Tourist attractions in Fort Portal
Tourist attractions in Fort Portal : Fort Portal town is one of the major towns found in the western part of Uganda and there are different attractions found in the area which include the following;
- Touring Kibale forest national park
Kibale forest national park is among the popular tourist destinations found around Fort Portal and the destination is known for primate tours in Uganda.
Over 375 bird species can be seen during tours in Kibale forets national park which is well known for chimpanzee tours and is also home to over 13 primate species including l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons among others.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park takes place in the morning and in the afternoon and involves interactions with chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Tourists spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees and watch their behavior closely.
Permits for the chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale Forest National Park cost 250 USD for foreign nonresidents, 200 USD for foreign residents and 180,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens. This activity is to be done by individuals above the age of 12 years.
Other activities to do around Kibale forest national park include chimpanzee habituation experiences, guided nature walks, bird watching and community tours.
- Visiting Amabere caves
The Amabere caves are among the attractions found in Fort Portal town and they are located a few kilometers from the town.
The caves are found in the Nyakasura area and are among the places to visit in Fort Portal. Tourists engage in hiking and visiting the waterfalls and nature walks to get to the Amabere ga nyina Mwiru caves.
They are named after the breasts of the daughter of the king of the Bachwezi who according to a story told by the locals is said that her breasts were cut off to avoid attracting men. The walk to the caves takes about 3 hours and tourists can also encounter black and white colobus monkeys as well as different bird species.
There are also different crater lakes which can be visited around the Amabere caves as tourists enjoy the beautiful surrounding. About 3 crater lakes are found in the Nyakasura area and tourists can see them during the hiking tours around the destination.
- Lake Nkuruba nature reserve
Lake Nkuruba nature reserve is located in the southern part of Fort Portal town about 5 kilometers from Kibale Forest National Park and is among the places where tourists can enjoy guided nature walks among other activities.
When visiting Lake Nkuruba nature reserve, tourists can go to Lake Nkuruba which is a crater lake found at the destination and also encounter various wildlife species and also see different bird species including the Great Blue Turaco, Hornbills among others.
- Tooro palace
The Tooro palace is also known as the Karuzika palace and visiting this palace provided insight into the culture of the people of Tooro.
The palace is located on Karuzika hill and is led by King Oyo who is one of the youngest kings in Uganda. The Tooro palace has beautiful architecture and was built in 1960 and rebuilt by Gadhafi the former president of Libya during his visit to Uganda.
Tourists can enjoy views of Fort Portal town from the palace where they can also get to know more about the Batooro people, their kingdom, culture and traditions among other things while exploring the palace.
- Lake Kyaninga
Lake Kyaninga is one of the crater lakes which can be visited around Fort portal town and it is located near Kyaninga lodge which is one of the luxury lodges found in Kibale forest national park.
Other crater lakes found around Fort Portal include the Kasenda lakes, Lake Nkuruba, Lake Nyabikere, Lake Nyinabulitwa, Lake Nyamirima, Lake Nyinambuga, Lake Nyanswiga, Lake Mubiro among others where tourists can enjoy sightseeing and also boat rides among other activities.
- Bigodi wetland sanctuary
The Bigodi wetland sanctuary is another destination to visit during tours around Fort portal town and it is located in Kibale forest national park.
There are various bird species which can be seen during tours around the Bigodi wetland sanctuary which is one of the famous bird watching spots in the western part of Uganda. Apart from bird watching, tourists can engage in guided nature walks and community tours around the area.
Some of the bird species which can be seen around the Bigodi wetland sanctuary include Papyrus Gonolek, Grey crowned cranes, Great Blue Turaco, Yellow Throated Tinkerbird, Blue Throated Roller, White Shrike Flycatcher, Western Nicator, Papyrus Gonolek, kingfishers, Waxbills, Cuckoos among others.
- Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve
Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve is another destination which is visited during tours around Fort Portal town.
The wildlife reserve is home to a variety of wildlife species including black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, giant forest hogs among others.
There are also different bird species found in the Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve. Some of the activities to engage in around the reserve include bird watching, guided nature walks, community tours and wildlife viewing.
- Lake Albert
Lake Albert is one of the lakes to visit during Uganda tours around the western part of Uganda around Fort Portal town.
The lake is one of the rift valley lakes in Uganda and is located on the border with Democratic Republic of Congo.
How to get to Fort Portal
Tourists can access Fort Portal by driving from Kampala using the Mubende-Fort Portal route which takes about 5 to 6 hours.
Best time to visit Fort Portal
Tours around Fort Portal can be done throughout the year with the dry season being the best time to visit the destination.
The dry season is experienced during the months of June, July, August, September and October and also around December, January and February. Tourists can also visit Fort Portal attractions during the month of March to May and also in November which are part of the low season.
