Activities @ Kikonko Lodge

mountain bike trip around lake albert delta

Kikonko Lodge walking down to the landing site 1

Lake Albert - 7th largest lake in Africa

Lake Albert is surrounded by breathtaking scenery of the Rwenzori Mountains, Murchison Falls national Park and Semliki Park. Elephants, Hippos, Buffaloes, and various bird species makes Lake Albert an perfect wildlife destination. On the shores of Lake Albert is the Bugoma Forest Reserve where Chimpanzees can be spotted at reasonable price.

Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve in 25km away from Kikonko Lodge on the eastern side of Lake Albert and is an emerging tourist destination.

If you are traveling from Murchison Falls National Park to Kibaale Forest or Queen Elizabeth National Park Kikonko Lodge is the perfect stop over. Take a nature forest walk, watch some chimpanzees and birds, have a look at waterfalls go for a safari game drive or take your mountain bike for a hike at the Lake Albert delta. The delta has its own beauty, the African rift valley in the west and Lake Albert in the east.

The main rivers flowing into the lake are the Semliki, Wambabya, Waaki, Musizi, Hoimo and Nkuzi rivers. The Wambabya Falls are extremely beautiful and are 3kms away from Kikonko Lodge. Hoimo river is 5kms away and can be reached by bike and car. Want to see how a boda boda ride on Lake Albert shores looks like? Find out here

Top 8 activities at Kikonko Lodge:

No.1 visit the chimpanzees @ Bugoma Forest !

The Bugoma Forest is a thick rainforest that is the habitat to many butterflies, birds and mammals. The main attraction are about 500 chimpanzees that roam the forest and that are being habituated. Book a chimp tracking with us (Its 80USD, special price from August to December 2024 = 65 USD per person!)
The forest is only a 40 minute drive away.

What you need to know:

- There are two hikes every day: 8am and 2pm
- The payment is 65 USD per person in August to December 2024, Starting from January 2025 it will be 80USD. Payment is done in cash on site in UGX or USD.
- Meeting point is at Mwera Ecotourism site (Bugoma Primate Conservation Project on google maps) in the centre of Bugoma Forest (40 min drive from Kikonko Lodge).
- Please take a raincoat and gum boots with you.

No. 2: Night sky over Lake Albert

Thousands of fisher boats light up their lamps to attract the fish, a truly unique experience, right from the restaurant or the viw point at Kikonko Lodge.

No. 3: Mountain Biking (click here for all the trails)

Kikonko Lodge is situated in a place of untouched nature. Therefore, there are many interesting and more or less challenging bike tracks all around Kikonko Lodge at the Lake Albert Delta. The very ambitious ones can try the “Hercules Loop” of 82km but also for the fun and laid-back riders there is a loop for their enjoyment. Even children can bring their bikes and ride in a safe environment.

No. 4: Wambabya Waterfall

The Wambabya waterfall is only 3km away from Kikonko has recently been dubbed as the “competition to Murchison” by one of our guests. Right after the rainy season the Wambabya River carries a lot of water which then finds its way down the escarpment turning it into a spectacular waterfall that can be observed right from the car.

No. 5: Mountain hikes and Sunset walks (click here for the Barabas Trail!)

Right from Kikonko there are many paths that lead into the beautiful nature on top of the escarpment. A guide will take you on an 1 hour evening walk to reach a particularly amazing point for the sunset where you can enjoy a cold drink as you see the sun slowly disappear behind the mountains of the Congo.

No. 6: Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve

From Kikonko it is about 45min drive to Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, which can be considered a hidden gem of the Albertine Rift Valley. The reserve features duickers, Uganda kob, impala, hartebeest, bushbuck, buffalo and a few primates. If you are lucky you can find baboons and white and black colobus monkeys in the forests along Hoywa and Wamababya river. However, the main attraction of the reserve clearly is the scenery of the lake that presents itself with many breath taking views. Find more about the fees here: UWA

No. 7: Bird Watching

Be it from the veranda of your room, from the restaurant or during one of the many walks one can take around Kikonko, birds are your steady companion. You may find the Black-Billed Barbet, Brown-Throated Wattle-Eye, Northern Puffback, Fish Eagle, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, Hammerkop, Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu and many more. We challenge you to be the one to see the most (so far the record is at around 91 different species around Kikonko Lodge).

click here for the full list on inaturalist.org

No. 8: Tea Estate Visit

On over 800 hectares the Kisaru Tea Estate cultivates tea with a yearly crop harvest of about 2.7 tons. Tours of the estate and the manufacturing plant as well as tea tasting will soon be offered to visitors.

Biking Trails at Kikonko

Trail 1: 17km "Fishing village tour"

Easy biking. No hills. Mostly nice gravel roads. Some singel track. Route goes truth a fishing village

Trail 2: 26km "Kikonko lowland tour"

Easy biking. No hills. Mostly nice gravel roads. Some single track. Visit a fishing village

Trail 3: 40km "Kikonko Lake tour"

Easy riding. Challenging downhill and uphill (rocky and technical) at the end. Can be skipped. Mostly gravel road and some parts are rocky. Singel track around 5km. No traffic apart from some boda-bodas. Possible to see wild animals like small antelopes, baboons and monkeys.

Trail 4: 70km Kikonko "Hercules trail"

Long gravel (50%) and tarmac route. On top of the ridge and at the bottom of the ridge. Riding up and down the ridge and along the lake. Will have to negotiate entrance fee to the wildlife resort (offer 10 000 per person, official price much more)

Trail 5: 100km Kikonko "Bunyoro trail" high&lowland

Long gravel route on the high land. On top of the ridge and at the bottom of the ridge. Riding through tea estates, up and down the ridge (challenging uphill at the end) and along the lake. Will have to negotiate entrance fee to the wildlife resort (offer 10 000 per person, officially much more). Perfect tarmar roads with very low traffic for 30km)

Trail 6: 20km "African Rift Valley trail"

Small gravel roads, Some singel tracks, some tarmac. Through small villages, farming land and following power lines towards the end. Easy ride not very technical.

Trail 7: 32km "Buseruka Highland trail"

Small gravel roads, some singel tracks, some tarmac. Through small villages, farming land and following power lines towards the end. Easy ride not very technical.

"Hoima Wall" Challenge

3,75km
Elev difference 339m

average grade 9%

check out on STRAVA

Zeb Spruijt made it in 22:06 (1st rank), Challenge him!

"Kikonko Killer" Challenge
1,24km
Elev difference 176m
average grade 14,1%,
check out on STRAVA

Thanks Kjetil for identifying the best tracks at Lake Albert!

Great job.

“Barabas Rift Valley Loop Hike”

This hike is about 8,3km long and you can make it in 2h 30m. The highlights are the views over Lake Albert! You need some experience in hiking as there are some steep paths that can be managed well if you have some experience in hiking. The hike is not recommended for children below 12years. We recommend that you start your walk at 7am in the morning, as you will be walking the first 1,5 hours in the shade.

The trail: You start at the Kikonko Lodge going down the escarpment (220meter elevation) on a marram road towards Lake Albert for 15 minutes. Here you already have a perfect view over Lake Albert and the fishing villages.

After reaching down, you will continue walking between the shores of Lake Albert and the mountain range. After 45 minutes you will come to a mark stone, where a small path leads you to the starting point of the mountain hike.

The next 20 minutes you will be walking up the Rift Valley on a small path. The view over Lake Albert is getting better by the minute! Up to the top you are walking in the shade as the sun is coming out slowly.

After reaching the top you are alone in the middle of nature with perfect views over the valleys.

You continue walking for 40 minutes through the bush and the shrubs enjoying the views, before you cross a river bed and reaching Kikonko Lodge.

Take sunscreen, 1 litre of water, a snack and a hat for the hike. Take a walking stick, available at the reception. We will provide a guide that knows the trail very well.

The costs are 30.000 UGX per person. Enjoy the hike!