Kitagata Hot Springs

The springs at Kitagata rise hot and heavily sulphurous in a valley in southwestern Uganda, and they have long been used by local people who come from across the region to bathe in them, believing the water treats skin conditions, joint pain and other ailments. There are two main pools side by side, about two kilometres from Kitagata town: Ekyomugabe, said to have been used by a former Omugabe, king of Ankole, and Mulago, named after the national referral hospital and believed to heal, where as many as two hundred people may bathe in a day in water that can reach 80 °C. The site is basic and communal rather than developed as a spa, and it is busy at all hours.

What to look for

• The hot pools - sulphurous water rising hot into shallow bathing pools.
• The royal pool - the pool traditionally associated with an Ankole king.
• The communal bathing - people from across the region using the springs together.
• The valley setting - the springs in a green valley in the southwestern hills.

When to go

Year round; the water temperature does not vary. It is busiest at weekends and around holidays. Mornings and evenings are the traditional bathing times.

What to expect

Facilities are minimal: no proper changing rooms and limited privacy. The water is very hot in places and the smell of sulphur is strong. Claims about healing are traditional belief rather than established fact.

Nearby

Bushenyi is north, and Kalinzu Forest is west.

Key facts