The moon that beams over Fort portal
DURING day, Fort Portal's Mountains of the Moon Hotel dazzles with luxurious charm and in the quiet of the night, if you listen carefully, you will hear the wind whispering a fascinating tale of the snow-covered Rwenzori Mountain
DURING day, Fort Portal's Mountains of the Moon Hotel dazzles with luxurious charm and in the quiet of the night, if you listen carefully, you will hear the wind whispering a fascinating tale of the snow-covered Rwenzori Mountain –– the inspiration behind the name of the hotel, writes Raphael Okello
When night came over Fort Portal one Saturday, Mountains of the Moon hotel lapsed into a glittering spectrum of lights. The loud silence was only nudged by the soothing shrill of chirping crickets hiding in the enormous garden.
Relaxing on the balcony of my luxurious room, I fumbled with the thought that merely 1.5km away, a noisy upcountry township was arrogantly taking pride in its clamour, dusty streets and lack of architectural ingenuity.
I couldn’t have chosen to spend the night anywhere else in Fort Portal.
Formerly among a mundane chain of Uganda hotels, this revamped privately-owned hotel, yet to be officially opened, juts out like an oasis of luxury, sophistication, beauty and architectural delight. It is to Fort Portal what Serena Hotel is to Kampala.
The name of the hotel ‘Mountains of the Moon’ calls attention to the distant cloud-covered Rwenzori Mountain, one of the three snow-capped mountains in Africa described by Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy in AD150 as Lunae Montes – The Mountains of the Moon.
During the day, parts of its ranges are visible from the hotel but in the dark, I sensed the ranges to be forming an enormous wall of mountain block around me! They brought with them historic sensations that suddenly crowded the silence.
Somewhere in this part of the country (in the late nineteenth century) the mystical Rwenzori Mountain, constantly shrouded in mist and clouds, opened its secrets to Henry Morton Stanley, a British explorer.
Stanley, considered the luckiest of several explorers who came to seek out the Mountains of the Moon, is believed to have been in the right place at the right time when the clouds began to dissipate, handing him a glimpse of a group of snow-capped mountains.
Stanley had found the Mountains of the Moon! He referred to them, however, by the name that the native Africans knew them by – Rwenzori or ‘Rainmaker.’
The DJ’s choice of music, though played at a low volume from the bar area, became an intrusion to my reflections. His decision to play local dancehall and Afro beat songs by Bella, Jose Chameleone and Bobi Wine was not only in poor judgement, but showed an obvious disregard for the serenity at the hotel.
The intervention of Lydia Onen, the front office manager, restored harmony. The soft jazz music that was played on her request was a unique continuation of nature’s tranquillity. Once again the air was filled with the sprinkle of cricket chirps. It was soothing to hear nature breathe again.
I had felt exactly the same way when I arrived at the hotel at 6:00pm. The 300km trip by bus from Kampala to Fort Portal had been a drag. I have been down this road several times.
In the bus, a notorious male traveller made it his occupation to entertain the passengers with recounts of his outlandish travels in the region – from his rat and monkey-eating exploits in the DR Congo to money-minting business ventures in southern Sudan.
“I like monkey meat,†he announced loudly when asked which of the two went down well. “Monkeys taste like chicken.†Three quarters of the bus laughed while others flinched in disgust. But such attention was the inspiration for his stamina. He almost spoke throughout the four-and-a-half-hour journey!
The journey was taking its toll on me and listening to him overtly brag about his lucrative business and intrepid culinary adventures made it seem like I was travelling in the same direction twice at the same time! By the time we got to Fort Portal, he had succeeded in keeping me weary.
The township with its homogeneous collection of mostly single block buildings looked like a neglected estate. Piles of bricks heaped beside incomplete buildings, ravaged roadside trenches filled with garbage, as well as the dirty and dusty streets distressed me further.
But a 10-minute drive from Fort Portal town to Mountains of the Moon Hotel, located in a fairly leafy suburb, liberated me from a semi urban atmosphere infested with chaos and noise.
The hotel’s neatly trimmed vast garden (a beautiful and peaceful lush landscape), was a welcome surprise –– the sentries, slender royal palm trees and flowers lined either side of a 200- metre drive way leading up to the reception lobby.
Delicate giant ornamental clay vessels, placed along the veranda, were an artistic overflow of a cosy interior décor designed to enhance nature’s continuity. The hotel corridors are cushioned with exotic thick carpets, whose predominantly brown hue compliments the beam ceiling and stone-clad walls and pillars in the hotel.
Improvements on the hotel are in their advanced stages of completion, but tourists, government officials and international dignitaries have already passed it as a befitting host for their glamourous private and public functions. The Miss Uganda Western Regional Beauty Contest held recently at the hotel is one such event.
Under completely new management, so much has changed. From a previously rundown establishment with inadequate facilities and services, Mountains of the Moon hotel has evolved into a sparkling four-star hotel equipped with modern facilities and services – conference hall, a swimming pool, health club with gym, independent sauna and steam baths for men and women.
The rooms were increased from 22 to 33 single and double rooms fitted with sparkling bathtubs, showers and snow white towels.
After a long tiring journey, it was a pleasant shock encountering an enclave with numerous facilities and services to take my fatigue away. I had pondered taking a quick swim in the pool but settled for a 30-minute warm bath in my room.
I was trapped in the comfort of the room.
The price I paid was turning up late for the dinner buffet. So I ordered for succulent pork chops and crispy French fries, one of the many culinary delights served by the hotel’s mixed cuisine restaurant.
After dinner, I went straight to my room and watched a movie before going to the balcony.
I considered walking to the bar to spend the rest of the night listening to a medley of jazz music. I thought twice about it and decided to retreat to my room where a movie was showing on one of the M-Net channels.
I could not keep up with its intricate plot so I switched off the TV and the silence outside poured into the room.
I went to bed with a satisfaction anyone would get, knowing they were spending a night in a place whose reputation equals the legacy that its name carries.
HOW TO GET THERE
The shortest route to Fort Portal is a four-and-a-half-hour journey via Mityana, Mubende, Kyengegwa and Kyenjojo. The most common form of transport from Kampala is by bus at sh12,000. A private car can be used as well. Buses work until 5:00pm.
What to see and do in Fort Portal
Visit the Toro Palace (over looking the town) and Toro kingdom Parliament (20 minutes drive away).
Go for a nature walk in Kibale National Park (45 minutes from Fort Portal) to see monkeys and habituated baboons at Kanyanchu.
Drive 8km and see Amabere ga Nyinamwiru (stalagmites and stalactites and ask about their mythical tales) and water falls, an explosion of crater lakes and endless hills around the place.
Walk into village communities and have a first-hand experience of their traditional lifestyle. Enjoy nature walk through large tea estates.
Visit Kijura escarpment 45 minutes from town (an escarpment on the Western Rift Valley) and see the panoramic views of Lake Albert, River semliki, Semliki national Park and the Rwenzori Mountain ranges.
Marvel at the Sempaya Hot springs in Semliki National Park (one-and-a-half hours away) or visit the Batwa Pigmies in the Semliki forest.
Mountains of the Moon room prices (bed and breakfast inclusive of all health club facilities).
Single rooms (with shower) – sh100, 000 1 person per night
Double room (with shower only) – sh145,000 for two people per night
Double room (with shower only) – sh100,000 for one person per night
Double room (with shower and bathtub) – sh165,000 for two people per night
Double room (with shower and bathtub) – sh120,000 for one person per night.
When night came over Fort Portal one Saturday, Mountains of the Moon hotel lapsed into a glittering spectrum of lights. The loud silence was only nudged by the soothing shrill of chirping crickets hiding in the enormous garden.
Relaxing on the balcony of my luxurious room, I fumbled with the thought that merely 1.5km away, a noisy upcountry township was arrogantly taking pride in its clamour, dusty streets and lack of architectural ingenuity.
I couldn’t have chosen to spend the night anywhere else in Fort Portal.
Formerly among a mundane chain of Uganda hotels, this revamped privately-owned hotel, yet to be officially opened, juts out like an oasis of luxury, sophistication, beauty and architectural delight. It is to Fort Portal what Serena Hotel is to Kampala.
The name of the hotel ‘Mountains of the Moon’ calls attention to the distant cloud-covered Rwenzori Mountain, one of the three snow-capped mountains in Africa described by Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy in AD150 as Lunae Montes – The Mountains of the Moon.
During the day, parts of its ranges are visible from the hotel but in the dark, I sensed the ranges to be forming an enormous wall of mountain block around me! They brought with them historic sensations that suddenly crowded the silence.
Somewhere in this part of the country (in the late nineteenth century) the mystical Rwenzori Mountain, constantly shrouded in mist and clouds, opened its secrets to Henry Morton Stanley, a British explorer.
Stanley, considered the luckiest of several explorers who came to seek out the Mountains of the Moon, is believed to have been in the right place at the right time when the clouds began to dissipate, handing him a glimpse of a group of snow-capped mountains.
Stanley had found the Mountains of the Moon! He referred to them, however, by the name that the native Africans knew them by – Rwenzori or ‘Rainmaker.’
The DJ’s choice of music, though played at a low volume from the bar area, became an intrusion to my reflections. His decision to play local dancehall and Afro beat songs by Bella, Jose Chameleone and Bobi Wine was not only in poor judgement, but showed an obvious disregard for the serenity at the hotel.
The intervention of Lydia Onen, the front office manager, restored harmony. The soft jazz music that was played on her request was a unique continuation of nature’s tranquillity. Once again the air was filled with the sprinkle of cricket chirps. It was soothing to hear nature breathe again.
I had felt exactly the same way when I arrived at the hotel at 6:00pm. The 300km trip by bus from Kampala to Fort Portal had been a drag. I have been down this road several times.
In the bus, a notorious male traveller made it his occupation to entertain the passengers with recounts of his outlandish travels in the region – from his rat and monkey-eating exploits in the DR Congo to money-minting business ventures in southern Sudan.
“I like monkey meat,†he announced loudly when asked which of the two went down well. “Monkeys taste like chicken.†Three quarters of the bus laughed while others flinched in disgust. But such attention was the inspiration for his stamina. He almost spoke throughout the four-and-a-half-hour journey!
The journey was taking its toll on me and listening to him overtly brag about his lucrative business and intrepid culinary adventures made it seem like I was travelling in the same direction twice at the same time! By the time we got to Fort Portal, he had succeeded in keeping me weary.
The township with its homogeneous collection of mostly single block buildings looked like a neglected estate. Piles of bricks heaped beside incomplete buildings, ravaged roadside trenches filled with garbage, as well as the dirty and dusty streets distressed me further.
But a 10-minute drive from Fort Portal town to Mountains of the Moon Hotel, located in a fairly leafy suburb, liberated me from a semi urban atmosphere infested with chaos and noise.
The hotel’s neatly trimmed vast garden (a beautiful and peaceful lush landscape), was a welcome surprise –– the sentries, slender royal palm trees and flowers lined either side of a 200- metre drive way leading up to the reception lobby.
Delicate giant ornamental clay vessels, placed along the veranda, were an artistic overflow of a cosy interior décor designed to enhance nature’s continuity. The hotel corridors are cushioned with exotic thick carpets, whose predominantly brown hue compliments the beam ceiling and stone-clad walls and pillars in the hotel.
Improvements on the hotel are in their advanced stages of completion, but tourists, government officials and international dignitaries have already passed it as a befitting host for their glamourous private and public functions. The Miss Uganda Western Regional Beauty Contest held recently at the hotel is one such event.
Under completely new management, so much has changed. From a previously rundown establishment with inadequate facilities and services, Mountains of the Moon hotel has evolved into a sparkling four-star hotel equipped with modern facilities and services – conference hall, a swimming pool, health club with gym, independent sauna and steam baths for men and women.
The rooms were increased from 22 to 33 single and double rooms fitted with sparkling bathtubs, showers and snow white towels.
After a long tiring journey, it was a pleasant shock encountering an enclave with numerous facilities and services to take my fatigue away. I had pondered taking a quick swim in the pool but settled for a 30-minute warm bath in my room.
I was trapped in the comfort of the room.
The price I paid was turning up late for the dinner buffet. So I ordered for succulent pork chops and crispy French fries, one of the many culinary delights served by the hotel’s mixed cuisine restaurant.
After dinner, I went straight to my room and watched a movie before going to the balcony.
I considered walking to the bar to spend the rest of the night listening to a medley of jazz music. I thought twice about it and decided to retreat to my room where a movie was showing on one of the M-Net channels.
I could not keep up with its intricate plot so I switched off the TV and the silence outside poured into the room.
I went to bed with a satisfaction anyone would get, knowing they were spending a night in a place whose reputation equals the legacy that its name carries.
HOW TO GET THERE
The shortest route to Fort Portal is a four-and-a-half-hour journey via Mityana, Mubende, Kyengegwa and Kyenjojo. The most common form of transport from Kampala is by bus at sh12,000. A private car can be used as well. Buses work until 5:00pm.
What to see and do in Fort Portal
Visit the Toro Palace (over looking the town) and Toro kingdom Parliament (20 minutes drive away).
Go for a nature walk in Kibale National Park (45 minutes from Fort Portal) to see monkeys and habituated baboons at Kanyanchu.
Drive 8km and see Amabere ga Nyinamwiru (stalagmites and stalactites and ask about their mythical tales) and water falls, an explosion of crater lakes and endless hills around the place.
Walk into village communities and have a first-hand experience of their traditional lifestyle. Enjoy nature walk through large tea estates.
Visit Kijura escarpment 45 minutes from town (an escarpment on the Western Rift Valley) and see the panoramic views of Lake Albert, River semliki, Semliki national Park and the Rwenzori Mountain ranges.
Marvel at the Sempaya Hot springs in Semliki National Park (one-and-a-half hours away) or visit the Batwa Pigmies in the Semliki forest.
Mountains of the Moon room prices (bed and breakfast inclusive of all health club facilities).
Single rooms (with shower) – sh100, 000 1 person per night
Double room (with shower only) – sh145,000 for two people per night
Double room (with shower only) – sh100,000 for one person per night
Double room (with shower and bathtub) – sh165,000 for two people per night
Double room (with shower and bathtub) – sh120,000 for one person per night.