The Rwenzori Mountains National Park
among the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, It has four trails and two nature
walks, with the creation of the Muhoma trail, which is targeted for tourists
interested in shorter trails.
While the Rwenzori Mountains are a
sight to behold, not many tour operators put them on their itinerary because it
usually takes more than a week to enjoy a trail walk on any of the slopes.
However, with the new Muhoma trail, tourists can enjoy a bit of the mountains
in one to three days only.
It is true at this trail Uganda is
discovered, this is a place that travelers to Uganda should not miss, “It is
good the communities are benefiting from the tourism industry as they are
taught to conserve the environment and out of the revenue from this trail and
the park at large supports their local projects like agriculture where they
generate a living.”
Getting to the trail
Sounds of River Nyamwamba greet your
ears at this new tourist attraction that opened in August. Cater was excited
after she trekked through the new trail. The place can be reached about 10kms
on Kasese-Fort Portal road, after which one branches left at Kasanyarazi and
ascends 12kms on a dirt road, which is still under rehabilitation.
Muhoma Nature Trail was built by
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) using funds from USAID’s Sustainable Tourism in
the Albertine Rift (Star) project and is the latest product in the national
park. The trail, that lets visitors enjoy one-to-three-day walks, traverses the
lower slopes of the mountains up to Lake Muhoma, where the trail joins the
existing Central Circuit trail.
About the trail
This is the fourth trail and the
second nature walk in the national park tucked in western Uganda. The other
trails include the Central Circuit, run by Rwenzori Mountaineering Services
(RMS), Kilembe, run by Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS), and Kazingo Nature
Walk trail, which has been the only trail open to all tour operators since the
other trails are privately run. Uganda Wildlife Authority manages the new trail
and is open to all tour operators.
“The concessional trails are limited
to contracted companies, but the new trail is open to anybody. You don’t need
to go through a third party to use it,” said Fredrick Kizza, the park’s senior
warden. “This shorter trail is an opportunity for those clients with limited
time. Because of the long time needed to climb the mountain, most tourist
operators leave out Rwenzori”.
The Rwenzori are a world-class
hiking and mountaineering destination, which were recently voted among the
world’s best hiking sites. The world heritage site is well known for its
extraordinary flora and different vegetation zones. However, the mountain
continues to struggle to attract tourists.
According to Kizza, in 2000, the
park attracted a paltry 600 visitors. This number has since grown to 2,300,
according to last year’s statistics. Kizza says the park has already attracted
2,285 visitors since January, a figure that is expected to shoot to 3,000 by
the end of the year.
Attractions beyond the trail
With better facilities, the numbers
are bound to go even higher. Geolodges have opened up their fourth lodge, the
Equator Snow Lodge in Rwenzori Mountains National Park. “We hope that the
addition of these new tourism facilities and the trail will help to boost
tourism to the mountains, increasing revenues for the people of the region as
well as supporting Uganda Wildlife Authority and Eco trust in their ongoing
conservation efforts”.
USAID-Star with support from US
Forest Service, and in partnership with Eco trust, Uganda Wildlife Authority
and Geolodges, also boosted the lodge with the construction of an information
centre at a cost of $100,000 (approximately Shs260m).
The centre is a multi-function
facility next to the park, providing information and services for visitors to
be able to learn more about the park and the mountain, its people and their
culture.
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