Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Ishasha Wilderness Camp is located on the Ntungwe River in the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The Lodge consists of eight East African 'Meru' style tents with en-suite hot showers and bathroom facilities. Each tent overlooks the river for optimum opportunities to watch the families of elephant that come to the river to drink, as well as plenty of other game.
A central dining area, also under canvas, provides a comfortable setting for meals and there is a camp fire to enjoy a drink around in the evenings.
With the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains to the north, and the Virunga volcanoes to the south, the scenery here is truly special, and the ideal base from which to see the lion, buffalo, elephant, and many other species that call the Queen Elizabeth National Park home.
Why We Love It
The Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, which can sometimes be spotted resting in the branches of the large fig trees.
Bwindi Lodge
Bwindi Lodge is the ideal place from which to explore the forests of Bwindi for their elusive inhabitants, habituated gorilla and chimpanzee groups.
The recently refurbished lodge has just eight bandas (thatch roofed cottages), all with en suite bathrooms and terraces overlooking the forest.
There are several further viewing platforms and viewpoints at the main lodge from which guests can watch monkeys messing about in the canopy at breakfast, and where they can enjoy a well-earned fireside drink (the guests, not the monkeys) after a hard day's gorilla tracking. The recently opened Humala Forest Spa provides an alternative way to relax post-gorilla tracking.
Aside from primate tracking in the forest, the lodge can arrange visits to community projects and to meet the local Batwa pygmy people to find out about their culture and lifestyle.
Why We Love It
Gorilla tracking can involve several hours trekking through thickly forested mountainsides, but if you are particularly lucky, you can avoid all this entirely as the gorillas occasionally come down to the lodge.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is situated high on Nteko Ridge in Nkuringo, bordering the South Western corner of the Bwindi National Park. At 8500ft the views from the lodge are glorious, looking out to the Virunga mountain range of Rwanda and the Congo and across the Great Rift Valley.
There are 8 stone lodges, six with their own bedroom, en suite bathroom and sitting room and a further two family rooms with two bedrooms each. Fireplaces, large armchairs and sheltered verandas with views across the valleys make it all enormously comfortable.
Good food, an extensive bar and a huge and comfortable general area and a spa are particularly welcome after a day of gorilla tracking.
And on the subject of the gorilla tracking - it may take a long time, but the starting point at the Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters is only a short walk from the lodge so there is plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast before setting off.
Why We Love It
The local Nkuringo community have a significant stake in the lodge and take great pride in showing people around the local village and community projects.
Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Kyambura Gorge Lodge boasts one of the finest views in all of Africa, situated as it is overlooking the 300ft deep Kyambura Gorge and the beautiful savannah and craters of Queen Elizabeth National Park, with the Rwenzori Mountains as a brooding backdrop.
There are eight stilted and thatch-roofed bandas in what was once a coffee plant, each with elegant minimalist interiors, different colour schemes and and en suite bathrooms.
The original coffee storage and processing building has been cleverly restored and now houses a lounge, dining room and terrace offering spectacular views.
The main activity from the lodge is trekking through the vines and giant fig trees of Kyambura Gorge or nearby Kalinzu Forest in search of a troop of habituated chimpanzees but more conventional (and less tiring) 4x4 game drives are also available to spot the lions, antelope, buffalo and elephants that call Queen Elizabeth National Park home.
The nearby Kazinga Channel is also ripe for exploration by boat, offering a chance to see many bird species (600 at last count) and animals that live in the water's edge habitat.
This lodge is undergoing extensive upgrades and renovation throughout 2018, including full refurbishment of all guest bandas, redesigned swimming pool and spa, and improved design and interiors of all communal guest areas.
Why We Love It
With fingers firmly crossed, you will see chimpanzees during a stay at Kyambura Gorge Lodge, but if not, you're guaranteed to at least hear their calls echoing up from the gorge below.
Mihingo Lodge
Mihingo is a peaceful lodge on a kopje adjacent to Lake Mburo National Park and is the perfect stop off point on the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The lodge has ten tents which are built on wooden platforms with stilts, covered by thatched roofs and with spacious and comfortable tents suspended underneath and equipped with en-suite bathrooms.
The main dining area is a large thatched structure built out of rocks, the wood of weathered olive trees and native grasses. Below the dining area, an infinity swimming pool stretches out through the rocks from where guests can enjoy the view over Lake Mburo National Park.
Why We Love It
Apart from lounging by the pool, which is, admittedly, a rather wonderful way to spend the afternoon, there are numerous activities available including boat trips on Lake Mburo , savannah walks, game drives in Lake Mburo National Park , and horse back safaris.
Ndali Lodge
Ndali Lodge sits on the edge of Lake Nyinambuga - a flooded volcano crater in the Bunyaruguru crater lake region of Western Uganda, and is the perfect overnight stop for anyone heading from Queen Elizabeth National Park to the Murchison Falls National Park.
The lodge has eight stone cottages with thatched roofs and interiors designed using local materials. Each one has an en suite bathroom and a verandah overlooking the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains.
The main lodge has a comfortable sitting room and dining room that is candle-lit at night. This helps to create a romantic atmosphere but is also in keeping with the lodge policy of having no generator. The bedrooms rely on solar charged lighting at night.
Guests can enjoy trips to QENP and nearby Kibale Forest National Park, as well as the Bigodi community conservation project. Nearer to home, guests can go swimming in the lake or in the new swimming pool.
Why We Love It
You can enjoy one of Africa's finest breakfasts on the verandah with views over the crater lake, favourites being the passion fruit juice made from the Ndali's own crop, and toast or yoghurt with local wild honey.