The Fort Portal getaway.

I recently had an excursion to Fort portal, organized by Karibuni Safaris to organize value for money tour packages for you to Fort Portal, Kibale and the crater lakes. Just as it is for regular travellers, this turned out more like an adventure vacation rather than package planning exercise. We set off in the sunny afternoon and drove to Fort Portal via Mityana a distance of 290km west of Kampala city.

This is one the best ways to discover what Uganda has to offer, as the beauty starts enroute to the destination. I was particularly fascinated by the lush pine and natural forests inhabited by primates and varied avian species spotted along the way. This road also takes you to Kibale Forest National Park famed for chimpanzee trekking, bird watching and forest hiking. Human activities like tea growing(image shown above) also contribute to the scenic beauty of the area.

I eventually entered in a historical town known for ushering in tourists on Uganda safari en route to Queen Elizabeth National Park and stayed overnight in a budget guest house. The next morning was cloudy cold and wet but this did nothing to dampen my adventurous spirit.

I travelled to Amabere caves roughly 12km west of Fort portal town. These awesome caves are an attraction for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to go off the beaten trail to connect with nature.

"Mother Nature" has combined the ancient rocks adjacent to sparkling waterfalls in a dark canopy of shrubs making a good Eco-system for small primates like the black and white colubus monkeys and bird species such as great blue Turaco. After the hike to the Amabere caves, I had a one-hour nature walk to two picturesque crater lakes and several empty craters.

I visited the magnificent crater lakes Saka and Balama surrounded by several empty craters. Both lakes have spectacular views with the Rwenzori Mountains looming in the background. These lakes can be approached by cycling or hiking from Fort Portal to Amabere caves and are safe for activities like canoeing and swimming.

Next day I visited the Omukama’s (King) palace to experience the rich cultural heritage of Tooro Kingdom one of the oldest monarchies in Uganda .This experience was very exciting. I returned to town in a drizzling afternoon rain and dropped into the Rwenzori gardens for lunch.

The Rwenzori gardens are a botanical venture by the municipality. They are famous for bird watching and relaxation . After my delicious meal I returned to beautiful gardens with a vengeance taking several shots with my camera.

This adventure vacation left me amazed by this area which was dotted with the largest concentration of craters in the world, friendly people and the ancient colonial town overseen by the fabled mountains of the Moon. I witnessed the countryside beauty and have made great packages for you. Checkout our website www.karibusafari.co.ug be a fan or follower of Karibuni safaris on face book and twitter respectively.

Story by: Arthur Kato

Picture Credit: Arthur Kato, Karibuni Safaris.