Kibale Crater Lakes
Kibale Crater Lakes
Kibale crater lakes are found in the area within the western rift valley region, famously known as the Ndali-Kasenda crater region. Kibale’s crater lakes are located in southwestern Uganda, about 350 km from Kampala.
The crater lakes are accessible by the Fort Portal-Kasese road, almost on the edge of Kibale National Park.
The region is spotted with various craters: explosion craters and crater lakes. The craters provide a stunning and spectacular view and camping ground for lovers of a truly wild experience in Africa.
To note, the crater lakes are not found within or inside Kibale National Park but are located on the premises of the national park.
Kibale National Park is a lustrous tropical rainforest located on the extreme southwestern side of Uganda. Kibale National Park is significant for the vast community of primates that inhabit the forest, most especially the endangered species called the chimpanzees.
Kibale National Park is even referred to as the primate capital of the world; this is because it harbors the largest community of primates in Africa and, perhaps, the whole world. About 1500 chimpanzees swing in the trees within the forest and also some are habituated and always ready to receive visitors all the year through.
Besides the chimpanzees, Kibale National Park harbors about 13 other primate species, including the black and white colobus monkeys, the red-tailed monkeys, the blue colobus monkeys, and night primates such as the pottos, bush babies and pangolins; elephants; and warthogs, among others.
Kibale National Park is also a dream come true for bird lovers. It harbors about 350 species of birds. Kibale National Park is a real deal to quench any birder’s thirst.
Despite the wildlife in Kibale National Park, yes, it is captivating, but the craters in Kibale National Park bring out a whole new experience to any primate safari.
Not so far away from the significant tourist town of Fort Portal, between the Fort Portal-Kasese highway and Kibale Forest, is where you will find the best place for your crater lake tours in Uganda.
Formation of kibale crater lakes
The craters of Kibale National Park were formed by a process called vulcanicity many millions of years ago. Unlike volcanicity that leads to the formation of volcanic cones/mountains, vulcanicity involves strong and violent volcanic eruptions that blow off the surface, pouring back the ash, lava and debris around the depression, hence creating an explosion crater bounded by a realm of ash and lava.
On the other hand, when the craters are filled with water, they become crater lakes, such as Katwe in Queen Elizabeth National Park and others found in the volcanic areas of Uganda.
The most popular crater lake in Kibale National Park is called Lake Nyabikere, which is translated as “the lake of frogs” in the local language. Lake Nyabikere is located at the shortest distance from Fort Portal town, just a 3-minute drive over a 100 m distance off the main road and nearest to Kibale National Park.
It is possible to walk from Nyabikere Crater Lake to Nkuruba, passing via Nyinabulitwa to Nyamirima Crater Lake. Nyabikere Crater Lake is also a famous base for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park.
Another crater lake is called Nyinambuga Crater Lake, which is significant in Uganda since it appears on the twenty thousand shillings note of Uganda. The Nyinambuga crater is characterized by blue-green water, which provides spectacular views of nature.
On the ridge of Nyinambuga Crater Lake is where you find the popular Ndali Lodge with the beautiful view of the lake about 100 m below.
Nkuruba Crater Lake is yet another stunning crater lake in Kibale; it has acted as a nature reserve to help the local community to have progressive education through funding.
Nkuruba Crater Lake provides very spectacular ground for camping with tranquility surrounding it. Nkuruba is also an access point to the top of the world hike, where you can find the Mahoma Falls and also see quite a number of explosion craters.
Other crater lakes, including Nyamasagani, Ntambi, Mubiro, Lyantonde, and Nyanswiga, are easily accessed. Lake Kasenda is associated with fertile soils for agriculture; the fertility around Lake Kasenda has facilitated the growth of the Arabic coffee type in the area. This is on-site, where you can enjoy agritourism through the coffee plantations.
Activities associated with the crater lakes
Many crater lakes are found in the Ndali-Kasenda areas near Kibale National Park. The Ndali-Kasenda area is dotted with quite a number of different craters and crater lakes, varying in sizes and character with quite charming, developed scenic views of the surrounding areas.
Most crater lakes in Kibale are bilharzia-free and truly safe for swimming; others are quite lucrative for fishing and beautiful for nature walks and cycling, among other activities.
The crater lakes area of Kibale National Park offers a real-life opportunity for intensive bird watching, as it is home to a wide range of beautiful bird species, including the olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, pittas, grey parrot, and ground thrush, all endemic to Kibale National Park, among many others.
