Fort Portal city is located 290km away from Kampala and is surrounded with a number of crater lakes, formed 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The city has greatly attracted many tourists in the area because of the beautiful sceneries these crater lakes produce. As a result, a number of luxurious hotels and lodges have been built within this area, such as Papaya Safari Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, and Kyaninga Lodge, among others.
These crater lakes are breathtakingly beautiful to behold, and offer one of the best hiking places in the area. Many clients hike to the top of these crater lakes to have a beautiful view of tea and coffee gardens, which lie beneath the slopes of the lakes. The landscape south of Fort Portal is dotted with picturesque crater lakes, some of which are over 400m deep.
Experiences Around Crater Lakes in Fort Portal
To match the beauty of the crater lakes, one can sometimes also see the tallest African mountain ranges of Rwenzori Mountains. This is commonly known as the “Mountains of the Moon”, in a distance, on a clear sunny day.
A dramatic landscape of crater lakes cupped under steep hillsides, in the area south of Fort Portal, offer travelers a scenic retreat ideal for long walks and road cycling. This has led to many biking safaris along the area, hence a boost in tourism activities around the area.
Much of the land is cultivated, but primates and plenty of birds occupy the lake shores.
Among the many craters lakes in Fort Portal include, Lake Kanyango, Lake Kifuruka, Lake Lugembe, Lake Murigamire, Lake Mutusi, Lake Mwamba and Lake Mwegenyi. There are others which are also accessible such as Lake Nyamugasani, Lake Ntambi, Lake Mubiro, Lake Lyantonde and Lake Nyanswiga.
Meanwhile, Lake Kasenda has fertile soils around it, so it favors the growth of Arabica coffee which has led to the growth of Agro-tourism in the area. In addition, a visit to Mahoma falls in Kabata village, near Ndali Lodge can be arranged for an epic relation with nature.