The Hoima city tour in western Uganda is a perfect way to explore one of the country’s rapidly developing destinations. Hoima City is the chief commercial and administrative center of Hoima district, with a total human population of around 143,304. Hoima city is in the Bunyoro sub-region, with diverse groups of people, speaking mainly Lunyoro. Other major languages spoken in Hoima City are Lutooro, English, Luganda Swahili, etc.
Attractions to see on a Hoima city tour?
Hoima city
Hoima City is now a metropolitan area with thousands of people from diverse clans, tribes, and races. They come to do business, work, study, or visit among others. Hoima district is rich in oil and gas, which has attracted so many people. Encountering people is done in places like restaurants, accommodations, schools, pubs, streets, markets, shops and suburbs.
Kibiro salt-producing village
The Kibiro salt-producing village is on a beach along Lake Albert. The Kibiro salt-producing village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its significant cultural legacy. The locals here have been producing salt for centuries and now the production process has been modernized for efficiency. Generally, women used to have the sole right to the workforce until recently.
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve is a biodiverse protected area found over 80km from Hoima City. Officially, Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve was gazetted in 2002 and now covers a total land size of around 87 square kilometers. Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve is situated in the western part of the Albertine Rift Valley and nestled at a mean altitude of around 902 meters above sea level.
At Kabwoya, attractions include beautiful physical features like the Rift Valley escarpment, Hohwa River, Lwamagongo River, Warwire River, and Lake Albert. Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve houses numerous unique flora and fauna. Vegetation in Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve includes riverine forest and savannah grassland dominated by parrhesia, themed, acacia, and thicket.
Some of the fauna in Kabwoya includes leopards, Defassa waterbucks, hyenas, chimpanzees, Uganda kobs, bushpigs, cape buffaloes, Angolan colobus monkeys, warthogs, oribi, bush duikers, hippos, etc. Bird species in Kabwoya include the crested francolin, malachite kingfisher, swamp flycatcher, black-headed gonolek, African crake, red-eyed dove, etc.
Bunyoro Royal Palace
The Bunyoro Royal Palace is where the rightful king of Bunyoro, ‘Omukama wa Bunyoro’ sits on his throne to rule over his people. Omukama Simon Iguru I is the current king of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. The Bunyoro Royal Palace has a beautiful throne covered with leopard skin. Artifacts of cultural significance to the Banyoro in the palace include spears, backcloths drums, etc.
Other attractions in Hoima city include tracking chimpanzees in Bugoma forest, Katasiha Fort and caves, and many other religious sites like the Anglican church, Roman Catholic church, and mosques among others.
What to do on a tour in Hoima City?
Hoima City and surrounding places have plenty of activities for you to enjoy. Among them are.
Explore the Bunyoro Royal Palace
A tour of the Bunyoro Royal Palace is a once-in-lifetime opportunity to see one of the most powerful kingdoms in Uganda. Great insight into the political structure of the Bunyoro Kingdom can be obtained from here. Learn the way of life of the Banyoro before, during, and after colonial times. Explore the royal regalia including drums, spears, and other artifacts.
Cultural Encounters in Hoima
While touring the city, endeavor to meet people, especially in the busy markets, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, neighborhoods, and cultural events among others. You will get perfect moments to learn about people’s ways of life. The Banyoro and others are welcoming and will likely share with you their cultures, experiences, and folklore.
Taste the local food
Buy food from the market and prepare it yourself. Rolex, a Ugandan fast-food can also be purchased by street vendors. You need to experience how it tastes like if made by a Munyoro. In the restaurants, you will find a variety of local dishes, including sweet potatoes, posho, Irish potatoes, beans, etc. Enjoy millet bread which is among their best dishes.
Kibiro tour
At the Kibiro salt village, you will have a cultural encounter on the beautiful beach. You will leave the site with knowledge of how the place has sustained salt production for almost a millennium and why it is done by ladies. You will witness the production process for example how the production of ash salt is done by recycling residual earth plus fresh soil etc.
Wildlife viewing in Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve
Go for a game drive in Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve to see plenty of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and bird species. You can also have a birdwatching tour to strictly identify the plenty of bird species in the Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve. Nature walks are also key activities that you can fully enjoy in Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve.
How to travel to Hoima City for a tour?
Currently, you should consider accessing Hoima City by road transport. The journey north-westwards covers around 230km from Kampala via Busunju, Kiboga, and Hoima Road. This scenic journey takes between 4 to 5 hours in a comfortable vehicle. Between public and private transport means, choose the latter to enjoy convenience and comfort.
We at Standard Safaris have rental cars and driver guides to offer your private transportation option to Hoima City. We also have a respected reputation for offering excellent drop-offs and pickup services to travelers. Standard Safaris’ fleet of vehicles includes 4-wheel safari cars, drones, minivans, saloon cars buses, etc.
