Katuna border

Katuna border

Katuna border : Katuna, which is also called Gatuna, is the official place where Uganda and Rwanda meet on land. Katuna is on the side of Uganda, and Gatuna is on the side of Rwanda. Katuna border is in Kabale district, which is in the southwest corner of Uganda. Rwanda’s main point of entry and exit is at the Katuna border.  Katuna border is part of Kamuganguzi sub-county, which is part of the Kabale district’s system for local government. On the road, Katuna is about 80 km from the city of Kigali, 28 km from the nearby town of Kabale, and 32 km from Lake Bunyonyi.

Immigration and visa processing at Katuna border.

Both Rwanda and Uganda have immigration offices at the Katuna border. If you already have a visa, it takes less time to check your papers. If you need to get a visa at the border, you will be told to bring the application fees in US dollars. The customs office might not be able to accept a credit card.

Tourist attractions around Katuna border.

Katuna border point is a key reason why gorilla tourism is growing in the south-west of Uganda. Tourists who fly into Rwanda’s Kigali airport can cross the Katuna border and visit Uganda’s Bwindi dense national park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to see mountain gorillas. A few miles from the Katuna border is also Lake Bunyonyi, which is known for its canoeing.

Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most beautiful places to relax on a Uganda safari. It is in the south-west of the country, in Kabale District, close to the border with Rwanda. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most natural lakes in Africa. It is popular with tourists and lovers who want to get away from the busy city life and enjoy the cool weather on the beautiful lake islands. The Lake is a body of water that fills a valley that was made by a volcano exploding many thousands of years ago. The lake has great views from all sides and is a great place to go to meditate and rest. Locally, the name Bunyonyi means “a place with little birds.” This is because the lake and its islands are home to many different kinds of birds. Also, after Lake Tanganyika, Lake Bunyonyi is the second largest lake in East Africa. The area generally has cool climate throughout the year with enough rain that support the lush green hills surrounding the lake.

Lake Bunyonyi.

Lake Bunyonyi: There are about 29 islands in Lake Bunyonyi. Some of them are Bushara, Akampene, Kyahugye, Bwama, and Njuyeera. The most well-known island is called “Punishment Island” (Akampene). Among the Bakiga people who lived in the area, girls who got pregnant before getting married were taken to Akampene Island and left there to starve or drown (girls were not taught how to swim). Pregnancy was a terrible thing, and no one would pay bride price for a girl who got pregnant before she got married. The reason the girl was left to die on the island was to show everyone that getting pregnant before getting married was wrong.

Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is well placed at the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, which is the Albertine rift valley in the south-western part of Uganda shared by the three districts of Kabale, Kisoro, and Kanungu. Bwindi impenetrable rainforest is one of the oldest remaining rainforests in Africa that endured time throughout the last Ice Age and now the forest covers approximately 331 square kilometres with an altitude range between altitude between 1,160 meters and 2,607 meters. The average annual temperature in the park is between 7° C and 20° C, with the coolest months being June and July. The wettest months are March, April, and November, and the rest of the year is usually dry, though the weather in the forest is always changing because the park is made up of mountains.

The wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is very diverse, which helps Uganda’s Eco-tourism industry. More than half of the world’s mountain gorillas live in the jungles of the park. This makes Uganda the best place for Gorilla safari tours in Africa. The chance to meet these endangered animals and get a close look into their big, beautiful eyes is without a question and proven to be the most interesting and memorable wildlife experience on a Uganda Safari. More than 468 rare mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is about half of the total number of mountain gorillas in the world.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to about 120 species of mammals, such as bush elephants, and 7 species of primates, with the black-and-white Colobus being the most famous because of its beautiful curving white tail. This makes the park a popular safari destination on Uganda wildlife safaris. Bwindi forest is proud to have 23 species that are only found in the Albertine Rift, 360 bird species, and 200 butterfly species. The Afro-montane rain forest has a thick undergrowth of shrubs, ferns, and vines, and it has more than 324 species of trees, 10 of which can’t be found anywhere else in Uganda. This makes Bwindi a “must trek” for tourists who want to see a lot of wildlife.

Mgahinga gorilla national park.

If you want to go gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park are the two best places to go. Both national parks are in the south-western part of Uganda, near the Katuna and Cyanika borders. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in bordered by Volcanoes National Park in North western Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest protected area encompassing an area of about 33.7 square kilometres such as all the three Virunga Conservation Areas and it was gazetted in 1991 as a national park after the relocation of the forest settlers before namely the Batwa. Mount Muhavura, which is 4,127 metres high, Mount Sabyinyo, which is 3,645 metres high, and Mgahinga, which is 3,474 metres high, are all protected by Mgahinga National Park. The park is between 2,227 metres and 4,127 metres above sea level. Mgahinga got its name from the Kinyarwanda word Gahinga, which means “a pile of volcanic lava stones where people grow crops.” Sabyinyo means “old man’s teeth,” and Muhavura means “guide.”

Visitors to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park can also cross the Katuna border from Uganda to get to Rwanda. To get to Volcanoes National Park from the Katuna border, you have to drive through Kigali city and then to the northern Rwandan district of Musanze.

Tourists coming from Uganda can get to Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to see gorillas or hike Mount Nyiragongo by crossing the Katuna border and going through Kigali. The alternative route to Virunga National Park is the Kyanika border in Kisoro district or Bunagana border post. Tour companies prefer the Kyanika-Musanze-Goma Grand Barriere route because it is safer and less dangerous in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 Accommodation Near By Katuna.

There are a few places to rest and relax in the border town, like the Katuna Inn, where travelers can get drinks and food and take a break. Out of the Katuna border towns, you can find other places to stay, like Hawk’s Eye Lodge Bunyonyi, which has watersports, hikes, and camping on site. There is also a restaurant, a bar, and an office centre at this place.

The Kabale market is about 12 km from the Supreme Adventure Park Bunyonyi. The accommodation provides a 24-hour front desk, on-site water facilities, valet parking, non-smoking rooms, and luggage storage area.

Additionally, there are other  accommodations where the tourists can stay near Gatuna border during their safari are such as Paradise Eco-Hub, Lake Bunyonyi View Hotel, Heras Country Hotel, White Horse Inn, Jowillis Hotel, Albertine Tourist Resort, Itambire Island Seeds of Hope, and Kigenzi Gardens Inn.