Rwenzori Mountains National Park

5 days Rwenzori Mountains Trek

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains are one of Africa’s most iconic tourist destinations most especially for adventure kind of people.  Located in far south-west of the country Uganda about 335km from the capital.

These beautiful ranges of mountains are the highest of all Africa’s mountain range and 3rd of Africa’s highest peak after Mountain Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mountain Kenya.

It was recognized as a world heritage site in 1994 because of its standout scenic views and the all around natural beauty.

Flora & Fauna

About 1000sqkm (386 sq mi) Rwenzori mountains National Park is home to 217 recorded species of birds of which 19 of them are endemics of the Albertine rift and 70 mammals. Among them are the Chimpanzees, Forest Elephants, The Rwenzori Leopard, Monkeys, etc

ACTIVITIES IN THE RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

The park has several activities to do depending on what the traveler interest is but the highlight is a trek to the third highest peak in Africa. (The Margherita 5,109m ASL) which can take about 6-7 days of hiking and down.

But besides that tourists visiting the Rwenzori’s can also opt to do a day trek to either Lake Mahoma which is 3300 meters above sea level and it can take about 8-10 hours of hiking and down.

For group travelers, this mountain is a challenge as its tagline says (The Mystical Challenge) for older people who cannot do the hiking for a day, tour operators EBS Tours & Safaris can organize some optional activities like visiting the local communities around the park and experience their local ways of living or opt to do some other activities as advised by your tour operator.

BIRDING IN THE RWENZORI MOUNTAINS

For bird watchers, Rwenzori Mountains is one of the best birding destinations in the whole of Africa. With about 217 bird species which can be spotted here and the best part of it is that 19 of them can only be found here in the whole of the world. Some of the spectacular species you can spot are the Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s crimson wing, Batis diops, Malachite sunbird, Bamboo warbler etc.

EBS Tours & Safaris can organize an extended Albertine rift endemics bird watching safari tailor-made for any kind of travel groups or solo travelers.

ACCOMMODATION IN RWENZORI NATIONAL PARK

Just like most of the National Parks in Uganda, they’re various types of accommodations at Rwenzori National Park ranging from Budget to Luxury travelers. Even though these accommodations are just outside the park, but it is just a close distance to the parks main entrance just about 30 minutes of driving and you’re at your favorite destination.

You can either book for yourself or be helped by a tour operator to book the accommodation which suits your budget.

GETTING THERE.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park can be reached by either Air or Road Transports.

Tourists can board chartered flights from Entebbe to Kasese Airstrip which takes about 30 minutes only which allows visitors to move a shorter journey to the park.

By road, there are two routes from Entebbe/Kampala which can take you to the Rwenzori Mountains. From Kampala via Mubende to Fort portal it takes about 5 hours of driving which is 301 km. And from Kampala to Masaka-Mbarara-Bushenyi to Kasese can take about 7-8 hours of driving which is 355km and with views of the famous Queen Elizabeth National Park this is one of the most recommended routes by most Tour Operators.

Mountain Gorilla

mountain gorilla

The famous mountain gorilla of the Virunga’s is dead

The famous Mountain Gorilla who stormed the internet with selfie modeling pictures with a ranger dies cuddled with the arms of her rescue as an infant!

  • Orphaned mountain gorilla Ndakasi died at the age of 14 in the arms of park ranger Andre Bauma at the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo
  • She was saved by Virunga park rangers when she was two-months-old after she was found clinging to her lifeless mother
  • Ndakasi was cared for by Bauma who held her as an infant after her mother was gunned down by armed militia
  • The gorilla rose to fame after she was pictured with fellow orphan Ndeze in a selfie with park ranger Mathieu Shamavu in 2019 

SADNESS AND SORROWS- in the Virunga as the famous mountain gorilla who became a worldwide sensation after posing in a selfie with a park ranger has died in the arms of her ‘lifelong friend’ who rescued her as an infant.

Orphaned Ndakasi was pictured taking her last breath while being held by her caretaker Andre Bauma, 49, in a harrowing scene at the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo.

Ndakasi, who died aged 14, was saved by Virunga rangers when she was just two-months-old after they found her clinging to the lifeless body of her mother who had been gunned down by armed militia hours earlier. She was later transferred to the park’s Senkwekwe Center with a fellow orphaned gorilla Ndeze where the pair rose to internet fame when they appeared in a selfie with park ranger Mathieu Shamavu in 2019.

But after more than a decade of care at the Senkwekwe Centre, the ‘beloved’ gorilla died following a ‘prolonged illness in which her condition rapidly deteriorated’, a statement from the park said.

We are all saddened by this manner and let’s keep conserving the endangered species.