Best Things to do in Fort Portal; Fort Portal Tourist Attractions

Best Things to do in Fort Portal; Fort Portal Tourist Attractions

Fort Portal is one of the most attractive towns in Uganda. It was named after the British Consul General of Zanzibar, Sir Gerald Herbert Portal. He came to Uganda in the 1890s to formalize British protectorateship over Uganda. Fort Portal lies in the northern foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains and about 300km west of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Here are the Fort Portal tourist attractions you ought not to miss.

Fort Portal has stunning tourist attractions including the neighboring Kibale Forest famous. The park is for chimpanzee tracking safaris. Also, the city is a neighbor to the magnificent Rwenzori Mountains. From caves to waterfalls to crater lakes, Fort Portal has it all.

Some of the stunning sights of Fort Portal and the nearby tourist attractions;

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is one of the most popular and most visited Uganda National Parks. The park is well known for the large number of chimpanzees that can be found in their natural habitat. The park also has about 375 bird species including the Superb Sunbird, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Brown-crowned Tchagra among others. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is mainly done in Kibale Forest National Park.

Semuliki National Park

Located some 150 miles from Kampala, Semuliki National Park is home to 442 bird species. The park is also home to  53 mammal species and is famous for the Sempaya Hotsprings which are always a marvel to encounter. Although the park doesn’t boast abundant animal wildlife, it is a great spot for bird watching. This is so because it has so many rare species of birds. The park is next to the Semuliki and Lamia rivers. Additionally, you find it on Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lake Albert borders the park to the north and the stunning Rwenzori Mountains to its southeast.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park was designated in 1991 achieving World Heritage site status in 1994 to protect the highest parts of the mountain range and is home to over 70 mammal species and 217 bird species. The mountains, however, are probably most popular for their stunning views and as a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination.

Lake Albert

Lake Albert is between the Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo in Western Uganda. The Lake’s source of water is both the Semliki and the Victoria Nile in the North. Although it is a large lake, there are no major towns on its shores on the lake’s Ugandan side. However, a relatively small population lives in nearby villages with Buliisa being the largest town. Buliisa is at the north end of Lake Albert with a population of some 30,000.

Tooro Palace

Visiting the Karuzika Palace gives you 360-degree panoramic views of Fort Portal. The circular structure was built in 1963 but fell into ruin after the abolition of the royal kingdoms by Idi Amin. In 2001, Colonel Gadaffi met the king and donated the money for repairs hence its restoration.

Amabere Caves

The Amabere Caves, also famous as the “Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru” translates to “Breasts of Nyinamwiru”. These are caves that locals named after ancient folklore where a local king had his daughter’s breasts cut off. He intended to make her less attractive to men. The King’s plan failed and his daughter got pregnant. He then hid her in a cave, or so legend has it. Visiting the Amabere caves gives tourists a chance to check out the waterfalls. They also visit and see three nearby crater lakes. You can thus find Many colobus monkeys.

Karambi Royal Tombs

An excursion to the Karambi Royal Tombs is worthwhile. The batoro buried Several of the former Kings of the Tooro Kingdom here. The caretaker will let you in for a look at the tombs, which house drums, spears, and other personal effects of several of the Toro kings. The cemetery outside is the resting place for various other royal family members.

Tooro Botanical Gardens

Tooro Botanical Gardens has a lot of adorable and noticeable indigenous plants and trees. It is as well as an organic farming project growing herbs, flowers, natural dyes, and medicinal plants.

Why not plan to visit Fort Portal town with us? Thus, All you need to do is contact us for the exploration of this amazing tourist city.