Uganda Mt. Rwenzori National Park

MOUNT RWENZORI NATIONAL PARK

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Rwenzori National Park is Uganda’s most exhilarating hiking destination situated in Bundibugyo, Kabarole, and Kasese District in the South-western region of Uganda lying along Uganda’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo occupying close to 996 km² in size. The Park is 120 km long and 48 km wide and 120 km south of Lake Albert and North of Lake Edward. It includes ice-capped Rwenzori Mountain which is higher than the Alps, Mount Stanley, Mount Speke and Mount Baker the fourth and fifth highest peaks in Africa are also located in this Park. The Park has glaciers, waterfalls, snowfields and Lakes.

The park was established in 1991 with six (6) glacial peaks that is Margherita (5,109m), Alexandra (5,083m), Speke (4,890m), Emin (4,791m), Gessi (4,715m) and Luigi da Savoia (4,627m) and endowed with two hiking trail circuits with one at Kilembe in the South while the other at Nyakalengija Northwards.

The is a habitat to over 70 mammals and 177 bird species with most of these birds in the Albertine Rift, Montane Forest. Other mammal species which include the elephant, golden cat, buffalo, chimpanzee, servaline genet, the blue monkey, and the giant forest hog.

HOW TO ACCESS THE PARK

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Rwenzori Mountains national park can be accessed from Kampala either via Mbarara or Fort Portal by Road or using a scheduled / chartered flight from Entebbe Airport or Kajansi Airstrip to Kasese Airfield.

TOUR ACTIVITIES

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Wildlife and Game Drives

The park accommodates about 70 mammal species including the Rwenzori otter, duikers, Elephants, Leopards and the Giant Forest Hog with inclusion of the Primates such as Angola Colobus Monkey, Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys, Blues Monkeys and the Chimpanzees.

Mountain Hiking

This is an exhilarating and rewarding experience at Mountain Rwenzori National Park which requires good preparation. There are two hiking trails that is the Central Circuit Trail that take about Six Nights or Seven days to reach an altitude of 4,267m above the sea level from Mihunga through Nyabitaba along the Bujuku valley and end at the peaks. Hiking exercise has mainly three different starting points that is Nyakalengija central circuit and Kilembe trail located near Kasese town and Kazingo (nature walk trailhead) located near Fort portal town.

The hiking activity will tour you through a variety of vegetation covers which include bamboo forest, tree heath, montane forest, afro-alpine moorland hagenia-rapanea scrub.

Bird watching

Mountain Rwenzori National Park is one of the best bird watching spots in Uganda with over 177 bird species and habitually housing a number of the Albertine Rift Endemic Birds. The park’s endowed vegetation facilitates different bird species in the Montane Forest with a large variant of Bird Species including the Long-eared, Rwenzori Turaco, Owl, Swifts and the Bearded Vultures, white-starred Robin, Slender-billed Starling, and many more. Don’t Miss the Opportunity of Bird Watching with AKITA Wild Tour and Travel Trip.

Nature and Hiking walks

Hiking walks is offered by the Communities within the Mountain Rwenzori territory where the tourists are guided along River Mobuku for clear views of the Peaks (Baker, Portal, and Margherita the highest peak of Mountain Rwenzori), Lake Muhooma and through Buraro chimp forest as well as hiking to Bundibugyo area through the Bwamba Pass. During this Nature and Hiking walks, the Tourists and their professional guides can have a clear view of the Vervet Monkeys, Squirrels, Chameleons and enormous number of spectacular birds.

Cultural encounters and Community trails

While at Rwenzori National Park, Cultural Encounters involve engaging with the Bulemba-Ihandiro Cultural Trail of the Bakonzo’ staying on the lower slopes of Mountain Rwenzori demonstrate their routine cultural activities like basket weaving, animal husbandry, gardening, handicrafts, fire making skills and preparing their daily meals from their gardens, visiting the Traditional Healer locally known as ‘Muhima’, Black Smith, Basket Weavers and lastly Story Telling Performances while the Community Trail involves trailing the Bakonzo cultural sites through the valley. This trail takes almost 7 hours.