KATWE CRATER LAKES AND ECOTOURISM

A dusty urban enclave north of Lake Edward, the village of Katwe, bordering the lake of the same name, continues the old tradition of exploiting the salt reserves that contributed for several centuries to the prosperity of the kingdom of Bunyoro. Between Katwe and the equator there are several salt lakes created by volcanic activity some 8 to 10,000 years ago. Among these, Lake Nyamunuka, whose green waters are seasonally home to hundreds of pink flamingos and on whose shores buffaloes come to bask and heal (the sulphur emanating from the lake and the minerals of its muddy banks are said to be used to treat their wounds and pathologies), and Lake Kitagata, whose thermal waters are boiling, are two particularly remarkable examples. With a sturdy 4x4, driving the 27-kilometre crater track from Kabatoro Gate to Queen's Pavilion offers superb panoramas of this specific region of the Albertine Rift, which is somewhat reminiscent of Lake Turkana in Kenya. A break at the Baboon Cliff allows you to enjoy a photogenic picture. In Katwe, some villagers have created associations whose objective is to make people discover the historical, cultural and natural heritage of the region: visit of a salt works, bird watching, excursion on the islands of the lake, some of which are inhabited by Congolese who fled the war and live from fishing...