might be a good idea 🙂

Points to Note:
• If you would like to bike, the camp does not have bikes for rent, so please bring your own.
• Don’t forget your fancy dress costume for the Halloween BBQ Party!!!
• And please also remember bug spray/ insect repellent and a torch!

Directions: The camp can be found on Google maps- however, we recommend do not take the “recommended route”, which basically takes you almost through people’s houses… Instead, continue past the recommended turn off the road to Jinja, and in Lugazi, turn left just before the Minnah/ Minah restaurant on a corner on the left in the town. This road is MUCH better than the other one, especially if it has been raining, and there are various signs to the camp along the way to assist- but do keep a watch on google maps, as not every turn is signposted.

Please note: there are options for zip lining in the forest for USD$50 a person. Should you wish to do this, please note that this activity is not supported by the MCU, as we are not able to guarantee the safety of the activity.

Contact: Any questions, please contact Sally Holbrook at madsally@hotmail.com or on 0752 184057.

Please follow the link to book (please only complete if you are 100% sure you will be attending):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxrv3KOOWu6dR8AreMkLALBmGcYjXXbguUBWfrS4mLntEKdQ/viewform