Discover iconic treasures within Rwenzori Mountains National Park while on Uganda safari and you won’t be left in regrets. This park is 400kms away from Kampala capital city, western Uganda and it is surrounded by Kabarole, Kasese and Bundibugyo district. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is named after Mount Rwenzori, a magnificent block mountain with its snow peak ranking 3rd highest in Africa.
This park is comprised of a rare vegetation zone including bamboo, moist montane forest, moorland to mention but a few. Remarkably, it became a national park in 1991 then a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and it occupies an area of 1000 square kilometers. It straddles at elevation of about 1700-5109 meters with margherita peak on Mount Stanley being the highest peak.
Wildlife in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Over 70 species of mammals are confined in this park and they include among others forest elephants, L’Hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, sitatunga, mongoose, duikers, vervet monkeys, golden cat, forest hogs, Rwenzori colobus monkeys, 3 horned chameleon, Angolan colobus monkeys, bushbucks, black and white colobus monkeys, hyrax; 15 butterfly species, 217 bird species and many more.
Birds in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a home to about 217 bird species most of which can be spotted while on birding safari. The notable birds to spot out while on Uganda birding tour in this park include strange weavers, shelley’s crimson wings, red faced woodland warblers, archer’s robin chat, red throated alethe, stripe breast tit, kivu ground thrush, montane masked and collared apalis, Rwenzori batis, grey chested illadopsis, grey winged robin, western green tinkerbird, Lagden’s bush shrike, montane sooty boubou, dwarf honeyguide, Rwenzori nightjars, handsome francolin, Rwenzori turaco, golden winged and scarlet tufted malachite sunbirds, red faced crimson wing, oriole finch, white collared olive back, African long eared owl, red thighed sparrow hawk to mention but a few.
Vegetation in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park features unique floral species and they range in its varied altitude. The vegetation cover in this park ranges from tree heathers, montane forest, the afro alpine and bamboo. The stunning afro alpine zone comes with its symbolic giant groundsel and lobelia make up unique botanical species at elevation of about 3800 meters.
Activities in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Mountain climbing
Adventure enthusiasts on Uganda safari mountaineering in Rwenzori Mountains National Park should be a must-do adventure. Climbing through the magical Mount Rwenzori gets you a chance to explore unique vegetation zones, glaciers and amaze yourself with breathtaking views of surrounding areas. Hikes to the summit of this block mountain take you to different peaks including Mount Stanley where margherita is found, Vittorio Emmanuelle which stands at 4889 meters on Mount Speke, Edward at 4842 meters on Mount Baker. Interested visitors are encouraged to do some exercise prior actual hike since it climbing this mountain requires some physical wellness.
Bird watching
The birds to identify while on birding tour in Rwenzori Mountains National Park include shelley’s crimson wings, red faced woodland warblers, archer’s robin chat, red throated alethe, stripe breast tit, kivu ground thrush, montane masked and collared apalis, Rwenzori batis, grey chested illadopsis, grey winged robin, western green tinkerbird, Lagden’s bush shrike, montane sooty boubou, dwarf honeyguide, Rwenzori nightjars, handsome francolin, Rwenzori turaco, golden winged and scarlet tufted malachite sunbirds, red faced crimson wing, oriole finch, white collared olive back,
Nature walks
If you can’t make it up to the margherita peak you are also covered. A nature walk allows you to uncover the hidden treasures in various habitats of Rwenzori Mountains National Park. You will come across different birds, plant species and also meet the Bakonzo-interact with them and have authentic African experience.
Accommodation in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
- Luxury-Equator Equator Snow Lodge
- Mid-range-Ihamba Safari Lodge
- Budget-Mihunga Safari Lodge/Ruboni Community Camp/Rwenzori Turaco View Campsite/Tours Holiday Inn
Best time to visit Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National park straddles astride the Equator and because of this, most of its parts receive much rainfall. From March to May and from September to mid-December, there is much rainfall received and the best months especially for mountaineering start from June to September since low rainfall is received and the ground is drier.
Getting to Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The best way to get to Rwenzori Mountains National Park is by road or air. By road, your journey will cover about 5 hours or more starting from Kampala to Kasese. By road, you need a good 4×4 safari land cruiser to help you navigate through the remote routes to this park. You may also connect to this park starting from Kampala-Fort Portal or Kampala-Mbarara-Queen Elizabeth National Park. Or fly from Kajjansi airfield to Kasese airstrip then connect to Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
In summary, for exhilarating mountaineering adventures, Rwenzori Mountains National Park should be a must to visit while you are on Uganda safari.