Tourist attractions around Kasese : Tourist attractions which can be visited around Kasese when visiting the western part of Uganda include the following;
Rwenzori mountains
The Rwenzori mountains are among the places to visit during tours around Kasese and they are located along the border of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
These mountains are also referred to as the “Mountains of the Moon” because of the snow capped peak and the mountain is part of the attractions found in Rwenzori mountains national park. Mount Rwenzori is also the highest mountain in Uganda at an altitude of 5109 meters.
Hiking is one of the activities that tourists can engage in during tours around the Rwenzori mountains with the highest point on the mountain being the Margherita peak found on Mount Stanley.
There are 3 different trails used during hikes on the Rwenzori Mountains where tourists can engage in day hikes to multi-day hiking tours at the destination and they include the central circuit trail, Kilembe trail and the Bukurungu trail.
Apart from hiking around the Rwenzori mountains, other activities to take part in include birding and community tours. During community tours, tourists can interact with locals such as the Bakonzo and get to learn about their culture and way of life. Guided nature walks are also done around the mountain.
Some of the wildlife and bird species which can be seen around the Rwenzori mountains include Handsome Francolin, Red Throated Alethe, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, Strange weaver among others.
Kazinga channel
The Kazinga channel is another attraction t see around Kasese and it is located in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Lake Edward and Lake George meet to form the Kazinga channel which is home to a variety of wildlife and bird species. Tourists visiting the Kasese area can engage in boat rides along the channel.
Boat rides on Kazinga channel are done in the morning and in the afternoon and are offered by locals and other private boat operators. These boat safaris take about 2 hours and can be done by individuals or groups during their safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Wildlife species like buffalos, elephants, hippos and Nile crocodiles can be seen during the morning and afternoon boat tours around the Kazinga channel. Some of the bird species which can be seen in the Kazinga area include African Fish Eagle, Black-necked Stork, White Bellied Heron, White winged duck, Kingfishers, Cormorants among others.
Lake Edward is found in the Great Rift Valley and it was called Mwitanzige and it is located on the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. It is bigger in size as compared to Lake George which is another lake which is part of the Kazinga channel.
Apart from boat rides around the Kazinga channel, tourists can engage in bird watching and visiting the locals in the fishing villages.
Lake Katwe
Lake Katwe is among the crater lakes found in south western Uganda which can be seen when visiting Kasese.
The lake is famous for being a salt lake where the locals take part in salt mining. Tourists can visit the Katwe salt mines during their safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park and get to know more about the process of mining and also visit the local craft shops found around the area where they can interact with the locals and learn more about the salt mining.
The salt mining activity around Lake Katwe is done by males and females who earn a living from selling the salt. The salt is used for different purposes including for farming purposes and for food preparation.
Queen Elizabeth national park
Another attraction found around the Kasese region is Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth national park is home to a variety of wildlife and bird species which can be seen during Uganda safaris at the destination. Some of the wildlife species found at the destination include the tree climbing lions which are found in the Ishasha sector.
The national park consists of savannah plains, woodlands as well as forests where the various wildlife species can be seen. Animals found in Queen Elizabeth national park include elephants, waterbucks, impalas, hartebeests, elands, warthogs, buffalos, topi, bushbucks, hyenas, Uganda kobs, leopards among others.
There are different parts of Queen Elizabeth national park which are explored ruing safaris and they include the Kasenyi plains, Kyambura gorge, Mweya peninsula, Ishasha sector, Kalinzu forest, Kazinga channel among others.
Activities to do during safaris around Queen Elizabeth national park include game drives, boat safaris, bird watching, community tours, chimpanzee trekking, guided nature walks, lion tracking, mongoose tracking among others.
Chimpanzee trekking around Queen Elizabeth national park takes place in the Kyambura gorge which is home to a variety of primates including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons among others.
The chimpanzee trekking activity in Kyambura gorge takes place in the morning and afternoon and costs 100 USD per person for a permit to spend time with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Tourists move into the forest with ranger guides during the tour around the gorge.
Kalinzu forest
The Kalinzu forest is another attraction to visit during tours around Kasese and it is home to a variety of bird species and tree species and also different animals.
Primates which can be seen around the Kalinzu forest include black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, blue monkeys among others. Over 378 bird species can also be seen around the forest.
Activities which are done around the Kalinzu forest include guided nature walks, bird watching experiences and also chimpanzee trekking experiences. Tourists can also get to learn more about the different tree species found at the destination during their safaris.
Hot springs
There are also hot springs which can be visited during tours around Kasese and they include the Kiwa hot springs.
Equator
Around Kasese, tourists can also visit the point where the equator crosses and enjoy taking photos and watching the water experiment.
