Walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park

Walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park: A walking safari in a park full of wild animals, birds, and unique vegetation cover is one of the most thrilling activities you can do on your safari to Rwenzori Mountains national park. Walking in Rwenzori Mountains national park is completely different from other park activities. Walking gets tourists very close to most of the park attractions hence giving an unbeatable experience.

What to expect on a walking safari in Rwenzori Mountains national park?

On the day of carrying out a nature walk in Rwenzori Mountains national park, tourists wake up to a morning breakfast and later move to the starting point of the activity. It’s from here that armed ranger guides teach the participants the rules and regulations of the activity. After tourists head out to the jungle using different walking trails where they look out for different attractions that live in the park.

With a well-trained guide, tourists will be able to see different animals, birds, vegetation cover, and other attractions of the park. Tourists will be able to see Rwenzori mountains, rivers, and lakes that are found on the slopes of the mountain. Tourists on walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park should expect to get quite close to most of the attractions in the park.

How much are nature walks in Rwenzori Mountains national park?

To carry out walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park you need to pay a certain amount of money. The activity is guided by armed ranger guides a reason as to why it’s charged. Day nature walks in Rwenzori Mountains national park cost $30 for foreign non-residents, $15 for foreign residents, and UGX10,000 Citizens of East African member states.

For anyone to access Rwenzori Mountains national park for nature walks or any other activity, they need to pay park entrance fees. Entering Rwenzori Mountains national park, tourists must pay $35 for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents, and UGX15,000 citizens of East African member states.

When to have walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park?

Tourists can have walking safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park at any time of the year however some months are better than others. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the best to have such a safari because they are characterized by little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshi9ne. During the dry season, tourists find the walking trails dry and passable and this allows them to access most of the park areas.

Tourists especially budget travelers can visit Rwenzori Mountains national park for nature walk safaris in the rainy season for the park is always open. During the rainy season which happens from March and May and October to November, the lodges reduce room prices but tourists should know that there is plenty of rainfall which makes the walking trails muddy and slippery limiting access to some of the park areas.

Other safaris that can be done in Rwenzori Mountains national park

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori

Inside Rwenzori Mountains national park, there is the Mount Rwenzori tallest mountain in Uganda. Rwenzori Mountains does not only have the highest point in the park but also the highest point in the Uganda. The highest peak of Mount Rwenzori is on Mount Stanley at Margherita peak which is at 5109 meters. The only way tourists can get to the highest point of the mountain is by taking part in hiking activities.

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori is the most done activity with in this park carried out by hikers from different parts of the world. Hiking to the summit of Rwenzori takes 9 to 10 days however hikers can go up to any level they want and then hike back. Hiking is done with armed ranger guides who take you though different vegetation covers using well-constructed trails.

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori is carried out during day hours when the hikers are going through different vegetation zones, they are able to see different wildlife that lives in the Rwenzori. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori comes with other opportunities like seeing the attractions surrounding the park among which include rivers, lakes, and communities. Hikers who happen to get to the summit will be able to take pictures and record videos on Margherita peak.

Bird watching safaris

With over 217 bird species so far recorded in the park, bird watching safaris are among those safaris tourists can have in Rwenzori mountains national park. over 217 birds are in Rwenzori mountains national park making it one of the best birding destinations in western uganda. 19 of the bird species recorded in Rwenzori mountains national park are endemic to the Albertine rift region.

Bird watching safaris in Rwenzori Mountains national park require a good number of days because that is when birders can reach most of the park areas. Different birding trails are used and hiring a local birder is sometimes an advantage as they know areas where some species of birds can be seen.

Birders going for a bird watching safari in Rwenzori Mountains national park need to go with the different equipment that are necessary for a successful safari. A good birder must travel with a camera, a pair of binoculars, a birding book, a voice recorder, sunscreen, waterproof shoes, and insect repellents to mention but a few.

On a birding safari in Rwenzori mountains national park, tourists will be able to see bird species such as African wood owl, klaas’s cuckoo, Albertine boubou, western tinkerbird, African emerald cuckoo, montane nightjar, African grey woodpecker, ashy flycatcher, chestnut wattle eye, scarce swift, western tinkerbird, white-browed coucal, speckled tinkerbird, African green pigeon, African hobby, green hylia, common bulbul, long-toed lapwing, blue-headed coucal, peregrine falcon, Eurasian kestrel.

Village weaver, brown crowned tchagra, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, northern black flycatcher, black-throated wattle eye, tropical boubou, stripe breasted tit, African marsh harrier, white-rumped swift, shikra, African paradise flycatcher, red-headed malimbe, black-headed paradise flycatcher, white browed crombec, speckled mousebird, olive woodpecker, African swift, levaillant’s cuckoo, doherty’s bushshrike

Baglafecht weaver, lizard buzzard, brown-throated wattle eye, white-necked raven, black goshawk, African palm swift, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, white-winged black kit, white spotted flufftail, snowy crowned robin chat, African stonechat, golden-crowned woodpecker, dusky kit, buff spotted flufftail, chinspot batis, dusky blue flycatcher, grey-headed sunbird, cardinal woodpecker, scaly throated honeyguide, black-crowned tchagra, red knobbed coot, white chinned prinia to mention but a few.