Fascinating Places in Fort Portal : Enveloped by breathtaking nature not more than an hour away from Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lakes George and Edward in Kasese, Tooro Semiliki National Park, Lake Albert and the Great Rift Valley in Ntoroko and Sempaya Hot springs and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Bundibugyo. Is the fascinating fort portal land most consider as the garden city.
Situated at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains, Fort Portal, a vibrant and welcoming city is the gateway to your Uganda adventures. Often referred to as the garden city is one of Uganda’s most beautiful cities. It sits at about 1,500 meters above sea level and is surrounded by lush rolling hills, rocky crater lakes, and tea plantations. Fort Portal’s superb location in western Uganda ensures that you are never too far away from your chosen adventure.
Fort portal contains a number of lovely places to sight and have the best ventures on your Uganda safari and these are some of the places and most fascinating areas in fort portal waiting for you to sight
Fascinating places in fort portal
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is one of the most popular and most visited Uganda National Parks. The park is well known for the large number of chimpanzees that can be found in their natural habitat. The park also has about 375 bird species including the Superb Sunbird, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Hairy-breasted Barbet, and Brown-crowned Tchagra among others. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is mainly done in Kibale Forest National Park.
Lake Kyaninga
For those who have never been to fort portal, Lake Kyaninga is just another beautiful crater lake located just near Kyaninga lodge. It was formed about 10,000 years ago due to volcanic activity and has a meandering shape with the nearby rain forest adding shading to the beauty of this Crater Lake. This is an ideal spot for adventure lover since there is an opportunity to go hiking. The lodge nearby is situated in a luxury setting with views over this lake – a perfect place you’d enjoy waking up to.
Semiliki National Park
Located some 150 miles from Kampala, Semuliki National Park is home to 442 bird species, 53 mammal species and is famous for the Sempaya Hot springs which are always a marvel to encounter. Although the park doesn’t boast of abundant animal wildlife, it is a great spot for bird watching with so many rare species of birds. The park is next to the Semuliki and Lamia rivers and is located on Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Lake Albert to the park’s north and the stunning Rwenzori Mountains to its south-east.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park was designated in 1991 achieving World Heritage site status in 1994 to protect the highest parts of the mountain range and is home to over 70 mammal species and 217 bird species. The mountains, however, are probably best known for their stunning views and as a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination.
Lake Albert
Located between the Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo in Western Uganda, Lake Albert is sourced by water from both the Semliki and the Victoria Nile in the North. Although a large lake there are no major towns on its shores on the lake’s Ugandan side, however a relatively small population live in nearby villages with Buliisa being the largest town at the north end of Lake Albert with a population of some 30,000.
Tooro Palace
Visiting the Karuzika palace gives you 360-degree panoramic views of the town. The circular structure was built in 1963, but fell into ruin after the abolition of the royal kingdoms by Idi Amin. It was restored in 2001 after Colonel Gadaffi met the king and donated the money for repairs.
Amabere caves
The Amabere Caves, also known as the “Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru” which translates to “Breasts of Nyinamwiru” are caves named after an ancient folklore where a local king had his daughter’s breasts cut off to make her less attractive to men. The King’s plan failed and his daughter got pregnant. He then hid her in a cave, or so legend has it. Visiting the Amabere caves gives tourists a chance to check out the waterfalls and three nearby crater lakes. Many colobus monkeys can also be seen around.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary
Just under an hour from Fort Portal, nestled on the fringes of Kibale Forest, Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is a great spot for birders, and those interested in primates.
Make your way through the swamp on wooden walkways, spotting all the birds and animals you may have missed earlier in the day while your full attention was (understandably) on the chimps. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary pairs well with chimp trekking, as both can be done as half-day activities in Kibale Forest.
Karambi Royal Tombs
An excursion to the Karambi Royal Tombs is worthwhile. Several of the former Kings of Tooro Kingdom are buried here. The caretaker will let you in for a look at the tombs, which house drums, spears and other personal effects of several of the Toro kings. The cemetery outside is the resting place for various other royal family members.
Tooro Botanical Garden
Tooro botanical gardens have a lot of well-signed indigenous plants and trees, as well as an organic farming project growing herbs, flowers, natural dyes and medicinal plants.
These places can be sighted in Fort Portal in western Uganda can be best explored when your Uganda Safari is organized by a reputable Uganda tour company.
How to get to fort portal
Fort Portal is 311 Km by road from Kampala and takes about 4 hours to arrive. From Mbarara, it is a shorter 146 Km and takes 2-3 hours to drive. By air, there are daily flights from Kajjansi Airfield, near Kampala and from Entebbe International Airport. The flight takes an hour and a half from Entebbe International Airport and just over two from Kajjansi Airfield, Kampala. for a tour to the lovely area just make your booking with a Uganda safari and have one of the most fascinating moments ever In Uganda.
