"Fort Portal - A MUST See for Tourists" Fort Portal by Nankani

Ft. Portal is a very interesting place. It has grown over the past few years although tourism has slowed down a bit because of problems in nearby Congo. This is a nice sized town that contect you to many things to do. You can see game parks, go see the Rwenzori Mountains also known as Mountains of the Moon. Here you can take Gorilla treks. You can also pay about $5 American to have a man take you on a "Monkey Walk' where you can go in the jungle and see Chimpanzee in their natural habitat just 'hanging' around. I like it here. It is a small enough town you can walk around and not get lost. There are great places to buy souvenirs of locally made baskets, mats, instruments and also local coffee (mmm) and teas. Prices are great and much better than big cities like Kampala, Jinja or Mbarara. There are plenty of Guest Houses for budget minded people and also very nice hotels for those that want more. The Kabaka (king) has a home that is newly rebuilt since it was destroyed during Idi Amins time. The king (of a certain tribe not all of Uganda) is a mere 13 years old now and has reigned since he was 5 years old.

Crater Valley Kibale Forest Resort Beach/Lodge

Just heading North out of Ft. Portal you can take a road that heads east. Up here is a small lake at Crater Lake Kibale Forest Resort Beach/Lodge and it has little grass hut cabins that you can rent for the night. You can hire for a small price a guide to take you around the lake where there are lots of pretty birds and some monkeys as well. TAKE drinking water with you. AFricans idea of a little wasy is 10X farther than most people think. Past that a few miles is a 'Nature Walk' place where you can see all sorts of plants, flowers, monkeys and such. It was closed the day I went so can't tell you more. When driving here on the main road we came around the corner and right in the way there were hundreds of butterflies flying around the rays of light that streamed through the thick jungle trees. A plethora of sizes and colors. Ones I couldn't even believe were real. We sat there unblinking because of the beauty. I have never seen anything like that before or since. It was amazing

The gals sunning themselves in Ft. Portal

If you watch for signs off the main rode in town you will see signs pointing towards other Guest Houses. Check these out!! They are much quieter and we found the one we stayed in to be comfortable, clean and quiet. We got our meals right there fixed fresh. The staff was wonderful and catered to us nicely. IT is enclosed and they shut the gate at nights so you can restfully sleep without being disturbed or having your vehicle messed with. A security guard is there at all times, I will stay here again on my trip next year. Why spend a lot of $$ on hotels?

• Pros:Good tourist starting Point, cheap prices on food, lodging, gifts, temperate weather
• Cons:rebel activity at times near but played up in media more than is truly a problem
• In a nutshell:The REAL Uganda