Visiting Rwenzori Mountains National Park in the rainy season

Visiting Rwenzori Mountains National Park in the rainy season: Rwenzori Mountains National Park is one of the famous national parks in western Uganda. Gazetted in 1991, Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a 998 sq. km piece of land in the districts of Kasese, Bundibugyo, and Kabarole district. The national park is home to different attractions which include Mountain Rwenzori, 70 mammals, 5 primates, 217 birds, rivers, and lakes to mention but a few.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park is one of the most visited national parks in western Uganda and tourists can visit the park all year around. The national park experiences the dry season and the rainy season the fact that it is located near the equator. Today we are to look at visiting Rwenzori Mountains National Park during the rainy season.

The rainy season in Rwenzori Mountains National Park happens twice a year that is October to November and March to May. These months are the rainy season months because they are characterized by too much rainfall which can even rain almost every day. The sunshine is less during these months compared to the dry season months which are warmer.

During the rainy season, tourists still visit Rwenzori Mountains National Park for the park is open. We normally say that these months are good for budget travelers and this is because they get discounted tour packages. When the lodge and other service providers reduce prices, the tour packages are also discounted. The rainy season is also the best time for tourists who hate less crowded places for a few tourists are always in the park.

However, there are high chances of raining every day in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, there are days that do not receive rainfall. During such days, activities go on as planned and the weather is not as cold as the days it rains. Below are some of the activities tourists can do in Rwenzori Mountains National Park during the rainy season.

Bird watching

Bird watching is the only activity best done in Rwenzori Mountains National Park during the rainy season. Months like October, November, March, and April are the best months for bird watching in many places in Uganda including Rwenzori Mountains National Park. This is because during the rainy season there is plenty of food in the park for the birds, it’s a breeding period for most of the birds and it’s the same period when migratory birds from Europe visit the park.

On good days when rainfall is not too much or it fails to rain at all, tourists will be able to enjoy bird watching within Rwenzori Mountains national park. When migratory birds join the permanent birds, the number of bird species to see does increases. For birders to enjoy bird watching, they must come along with a voice recorder, long-sleeved clothes, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a birding book, and insect repellents to mention but a few.

Over 217 bird species have been so far recorded in Rwenzori Mountains National Park and good birders are able to see most of them during bird watching activities within the park. A ranger guide and a birding guide will move with you to different areas of the park where you will start looking out for different bird species. The more hours of searching the more the bird species to see in Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

Some of the birds that have been recorded in Rwenzori Mountains National Park include Hadada ibis, European bee-eater, grey crowned crane, toro olive greenbul, Rwenzori turaco, black kite, willow warbler, yellow billed barbet, Rwenzori apalis, red-faced woodland warbler, eastern mountain greenbul, African thrush, black-tailed oriole, palm nut vulture, laughing dove, African hobby, African shrike flycatcher, black-crowned waxbill, long-toed lapwing, blue-headed coucal, chestnut wattle eye.

Eurasian kestrel, Rwenzori hill babbler, African grey woodpecker, African wood owl, African emerald cuckoo, black-headed paradise flycatcher, African green pigeon, western tinkerbird, crowned eagle, western tinkerbird, blue spotted wood dove, grey cuckoo shrike, scaly throated honeyguide, brown snake eagle, cassin’s hawk-eagle, little swift, glossy ibis, marabou stork, long-crested eagle, olive woodpecker.

African swift, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, dusky kit, tropical boubou, northern black flycatcher, African marsh harrier, black goshawk, brown-throated wattle eye, chinspot batis, African palm swift, red-headed malimbe, white-necked raven, white-browed crombec, white-rumped swift, lizard buzzard, doherty’s bushshrike, pied cow, African dusky flycatcher, montane nightjar, and bronze mannikin to mention but a few.

Other activities tourists can do in Rwenzori Mountains National Park during the rainy season

Hiking mountain Rwenzori

Hiking Mount Rwenzori is done all throughout year but the dry season has always been the best to hike this mountain. This is because the hiking trails are a bit dry and hikers can easier hike through. Hikers who get time during the rainy season can still come and hike Mount Rwenzori as hiking activities are carried out every day.

Hiking mountain Rwenzori in the rainy season can be challenging and takes longer days because of the nature of the hiking trails. Rainfall is received almost every day during the rainy season and this makes the hiking trails to be muddy and slippery. Passing through slippery rocks can be challenging and slows down the speed of the hiking.

Even though the hiking trails are slippery and wet, hikers can still hike to any of the points of mountain Rwenzori. On the first day of hiking, the hikers are taught the rules and regulations of hiking for safety all the days they will be on the mountain. Armed ranger guides lead the hikers and those that have excess luggage hire porters. Hikers are given sticks to help them balance while going through rocks.

Hiking involves hikers going through different vegetation zones where they meet different attractions of the park like animals, birds, rivers, rocks, and much more. At different points hikers relax, have breakfast, and lunch, and others are points of stay during the night hours. Hiking to the summit usually takes 9 to 12 days and hikers are able to reach Margherita peak which is found on Mount Stanley.

Nature walks

Nature walks are other activities that can be carried out in Mount Rwenzori Mountains National Park. These activities are done with armed ranger guides who take tourists around the national park and the nearby communities. During the nature walks, tourists are able to meet different wildlife living in the park, vegetation, rivers, lakes, and people living around the park.