Ruwenzori View Guest House | A lovely Quiet Guest House in Fort Portal
Located 5 minutes away from Fort Portal town is Ruwenzori View Guest House, a budget accommodation facility with friendly staff and comfortable rooms. The guest house is surrounded by trees and lush beautiful gardens making it a quiet yet peaceful guest house. The hotel gardens attract a lot of bird species so for the keen birder a walk around the property will have you seeing some sun birds, Common bulbuls, flycatchers and the common Hadada Ibis which is often seen foraging in the gardens.
Ruwenzori View Guest House is one of the top budget facilities in Fort Portal city which welcomes a significant number of visitors each year. Visitors are drawn by the attractions in the city itself and attractions found nearby like Kibale Forest National Park that is known for the chimpanzee trekking adventure, Queen Elizabeth National Park known for its abundant wildlife, Semuliki National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Ruwenzori View Guest House works perfectly for the budget traveler looking for a clean comfortable place to stay while in Uganda. The family run guest house opened its doors in 1997 and has over the years welcomed guests from across the world.
Accommodation at Ruwenzori View Guest House
The rooms at the guest house are thoughtfully decorated and spacious with comfortable beds. Ruwenzori Guest house has 8 rooms in total, different room types are available and these include double rooms, twin rooms, single rooms and a family room with occupancy of 4 people (2 adults and 2 children). The rooms overlook the lush hotel gardens and you will often wake up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning.
Each room at Ruwenzori View Guest House consists of;
A comfortable wooden bed with clean linen bed sheets, a duvet and a mosquito net hanging from the wooden bed posters.
An en-suite bathroom with a shower, flush toilet, clean towels, bathing soap and toilet paper.
Hot and cold running water throughout the day.
A table and chair. For a double room the chairs will be two.
Complimentary filtered drinking water.
Wardrobe for storage space.
A private veranda overlooking the lush gardens with two comfortable seats.
On some days the room will have fresh flowers that are handpicked by the staff from the guest house flower garden.
Facilities and Services at Ruwenzori Guest House
Restaurant – The guest house features a restaurant that is located in the main area. The eating area/restaurant also doubles as the main area since it’s a budget property the guest house has one common area that serves multiple purposes. The restaurant has a menu that is quite limited compared to other big chain hotels but has great tasty options. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is prepared by the on-site chef. The guest house also caters to any dietary requirements that a guest may have so you can let the staff known on arrival or inform your tour operator who will then communicate to the guest house.
Crafts section – The guest house has a crafts section in the main area where you can purchase gifts or souvenirs if interested. The crafts include handmade baskets, beaded jewelry, locally made drums and small décor pieces. It’s centrally located so it should catch your eye when you enter the main area.
Book Shelf – Ruwenzori View Guest House has a small book shelf in the main area as well. The section is great if you have some time to spend at the guest house you can pick a book to read. There are novels, guide books, books about Uganda and maps that can be great for identifying different areas in Uganda.
Outdoor Sitting area – The guest house has an outdoor sitting area overlooking the hotel gardens. The sitting area is where one can relax outside the room, you can even choose to order a drink and enjoy it here. There is also a gazebo situated in the hotel gardens, you can choose to have your meals here.
Other services at Ruwenzori View Guest House include Wi-Fi, ample car parking space, daily housekeeping, and security.
Attractions and Activities
One might wonder what activities to engage in while on a visit to Fort Portal or staying at Ruwenzori View guest housse, well there is so much to do because Fort Portal is a tourism city so it has a lot to offer. Below are activities you can consider;
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest – A chimpanzee trek is a great choice for the visitor who would like to come close to these amazing primates who are our closest relatives. The chimpanzee trekking adventure begins at Kanyanchu visitor centre in Kibale Forest National Park which is 30 minutes away from Ruwenzori View Guest House. Your tour operator will arrange the tour for you and have the driver guide pick you up and drop you off at the hotel at the end of the day.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park – The Park is a two and a half hour drive away from Fort Portal and is great for an up close experience with wildlife in the wild. Game drives in the park will have you looking out for lions, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Elephants, water bucks, spotted hyena, olive baboons and vervet monkeys. While here you can also go on the Kazinga Channel Boat ride. A 3 Days Wildlife Safari is the best way to explore Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Spotted Hyena seen while on a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kasenda Crater Lakes – The crater lakes are located approximately 20-30 km south of Fort Portal. The lakes have stunning views from the top and a hike up to see the crater lakes from the top is worth it. The crater lakes include Lake Nkuruba, Lake Nyabikere, Lake Kifuruka and Lake Nyinambuga. The crater lakes with their very steep walls and forested surroundings offer great photo moments and are best visited on a day tour.
Birding Semuliki National Park – Birding in Uganda is a rewarding activity for the keen birding enthusiast and Semuliki National Park is a top birding destination. Semuliki is mainly visited to look for the 35 Guinea-Congo forest biome bird species which are only found in this park and nowhere else in East Africa. Bird species to look out for in the park while on a birding safari include Yellow-throated cuckoo, Brown-eared woodpecker, White-crested Hornbill, Yellow-throated nicator, Red-Tailed Greenbull, African crake, Abyssinian Ground hornbill, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Marsh tchagra, Leaflove, Congo serpent eagle, Papyrus gonolek, Long-tailed hawk, Black-wattled hornbill, Carruthers’s cisticola, owls, Standard-winged night jars among other species.
Fort Portal City Tour – A 1 day Fort Portal City tour is a great way to explore the town and visit the main attractions within the city. Places that you visit on the day tour include the “Omukama Palace” which is the King’s place, the Empaako monument, two local markets for an experience of the local life, River Mpanga, Gerald Portal monument and have lunch at a local food restaurant.
Entrance to the King’s Place
Tooro Botanical Gardens – A visit to Tooro Botanical Gardens is one of the easiest activities to do while staying at Ruwenzori View guest house. The Botanical gardens are located within Fort Portal in Booma and are a 10 minute walk away from the guest house. On arrival you can take a forest walk through the gardens, and do some birding as you also see different types of trees. Tooro Botanical Gardens is a bio-diversity hub and is one of the largest tree nurseries in Uganda, over 117 indigenous trees are found at the botanical gardens and a variety of plant species.
Location of Ruwenzori View Guest House
The guest house is located on Plot 15 Lower Kakiza Road Booma, Fort Portal. The guest house is a 15 minute walk away from Fort Portal town and a 5 minute drive away from the town.
Recommended Tours
2 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Tour
