On your way to tracking gorillas at Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks, you’ll overnight at either Kabale, a small rural town in south-western Uganda, or Lake Bunyonyi nearby. Because of these places’ popularity, lots of accommodation is on offer.

At Kabale, the Kampala road from the north joins the road that goes to the borders of both Rwanda and the DRC. Thus, trucks, fuel stations and roadside mechanics line Kabale’s dusty streets, giving it a distinctive frontier-town feel.

When in Kabale, you have to experience its fresh-food market. The town’s the major trading centre for south-western Uganda, because the region is so heavily populated and extensively cultivated. The market’s narrow passages are lined with wooden stalls that are piled high with colourful fruit, vegetables, beans, grains and nuts. Here, traders bargain fiercely with their customers. Along the main road, the shops are always busy, as people from the farms come in to exchange their produce for all kinds of other things, such as brightly striped mattresses, plastic-ware, second-hand clothes, blankets and water containers.

Activities:

Fresh food market

Mountain gorilla trekking