Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The most striking impression of Rwenzori Mountains National Park is its otherworldliness — the bizarre shapes of giant heathers, perpetual mists swirling among the mountains that never fully dissipate. The constant fog keeps the surroundings humid, fostering lush plant growth that takes on strange and fantastical forms, intermingled with fungi and spongy mosses.

Most of these strange plants grow in alpine zones where there is no competition from true trees, and where acidic soils rich in humus allow them to reach astonishing heights. Their bizarre shapes add an eerie and surreal atmosphere. Known dramatically as the “Mountains of the Moon,” the Rwenzori range is one of only three high-altitude mountain systems that straddle the equator, located along the edge of the East African Rift, and is one of the few places in Africa with permanent glacial ice cover.

The climate varies according to the elevation and aspect of the Rwenzori peaks. The park is home to tens of thousands of buffalo, as well as hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, zebras, baboons, and antelopes. There is also a rich diversity of birdlife, including no fewer than 37 endemic species and 14 types of butterflies. Among them, the crowned crane — Uganda’s national bird — can be seen almost everywhere in the wetlands.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Must-visit reason: The weirdest park

Continent where the attraction is located: Africa【Africa】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Uganda[Uganda]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Kasese and Bundibugyo Districts [Kasese and Bundibugyo Districts]