Are you traveling to the western side of Uganda for business or tourism and looking for some interesting places to add on your bucket list to spend some quality time to relax, then Kigezi Wildlife Reserve should not miss on your itinerary. The Kigezi sub-region is one of the hilliest, verdant and coolest places in Uganda thus the reason it is dubbed as the Switzerland of Uganda or Africa in general.
Kigezi Wildlife Reserve is situated within Rukungiri district, western Uganda close to Omuruyenzhe and Maramagambo forest thus making it an ideal place for tourists planning to explore the wonders of Maramagambo forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park during Uganda safaris. It was established into a game Reserve in 1952 (making it one of the oldest Protected Areas in the country) and currently stretches for over 265 square kilometers (102 square miles).
It is characterized by different habitats that include open grasslands, woodlands and savannah and was established as a buffer zone to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park to the North, also as a sanctuary for the numerous elephants that often move East from the Rwindi Plain within the Democratic Republic of Congo and south from the Queen Elizabeth National Park by the beginning of the rainy season. Therefore, it is undeniable that it acts as a barrier among the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National, Maramagambo Forest and heavily occupied areas to the South.
Therefore, the wildlife species to expect within this Wildlife Reserve include elephants, giant forest hogs, antelopes such as Uganda Kobs, bush bucks, waterbucks and Topis as well as buffaloes but the Reserve is also a paradise to a wide range of bird species. However, there are no accommodation facilities within this destination thus tourists planning to visit this site have to spend overnights within Queen Elizabeth National Park or even Rukungiri district.
How to Reach Kigezi Wildlife Reserve
Kigezi Wildlife Reserve is approximately 318 kilometers (198 miles) south-west of Uganda, in Rukungiri district. The most commonly used route is Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Ntungamo-Rukungiri then finally to the Wildlife Reserve.
Besides Kigezi Wildlife Reserve, there are other interesting wildlife Reserves that can be visited during Uganda safaris and these include Karenga Community Wildlife Management Area, Pian Upe, Bokora Corridor, Matheniko, Toro-Semliki, Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves among others.
In conclusion, Kigezi Wildlife Reserve is one of the most interesting and spectacular Protected Areas in Uganda, established as a buffer zone to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park to the North and also as a sanctuary for the numerous elephants that often move East from the Rwindi Plain within the Democratic Republic of Congo and south from the Queen Elizabeth National Park by the beginning of the rainy season. Animals that can be sighted include elephants, Uganda Kobs, waterbucks, buffaloes, bushbucks and Topis among others.