Every new day is a reason to celebrate and enjoy yourself; and where else can you have an unforgettable experience than at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, a safari lodge located 2161 meters (7,087 feet) high on Nteko Ridge overlooking the beautiful swath of the World-renowned Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The ridge provides a superb vantage across the Kashasha River Valley to the forested hill known as ‘Nkuringo’ and the surrounding swathe of trees of Bwindi Forest.
The Nkuringo section of forest is home to the three Mountain Gorilla families, from where the Lodge provides a prime access point to the start of the amazing gorilla trekking activity. The Lodge has panoramic views of the majestic volcanoes of the Virunga chain, across the escarpment into the Albertine Rift Valley within the DRC Congo.
Formerly Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, the Lodge has organically grown over the years from a campsite in 2007 to a fully-fledged lodge, offering eco-friendly accommodation and operating as Carbon Neutral Lodge. Named Uganda’s leading Safari Lodge at the World Travel Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is one of the best accommodations available near Bwindi National Park.
The Lodge prides itself on its green credentials and through its various initiatives including solar energy and rainwater harvesting, proudly operates as a carbon neutral lodge. In order to reduce on use of plastic in the Lodge, they provide water in Jars and encourage all clients to come with their water bottles that they can refill from the dinning area.
WEATHER
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is open throughout the year.
Sitting almost on the Equator, the climate is wet yet mild, with consistent temperatures year-long (around 23-24°C during the day and 7-11°C at night). The altitude in Bwindi region varies from 1150 to 2600m, therefore, there can be wide climatic variations within the park. Rain can happen anytime as there is no real dry season, however, in general the period of lesser rainfall is June-July and December-February. June and July are the cooler months. It is recommended to always pack waterproof clothing and good hiking shoes suitable for walking wet forest trails.
ROOMS
Guests at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge stay in individually hand-crafted cottages, each offering the tranquility of the rain forest, the atmosphere of a mountain chalet and the warm hospitality Ugandans are known for.
The lodge has 8 Cottages, 3 Villas made up of 2 interconnecting superior cottages and 1 Family Villa made up of 2 interconnecting superior cottages – each room/cottage is solar powered and can offer twin beds or a double bed.
ACTIVITIES
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is the ideal starting point for gorilla tracking and many interesting guided activities including;
• Gorilla Tracking – access to several habituated gorilla families (more than half of the gorilla permits available) and to 2 gorilla families under habituation – min age 15 years
Related
Aangan Restaurant thrives on long-term vision, consistency, people, and support from I&M Bank• Community Walks, including local markets, coffee and tea plantation tours, schools etc
• Nature Walks
• Encounter with the Batwa people – hunter-gatherers originally living in Bwindi forest
• Birding in Bwindi Forest, Nombe and Buniga pocket forests
• Hiking in Bwindi National Park
• Excursions in dug-out canoes on Lake Mutanda
• Ascents of the Virunga volcanoes
Unique Attractions
• The lodge provides a prime access point to the world-renowned Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to half of the remaining endangered Mountain Gorillas – the lodge basically sits on the south-west buffer zone of the park and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Office is within a 5-minute walk.
This section of the forest is home to the Nkuringo gorilla group (3 habituated families – 24 permits) and the Rushaga gorilla group (6 habituated families + 2 under habituation – 48 + 4 permits); the drive from the lodge to Rushaga starting point is approx 45/60 minutes.
• Bwindi is most certainly one of the best birding locations in East Africa: 350 species recorded, of which 23 endemics (90% are Albertine endemics). There is also the pocket forest of Nombe, 5km from the lodge.
• The Buniga pocket forest is interesting for its diverse bird life (over 100 species identified) and the presence of mammals like duikers, black & white colobus monkeys, chimps etc. The forest also provides the means for the Batwa people to re-act and explain their hunter-gatherer life before they were forced out of Bwindi in 1991. They are one of the most ancient tribes who roamed Equatorial Africa and this activity helps them to preserve their heritage and to earn a much needed income from their culture. (70% of the fee paid goes to the foundation which operates local community conservation and development projects; the other 30% goes to the Kisoro Local Government, owner of the forest).
