Ruboni community camp is located in the Rwenzori foothills, at the entrance gate of Nyakalengijo, on the central circuit trail. This location is ideal for guests who want to spend some time in the mountain landscape that is full of unique cultural encounters. The main experiences here are; meeting the people, food experience, the great scenery, and getting to learn about Rwenzori mountains that are off the touristy route. An ideal stay in Ruboni community is two nights / three days long, though it has also been enjoyable for people staying shorter or longer. It is easy to reach Ruboni community camp on your way between Kibale and Queen Elizabeth national parks, by just branching off 17km to the west, at Nkenda electric terminal on Kasese – fort portal road.
This is how you can spend your three days during your stay at Ruboni Community Camp.
Day 1: Arrive at Ruboni community from Kasese town. You will be welcomed by the team, at the lodge. This evening, you will get an orientation about the available village activities as we validate the requirements. Retire to dinner in the cozy restaurant overlooking the Rwenzori Mountains. For those coming from far, it is possible to arrive from as afar as Kampala, Murchison falls, or Bwindi.
Day 2: Early morning village tour activity. Options to select from include a forest walk, hill climb trek, nature walk inside the park, or the overnight hill trek that takes you to 2400 meters. Whichever trek of choice, the activity will expose you to the beautiful mountains scenery, local crops gardens, and small animals unique to the Rwenzori foothills where you may sometimes find the three-horned Chameleons. After the tour, you will return to lunch at the camp. Relax the rest of the day or get ready for the next cultural encounter; a cultural evening at the community center.
If you choose to rest, you have the mountain scenery, the great foods, the hospitable staff, and the comfortable balcony in the restaurant to rest in the quiet home listening to the natural sounds within the camp. If you chose the cultural event encounter, then you will start off from the camp at around 4:00 pm. The community center is open for visitors throughout the day, the cultural events and festivities start at 5:00 pm ending at 7:00 pm. This gives you two full hours of living like a local with the locals.
Drive, or walk the 2km to the community center in the residential village where you will meet the locals during their social time. Ruboni community center is a place for fun in the cultural music and dances, local drinks and foods, cultural workshops such as percussion, cooking tours, and craft-making, or talking to the people firsthand to share their stories of the local life.
While here you chose who to socialize with women, men, or children as they live their local life. Staying here is also a moment to reach out to your family and share your Rwenzori experience with them. This is possible with the WiFi connection. During or at the end of the experience, you will have time to go to the gift shop and buy some of the local crafts and souvenirs to take back home.
Day 3: In the morning spend some quiet time on the lodge balcony to have a late breakfast while gazing at the beautiful mountains, as you relax. After late breakfast, take the village walk and retire to lunch. On the village walk, the guide brings you to several households to show you their local livelihoods. These include; crafts producers, a farmer, traditional healers, storytellers, and blacksmiths. On this walk, you will have an opportunity to buy local produce such as coffee, vanilla, bananas, and crafts, after participating in processing them locally, with your hand and a few locally made tools.
Day 4: After an early breakfast, is a good time to transfer from Ruboni community camp to your next destination? People who want to trek the Rwenzori to the high peaks can also start their multiday trek on this day. You will find several treking options ranging from three days on the Mahoma trail loop, four to six days on the central circuit, or 8 days to margarita peak trek; the highest on mount Rwenzori.
