Crater Lakes in Kibale National Park
Crater lakes in Kibale National Park are part of the famous attractions that can be added to a travelers itinerary when planning a safari to Kibale. Crater Lakes are the most impressive natural wonder and to those found in kibale national park give the best spectacular scenic view and the natural beauty for authentic adventure. Though kibale national park sounds as a primate capital most especially the great ape “chimpanzee“, but also adventuring crater lakes can be added onto your tour packages in Kibale to give you the best magnificent kibale national experience. However, this crater lakes in kibale are positioned in kabarole district and they all gather in the Ndali Kasenda crater area to form dramatic landscape under the steep undulating hills in the western part of Uganda.
However, Ndali kasenda crater in kibale is famously known as area for unique crater lakes, Ndali kasenda craters is a natural wonder environment marked by many volcanic depressions positioned on the edge of kibale national park and Queen Elizabeth national park in western region of Uganda and above all, the area where crater lakes are originated are elevated above the sea level and are called the top of the world trail because they permanently sit in between Kibale national park and Kamwenge road. To note ,along this road a traveler can have a rewardable panoramic view of the explosion craters and crater lakes in the area.
Historical formation of this crater lakes
The Crater lakes are formed when a volcano is no longer active and the caldera may fill with water from rain fall and form the melting snow that may also feed the crater lake. Furthermore, caldera can be generated by the collapse of a volcanic crater and the land around it.
In Uganda, we have very many crater lakes, of which some are found to the top-visited primitive destination commonly known as kibale national park –Uganda. Note that crater lakes of kibale national park are described as ndali kasenda craters which is every old volcanic feature and it is believed to have been existing for many years ago for about 10,000 years before the history. The violent volcanic activities lead to the blowing off of the surface can cause depressions and the debris from the explosion brings a visible rim around the depression that’s why the area where crater lakes are located gives good hiking experience. But when the time went on the depression were later filled with rainwater to crater lakes and the rest stayed as just depressions.
Kibale national park comprises of very many stunning crater lakes but some of them have clear and clean water, good for swimming whereas the rest have water that appear in green colors, sulphuric water but this is due to the continuity of the volcanic activity below the lake, these amazing lakes they form toxic and are associated with a bad pungent smell that form the acidic water.
Below are some of the crater lakes found in kibale national park that can give you a rewardable overlooking of grassland, scenic landscape, trees, communities around, wildlife species and many more as follows;
Lake Nkuruba crater
This is one of the crater lakes found in Uganda’s primitive destination known as kibale national park, located few kilometres of about 25km from the south of Fort portal town. lake Nkuruba crater gives a spectacular viewing of crater in the kibale crater region and it offers to travellers who usually visit kibale crater lakes or chimpanzee tracking safari gaining impressive view while on walking safari tours in kibale national park.
Lake Nyabikere
This crater lake is the closest lake to the busiest town of Fort Portal, located just 11 kilometers off fort portal main road to kibale national park. Since it is positioned few kilometers away from the fort portal town, to any travellers along here can be offered with spectacular scenery of the area plus impressive view of the stunning fort portal town one of the busiest towns and cleanest towns in the western region of Uganda.
Perhaps, the lake is surrounded by the local community where you can participate in guided community walks take you through the nearby villages and discover the amazing African culture plus getting a chance to taste on cooked local food, stable fruits in the communities like jack fruits and guavas.
Lake Lyantonde
This is another crater lake that sits near lake nyinambuga to its west part. However, lake Lyantonde is the most splendid lake for the visitors who choose to explore kibale ndali kasenda craters. The area around lake lyantonde is good for the hikers and a perfect supplement with chimpanzee tracking activities in kibale national park.
Lake Nyinambuga
Lake Nyinambuga is one of Uganda’s crater lake found in the Bunyarunguru near kibale in western Uganda. The lake was formed over 1000 years ago as a result of volcanic activity due to intense heat and pressure to the upper mantle to form radioactivity in the earth. Lake nyinambuga is the best people’s popular choice to explore which offers beautiful scenery and cleanest water compared to other natural crater lakes as beauty to its blue water with stunning scenery which was a result of volcanic activity.
Many tourists prefer visiting this lake because of the good hiking adventure in the area, nature walk, swimming, camping, birding like the crested crane, overlooking of the rain forest around, sunbathing and the rewardable viewing of the sky at night.
While at kibale national park, lake Nyinambuga offer the best perfect place that connects you to a beautiful lodge called Ndali lodge with overlooking to different surroundings that make your vacation worthy and memorable.
Lake Kifuruka
Lake Kifuruma is one of the many crater lakes in Ndali Kasenda crater area that offers travellers a chance to adventure a lot more about the kibale ndali kasenda crater area. The surrounding areas to the lake are full of tranquillity with a beautiful panoramic view of the forest and the undulating terrain.
In general, the elevated areas of the crater lakes in kibale are higher than the surrounding landscape, in regard the crater lakes trail of kibale gives a 360-degree view of the surrounding scenic area. This is the reason as to why the ndali kasenda crater area is mentioned to be the top world adventure area when it comes to visiting the crater lakes in Africa. Almost the entire western region is dotted with several explosion of crater lakes.
Furthermore, the main concentration of craters is located in the katwe crater area of explosion craters. Then the rest sits around kichwamba escarpment famously known as Ndali kasenda area and others are located near Fort portal. On visitor’s safari to chimpanzee trekking in kibale national park never leave without visiting these impressive crater lakes with rewardable viewing of different species.
