Fort Portal and the Crater Lakes

Fort Portal is the capital of the Tooro Kingdom, set among tea plantations at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. Around the town lie dozens of old volcanic craters, now filled with green and blue lakes edged with forest.

Why go

Fort Portal is cool, green and calm, and it sits right next to some of Uganda’s best wildlife. It is the base for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and the community walk at Bigodi, which makes it ideal for mixing wild days and people days. It is also a favourite for staff retreats in a fresh, quiet setting.

What you can do

• Walk the crater rims to viewpoints such as the Top of the World, where several lakes shine below you at once.
• Swim or paddle in selected crater lakes.
• Stroll through tea estates.
• Visit Nyakasura falls.
• Cycle quiet roads between the lakes, and go birding.
• Track chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, about an hour away.

The people side

In town you can visit the Tooro royal palace, Karuziika, on its hill, and hear about the Omukama, the king of Tooro. Nearby, the Amabere ga Nyina Mwiru caves are linked to an old Tooro legend of a king’s daughter, which local guides love to tell. South of town, the village of Bigodi offers a swamp walk and a village visit run by the community itself.

Best time to visit

Fort Portal is good all year. The drier months, June to September and December to February, are best for crater walks and Kibale’s forest trails.

Getting there

Fort Portal is about 300 km west of Kampala: allow 5 to 6 hours by road, and about 1 hour more from Entebbe.

Good to know

There is a good range of lodges and hotels around the town and the lakes. Swim only in the lakes your guide recommends. Crater walks are easy to moderate, depending on the route. For a longer trip, Semuliki’s hot springs and the Rwenzori foothills are within reach.