Kasese

Kasese is 290 km west of Kampala, not far from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a good place to stay if you want to explore the Ruwnzori Mountains or Ruwenzori National Park (formerly Queen Elizabeth II National Park). It used to be an important mining center, because of the copper mines in nearby Kilembe. Copper used to be Uganda's third most important export product during the 1970's, but nowadays the mines are closed and Kasese has become a quiet town. Since the area around Kasese was controlled by the NRA for several years, before taking over the country, the town was spared during the revolution.

There is little of interest in Kasese, but you can rent a bicycle to explore the town of Kilembe and the surrounding area. There are quite many hotels and restaurants in Kasese. The town has bus connections to Kampala, Fort Portal, Ruwenzori National Park and Kabale in the south. Especially the route to the last town is superb. It crosses a mountain pass, from which you'll have spectacular views over the border area between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.