Activities

Nearby Attractions and Things to Do While Staying at Faith Homes Hotel Apartments Fort Portal, Uganda

• Tooro Golf Course
• Mpanga Market
• Tooro Botanical Gardens
• King oyo Palace
• Churches: Town Church
• Kyaninga Crater Lake
• Ndali and Kasenda Crater

Fort Portal or Kabarole is a city located in the Western Region of Uganda. The city is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Toro Kingdom.

Fort Portal is known as the Tourism City of Uganda. Located in the Western Region, Fort Portal city is the perfect base to have the best of both worlds. Or actually, the best of three worlds.

In close proximity of Fort Portal City visitor can travel and discover the rainforest with the Kibale National Park being a few kilometres from Faith Homes Hotel Apartments door step; Visitor can hike in dizzying heights in the Rwenzori mountains, and if you don’t mind driving a short distance you can experience the once in a lifetime safari you have been dreaming of in Queen Elizabeth National Park near Kasese Town.

Approximately 50.000 people live in Fort Portal, but the main part is as small as the space between two roundabouts. In the centre you can find almost endless opportunities to eat, drink and go out day and night.

The top attractions to visit in Fort Portal while staying at Faith Homes Hotel Apartments are: Tooro Club, Tea Plantations, Crater Lakes, Mpanga Market, Fort Portal City Tour, Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary, Semuliki National Park, Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve, Amabere Ganyinamwiru caves, Tooro Botanical Gardens,

1. Breakfast at Dutchess

Start your day right with a breakfast menu that would make the buffet at various Fort Portal luxury lodges jealous. Homemade juices, cheese and desserts are awaiting you at Dutchess, a restaurant run by (you guessed it) a Dutch couple. But be careful not to indulge too much as firstly the Ugandan food is also exciting and filling and secondly Dutchess prepare the best pizza in town on their own stone oven grill, so that you will probably visit them again during the evening.

1. Take a tour around town…Birdwatching in Fort Portal

…and look for birds. Even in the buzzing Fort Portal town centre you will already see some species that you won’t know from home. You can decide whether you are a proper birder who would like to participate in a tour with a trained guide, or whether you just came to Uganda to see all the animals depicted in The Lion King. In the latter case it will be enough to keep your eyes open while driving on a Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi) through Fort Portal City and you will already be able to tick some birds of your list.

1. Tea Experience Tour - Tea Plantation & Tea Farm, Tea Factory Tour

9am we drive from Faith Homes Hotel Apartments in Fort Portal to Sebitoli village where we take a 2 to 3 hour walk in the tea estates / tea farm and visiting a small holder farmers homestead after that we drive 12 km to Mabale Tea factory for  guided tour where we see the whole process from green leaf to finished product.

1. Visit all the crater lakes in Fort Portal on a Crater Lakes Tour

Well, that might take you a bit longer than a week, as Fort Portal is surrounded by over 50 crater lakes, some of which are hard to reach. However, if you feel active you can walk a trail of 18 km on which you can see at least 5 crater lakes, volcanoes and waterfalls or you can take a Boda or a driver and visit the Kasenda Crater Lakes. There you can swim in Lake Nkuruba and hike up a small hill to the Top of the World viewpoint from where you have the perfect view over crater lakes and the Rwenzori mountains.

1. See wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park on the Queen Elizabeth National Park Guided Wildlife Safari

Prepare yourself for an early start when you drive accompanied by the Ugandan sunrise towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. Have your breakfast on the way so that a hungry lion won’t steal it from you, and off you go on your first game drive. Since awing at African wildlife surely will make you hungry again, you will spend your lunch on the shores of the Kazinga Channel. You can decide whether you would like to go on a boat ride or immediately do another game drive. If you think that one day with elephants can’t ever be enough (who wouldn’t?), you can even stay for one or two more days in the park, trailing deeper and looking for rare tree climbing lions.

1. Look for our closest relatives on a Chimp Tracking in Kibale Forest National Park

Just outside of town, the famous Kibale Forest NP has its roots. Go on a short walk through the deep green forest and then see for yourself, the primates are having a blast in the bushes. See how Chimpanzees live their family lives and that the babies are driving their mothers crazy just as well as ours. Spend up to a whole day with the chimps and see what you can learn from them.

1. Hike in the Rwenzoris

After spending some days looking at the Rwenzori mountain range in the background of Fort Portal you might feel the urge to actually hike them. This will be the perfect opportunity to meet local communities and learn how they make their living. Being greeted by smiling children who are happy to see visitors in their villages will make the climb much easier. You can either hike up the hill for one day or, if you feel like an adventure, stay for up to a week in the so-called Mountains of the Moon.

1. Look for forest elephants on a nature walk

Granted, the chances to actually see a forest elephant in Kihingami swamp are very slim, and that should be absolutely fine. Forest elephants are not used to humans and go into full attack mode if you cross their path, and yet one cannot stop wishing to find them anyway. However, on your nature walk through the Kihingami wetlands you will be able to see several monkey species. For birders, the Kihingami swamp can offer you over 300 different species of birds. On top of that the income generated by visitors will be used to support communities and local schools.

1. Have a night out at Afrikana or Gluepot or the Pavilion, or Forest or Mountains.

Ugandans love to go out and you will always be able to find a party no matter what day of the week it is.

Have some drinks in one of Fort Portal’s bars or go full on ‘Hangover’ and try the Ugandan Gin ‘Waragi’ made out of Matooke. Just always be aware of your belongings as it can get crowded in the club and your mobile might simply be too tempting for strangers.

1. Amaani Rwenzori

Amaani Rwenzori! is a project by the German NGO Welthungerhilfe in cooperation with YES! and helps young Ugandans to learn trades like pottery, hairdressing, welding and general administrative activities. You can also find the best tailors in town in the small compound just on the outskirts of town. On the weekends they offer communal sport activities like yoga and volleyball. Just come by the coffee shop and you can get all the information there.

1. Taste the real Uganda

Every Wednesday, the local hotel Traveller’s Inn organises a traditional lunch with everything that is typically Ugandan. Taste your way through matooke, posho, greens, plantains, bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, and peanuts. You will definitely be filled up for the rest of the day.

1. Mpanga Market in Fort Portal - Take a tour of Mpanga Market in the heart of Fort Portal City

Mpanga market is the biggest permanent market in Fort Portal Municipality and the whole of Kabarole district.

The current Mpanga market was constructed by the government of Uganda under the Markets and Agricultural trade improvement program.

The Mpanga Market construction works were undertaken by Excel Construction and the market construction works commenced in October 2011 and were complete by November of 2013

The Mpanga Market boasts of 600 stalls, 400 piches and 200 shops. The Market is managed by the Municipal authorities of Fort Portal Muiciparity, Kabarole district.

Fort Portal City Mpanga Farmers Market is a vibrant farmers market and fair in the heart of Fort Portal City. With fresh local produce, exciting crafts people and tasty prepared meals, this is a must-visit.

1. Mpanga Growers Tea Factory Tour (Tea factory tour and tea tasting) -

Mpanga Growers Tea Factory is a public limited company owned by small holder tea growers in Fort Portal.

Mpanga Growers Tea Factory was incorporated in 1995. The tea factory is located in western Uganda Kabarole district, producing high quality tea for local and export market.

Mpanga Growers Tea Factory is one of the tea factories formerly under Uganda Tea Growers Corporation (U T G C), established by an Act of parliament on 17th February 1966.

After privatization by Ugandan Government with the assistance of the European Union in 1990s, small holder tea farmers were encouraged to buy shares in order to have ownership of the factory and to increase on the share capital of the company.

The objectives of privatizing the companies in Uganda was to empower small holder tea farmers to increase on their production, improve house hold income, and to become self-sustaining.

There has been increased household income since the Mpanga Tea factory employs 1139 farmers hence benefiting the community.

Mpanga Tea Factory Tour - Tea factory tour and tea tasting

Almost every tourist who visits Fort Portal and Kabarole District area pays a visit to the Mpanga Tea factory for its popularity as one of the few largest surviving tea factory in Uganda's Kabarole region.

The Mpanga Tea Factory premises offer visitors an opportunity to experience a guided tour of a tea factory. Go around in the tea factory with an excellent guide and learn everything there is to know about Uganda black tea.

Visitor enjoys a tea tasting session where you will experience the art of tea tasting and manufacturing in Uganda. Tourists also have the opportunity to purchase farm-fresh teas, while gazing at the panoramic views from our factory.

These are only a few things of what you can do with your time in Uganda. If you would like to visit other National Parks or areas in Uganda, we are more than happy to create the perfect trip for you. Just contact us here on our website or visit Responsible Tourism Company - local experience operator partner office in Kampala.

Muhoti hills

On the gentle slopes of Muhoti hills, you will be able to view a scenery of the Rwenzori Mountains, one touch of nature that is to say Kigere and Saaka crater lakes with a striking greenery nature.

The Hotel has a full-time tour guide and transport for tours/safaris to different tourists attractions can be arranged. Please inquire from the front desk about tour and transport services

Tours / Safaris Explore the hidden gems in Fort Portal Tourism City the neighboring areas, The mighty Amabeere ga Nya Mwiru caves and the waterfalls.

Treking and hiking Kyeganywa Hill, Lake Kigere and other crater lakes, Nature walks, A trip to Sempaya Hot Springs, Queen Elizabeth for a game drive, Kibaale National Park for Chimp tracking, a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel plus many more amazing experiences & Destinations such as Historical sites, City tours, local market tours and a visit to Karuziika (Tooro Kingdom Palace).

Sports Tooro Club Golf Course Golf is good exercise. Not only do you spend a lot of time on your feet, but you also do a lot of walking. We are only 4 km away from Tooro Club golf course.

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