Western Uganda

Birding Hot Spots and scenic high spots.
Foreign visitors have been entranced by the Mount Ruwenzori area of Western Uganda since Henry Stanley and Emin Pasha passed through in 1889. For this is, arguably, Uganda’s most dramatic and scenic region. Between Lake Albert in the north, and Lake George in the south, the terrain rises above the plains of the Semliki Valley for over 4,000 meters to the snow-capped summits of the Ruwenzori. Between these extremes, the landscape is pocked with crater lakes and covered with tea plantations, tropical forests, savanna and farmland. Varied and abundant wildlife includes big game on the rift valley floor in Queen Elizabeth National Park, rare forest birds in Semliki National Park, primates in the depths of Kibale Forest, and the bizarre, giant Afro-alpine plants that grow in the shadow of the Ruwenzori snow peaks. Opportunities for exploring without a vehicle include trekking on the Ruwenzori, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest and scenic walks among the Ndali crater lakes.
CLIMATE:
Altitude affords the Ruwenzori region a pleasantly cool climate. Conditions are hotter – with a mean maximum of 28°C (80°F) – and drier on the low-lying rift valley floor.
LANDSCAPE:

 This distinctive region is dominated by the 5,100 meter Ruwenzori Mountain, the western and southern slopes of which drop into the drier plains of the Western – or Albertine – Rift Valley (620 to 900 meters above sea level). The green and hilly Fort Portal plateau to the east is dotted with volcanic craters.
CULTURE AND PEOPLE:
The Ruwenzori is home to the Bakonzo mountain people, while the Semliki valley is inhabited by the Bamba tribe and a community of Batwa Pygmies. The countryside east of the mountain lies in the Kingdom of Toro, home of the Batoro.
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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Ndali crater area:

The scenic Ndali crater field, 20 km south of Fort Portal, is the largest of Western Uganda’s several clusters of extinct volcanic craters. Dozens of craters, including 30 lakes, await discovery by vehicle or bicycle or on foot. The legendary and notoriously reclusive Ruwenzori snow peaks are most reliably seen from viewpoints in the area during the April-May rains. Overnight options range from the charmingly eccentric Ndali Lodge to a range of budget retreats.
Kibale national park:
This mainly forested park, 795 sq km in area, is best known for its primate populations. Thirteen species, nine of them diurnal, are present including chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s monkey and red colobus. Chimpanzee tracking is the main activity, while birders are drawn to the park and the nearby, community- run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary by a bird list of 335 species.
Ruwenzori mountains national park:
 Africa’s highest mountain range, the 5,100 meter Ruwenzori – or Mountains of the Moon – is the snowy source of the Nile referred to by early geographers, 17 centuries before European explorers marked it on their maps. The high Ruwenzori is amontane wonderland, the trails to thesnow peaks following glacier-carved valleysfilled with fantastically colored mosses and rare Afro-alpine plants that include giant forms of lobelias, heathers and groundsels. Expeditions use a chain of basic huts and campsites to ascend the mountain from Kilembe and Nyakalengija.
Semliki national park:
Occupying an isolated slice of Ugandan territory beyond the Ruwenzori, the forested Semliki National Park represents the easternmost tract of the Congo’s great Ituri forest. This is an exceptionally exciting destination for bird and primate watchers. The 441 recorded species include 216 forest birds and 80 Central African species found in few, if any, other forests in East Africa. Black dwarf hornbill, shining blue kingfisher, Nkulengu
Rail and yell ow-throated nicator are just a few random highlights cited by the park’s experienced guides. In addition, an astonishing 15 species of primate – more even than Kibale – can be found within 6 km of the primeval hot springs that bubble out of the rift valley floor at Sempaya. Among the list of primates, the 12 diurnal primates include the blue, De Brazza’s and Dent’s Mona monkeys and red colobus. Though birdwatchers overnight in basic UWA bandas, most travelers visit Semliki as a day trip from Fort Portal.
Fort portal:
Generally held to be Uganda’s most attractive town, Fort Portal is surrounded by tea plantations and enjoys a dramatic Ruwenzori backdrop and a pleasant climate. A selection of good hotels makes it an ideal base for exploring the region