Budget safaris to Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Budget safaris to Rwenzori Mountains National Park: Budget safaris to Rwenzori Mountains National Park are organized for those tourists who don’t have a lot of money but would love to explore Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a dream come true destination for a lot of travelers in the world because of the different attractions found there. The 998 sq. km piece of land hosts the tallest mountain in the world, 217 bird species, 5 primates, 70 mammals, rivers, and lakes to mention but a few.

Rwenzori Mountains national park is located in western Uganda on the borders with DR Congo in Kasese, Bundibugyo, and Kabarole districts. The national park is one of the places tourists would love to visit because of the unique attractions found there. Every budget traveler especially hikers would love to visit Rwenzori Mountains national ark and in this article, we are to show the different safaris that can be done within the park by budget travelers.

Activities to do on budget safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park

Hiking mount Rwenzori

Budget travelers who have dreamt of hiking Mount Rwenzori can visit Rwenzori Mountains National Park for hiking activities. Hiking Mount Rwenzori can be done by all kinds of travelers including budget travelers. At $50 for foreign non-residents, $40 for foreign residents, and UGX50,000 for citizens of East African member states, a hiker is able to hike Mount Rwenzori up to a certain level.

Hiking mountain Rwenzori can be done for 1 day up to 12 days for hikers who want to get to the summit. Hikers pay a certain amount of money based on the level they are to stop at. The more the days the more the money because food, accommodation, porter fee, and guise fee are needed every day. Budget travelers who want to hike Mountain Rwenzori can do it but for a few days because the more days the more money.

Hiking Mount Rwenzori is every traveler’s dream come true because this is the highest mountain in Uganda and the third tallest in Africa. Hikers who hike Mount Rwenzori go through different trails with an armed ranger guide and they get opportunities to see different animals, birds, rivers, and vegetation zones.

Bird watching

Budget birders can always carry out bird watching in Rwenzori Mountains National Park for it is affordable. For anyone to carry out bird watching in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, they must pay park entrance fees and these are affordable to everyone. Foreign non-residents it is $30 per person, foreign residents its $25 per person, and for citizens of East African member states it is UGX20,000 per person.

There are over 217 bird species that have been recorded in Rwenzori Mountains national park. Good birders with experienced bird guides can carry out bird watching in the park and see more than half of the recorded bird species. Birds should come along with their birding books, a pair of binoculars, a camera, waterproof shoes, and a voice recorder to mention but a few.

Bird watching rwenzori mountains national park will introduce birders to bird species such as Grey crowned crane, Great blue turaco, White wagtail, European bee-eater, toro olive greenbul, black kite, yellow billed barbet, lemon dove, black-winged kite, black-tailed oriole, palm nut vulture, common sandpiper, African sacred ibis, laughing dove, crowned eagle, ashy flycatcher, barred long-tailed cuckoo, honeyguide greenbul, Rwenzori turaco, eastern plantain eater, Eurasian kestrel, African penduline tit.

African emerald cuckoo, African wood owl, speckled mousebird, scarce swift, scaly throated honeyguide, African swift, olive woodpecker, African palm swift, dusky kit, tropical boubou, village weaver, klaas’s cuckoo, northern black flycatcher, grey-headed sunbird, black goshawk, snowy crowned robin chat, Albertine boubou, white-winged black kit, doherty’s bushshrike, and green crombec to mention but a few.

Nature walks

Nature walks are one of the ways tourists can explore different areas of Rwenzori Mountains National Park. The activity is guided by armed ranger guides and different trails are used to access the different areas of the park. It’s during nature walks those tourists get so close to nature and see different vegetation and wildlife that lives in the park.

Nature walks in Mountain Rwenzori National Park are very affordable to all kinds of travelers including budget travelers. Nature walks are conducted during the day and they cost $30 for foreign non-residents, $15 for foreign residents, and UGX10,000 citizens of East African member states.

When to have budget safaris to Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Tourists who are interested in having budget safaris in Mountain Rwenzori National Park should visit during the low season. The low season happens in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. During this period, there is plenty of rainfall within the park and a few tourists visit the park. Very few tourists visit the park during the low season because of the bad weather and what lodge owners do is to reduce prices to attract the few tourists visiting.

Tourists visiting in the low season should however know that there is plenty of rainfall in the park which makes the walking/hiking trails muddy and sleepy, the vegetation is short with unclear views of wildlife and the skies are not clear due to dark clouds and rainfall.

Tourists can still have budget safaris in the dry season which is the best time to visit the park. During the dry season, tourists can follow the different ways of saving and still have budget safaris in Mountain Rwenzori National Park. Among these include staying in budget accommodation facilities, bargaining, traveling as a group, and using cheap means of transport to get to the park.

Where to stay on budget safaris in Rwenzori Mountains National Park

There are lots of affordable accommodation facilities that tourists can use during their stay in Rwenzori Mountains National Park. These are mid-range and budget accommodation facilities every tourist can afford. They include Ruboni community camp, Rwenzori backpackers, Hotel Margherita, Rwenzori International Hotel, and Mihingo Safari Lodge to mention but a few.