02/07/2023
The 10 best places to Visit in Uganda
4. Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Rwenzori mountains
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Uganda. It lies along Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its outstanding natural beauty.
The park has many species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift system, and there are several endangered species in the park. It has a high diversity of plants and trees. The park is noted for its botany, which has been described as some of the most beautiful in the world. There are five distinct vegetation zones in the park, which change according to changes in altitude. The park has 89 species of birds, 15 species of butterflies, and four primate species. The park’s wildlife varies with elevation, and its species include the forest elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Ruwenzori duiker, and Rwenzori turaco.
The park is home to the Rwenzori Mountain Ranges, also called the mountains of the moon, where Africa`s third highest snow peak fills the clouds. Those mountains are higher than the Alps and are ice-capped. The Ranges consist of Mount Stanley, Mount Speke, Mount Baker, Mount Emin, Mount Gessi, and Mount Luigi da Savoia. These mountains offer an ideal and lush landscape of alpine vegetation characterized by charismatic giant lobelias, groundsels, and heathers which have been called “Africa’s botanical big game.” The spectacular combination of snow-capped peaks, glaciers, V-shaped valleys, fast-flowing rivers with impressive waterfalls, clear blue lakes, and ideal flora adds to the area’s exceptional natural beauty.
Mount Stanley contains 9 out of the 10 peaks that rise above 16,000 feet (4,900 meters). It’s the third highest mountain in Africa after Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya. Its highest peak is Margherita (16,762 feet [5,109 meters]). The Margherita Glacier is 100 m thick. The stream that forms from the glacier’s meltwater is one of the sources of the famous White Nile! There are several other peaks on Mt Stanley, including Alexandra Peak (5,091 m). Mount Speke and Baker and the fourth and fifth highest in Africa respectively.
There is an abundance of excellent trekking routes in the Rwenzori mountains, easily as beautiful, if not more so, than many better-known and more popular routes in East Africa. There are two types of hiking experiences in the Rwenzoris: high altitude and low altitude. The low-altitude treks won’t take you beyond 4,000 meters and typically last 2-4 days. High-altitude treks take you to peaks above 4,000 meters and last between 4-12 days.
https://kitenjitoursuganda.com/blog/10-best-places-to-visit-in-uganda.html
