Rwenzori range in central Africa, on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo between Lakes Edward and Albert sometimes called Ptolemy’s “Mountains of the Moon,” the highest peak, Mount Stanley is 5109 meters or 16,763 ft. The name “Mountains of the Moon” came from European explorers associating the Ruwenzori with the legendary Mountains of the Moon, claimed by the Greek scholar Ptolemy to be the source of the Nile. Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in southwestern Uganda are located within the range.
Europeans in their search for the source of the Nile explored the region. The Scottish explorer, James Bruce, who travelled to Gojjam, Ethiopia, in 1770, was seeking the source of the Blue Nile. He found the “Mountains of the Moon” with Mount Amedamit, which he described surrounded the source of the Lesser Abay “in two semi-circles like a new moon … and seem, by their shape, to deserve the name of mountains of the moon, such as was given by antiquity to mountains in the neighborhood of which the Nile was supposed to rise.”
This beautiful mountain called cloud mountains by Henry Morgan Stanley because of its distinct scenic peaks is a major tourist attraction in the Rwenzori National Park. Besides the dense vegetation and waterfalls are wildlife, birds, glaciers, snowfields, Bulemba Bulemba houses, mountain climbing, hiking and lakes. Margherita peak is located on Mount Stanley, Rwenzori Mountains is a popular tour destination.
The best time to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking is during the country’s two dry seasons: January and February and from June to September. Game viewing in Uganda’s savannah parks is best at the end of the dry seasons – February and March and September/early October – when wildlife is concentrated around water sources.
Places to Visit in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Bulemba Bulemba Houses: These historical sites throughout the park house the remains of the kingdom of Ruwenzururu which is credited with saving the Nakonzo tribe from the Batooro oppression. There are celebrations for this starting on September 2nd.
Wildlife: Mountain Ruwenzori National Park is home to a vast array of wildlife species. Elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, bushbucks, hyrax and Rwenzori otters.
Trails: Better during the Dry months – July – August and November – February
Central Circuit Trail – Is a 7-day trek from Mihunga through Nyabitaba and ending in the Bujuku Valley
Kilembe Trail ascends from the southern slopes of Ruwenzori Mountain through Nyamwamba Valley and Lake Kitandara.
Tours of Rwenzori Mountain National Park
Other Places to Visit in Uganda
Gorilla Tours of Uganda – Combining easily with Bwindi Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular and most accessible savannah reserve and is home to elephant, buffalo, leopard, numerous antelope species and the famous tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha Plains. Take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to spot hippo and crocodile and don’t forget your binoculars. There are a staggering 600 recorded bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the world’s premier bird watching destinations.
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