Gorilla Safari Lodge

Gorilla Safari Lodge features a number of spacious chalets, two of which feature an additional bedroom to cater for families or larger groups. Each of the chalets includes solar-powered lighting, a bright and airy bedroom with en-suite facilities and private verandahs. Guests can choose between a double or twin bed layout, and the stunning forest views can be enjoyed from the comfort of your bedroom through the large windows and glass doors that lead out to the verandah. The family chalets have private verandahs in both bedrooms, as well as an en-suite bathroom for each room, which features a flush toilet, and have both hot and cold running water. An inter-joining door connects the two bedrooms.

The Honeymoon Suite features a larger bedroom than the standard chalet, which is always decorated with flower petals and offers stunning views of the tropical rainforest. The bedroom includes a king-size bed with mosquito netting, and a cosy seating area for spending time together in private. The honeymoon suite has the optimum position, meaning that guests staying here can enjoy the best views over the forests and surrounding natural beauty.

Guests at Gorilla Safari Lodge can look forward to three delicious meals each day, all served in the Gorilla Safari Lodge Restuarant. The lodge’s chefs prepare each dish using fresh ingredients and combine homely dishes with local flavour and delicacies. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available, and Gorilla Safari Lodge restaurant can cater to any dietary needs if given advanced warning.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. The biodiverse forest is an ideal habitat for the gorillas, and guests can easily access the trail which leads to the Nshongi gorilla family, a group of habituated gorillas who are friendly and accustomed to human interaction. The hike can be quite demanding, with difficult terrain, but the experience of meeting these incredible creatures is worth it. Guests can sit with the gorillas and observe how similar to us they really are, forming lasting memories of a truly unique wildlife encounter. Guests are given an hour with the gorillas before returning back towards the lodge through the dense greenery and beautiful flowers.

The Gorilla Experience starts with a trek into the Impenetrable Forest, following tracks and clues that will lead you to a gorilla family. Guests can then spend 4 hours with the gorillas, watching man’s closest relative as they play, eat and interact. This unique experience is only available in Rushaga, Uganda where the lodge is located, and must be booked in advance as only 8 visitors are allowed at any one time (4 to each group). This allows for a more intimate and special experience, where you can get up close to the gorillas and understand the depths of their intelligence as animals.

Embark on a hike to the stunning Bayenda Falls, the perfect spot to enjoy the rainforest’s prolific birdlife and incredible wildlife including monkeys and wild elephants. Listen to the gentle songs of the birds over the rush of the cascading water, while monkeys swing across the canopies above. The walk to the falls takes approximately one hour each way, allowing guests to enjoy the beautiful verdant surroundings and peaceful atmosphere of the Impenetrable Forest.

Take one of the lodge’s bikes out around Lake Mutanda and explore the natural beauty of the local area. The cycle route passes through local villages, farmsteads and banana fields, offering incredible views and the chance to interact with local people. Your guide will be able to teach you about the history of the community and you can stop over to enjoy fresh locally grown fruits.

Gorilla Safari Lodge has supported the Batwa community for years and continues to do so today, offering help to local schools and the Rushage women group who often entertain guests with folk songs and traditional dances. The Rushage women group also offers workshops to guests where you will be taught how to weave baskets, hats and mats. One of the lodge’s guides will take you on a tour of the community and show you which trees and plants are used in order to make medicines and crafts. Visit the homes of the local people and learn about a different way of living.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has been the home of the Batwa Pygmies for a long time, until it was given the status of a National Park in 1993 and the Pygmies were relocated to nearby villages. The Batwa Pygmies thrived in the forest, using their hunting and crafting skills to gather food and build huts from their natural surroundings.

They lived in harmony with the forest and its other inhabitants, but these skills were no longer necessary once they were expelled, and they were forced to become used to a life outside of the forest. Guests participating in the Batwa Experience will be able to take the chance to view these skills, learn about the lives the Pygmies had within the forest and carry this knowledge forwards, helping to preserve it.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a haven for birdlife, and home to around 346 different bird species. The historic forest is biodiverse and features and varied selection of habitats that cater to a wide range of species, including short-tailed warblers and blue-headed sunbirds, which are both endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley. Guests are also likely to see the African emerald cuckoo, dark caped bulbul, white-tailed blue flycatchers and red-headed bluebill warbler. Enjoy their gentle melodies as these amazing bird species flit from tree to tree under a canopy of healthy green leaves.

Gorilla Safari Lodge supports the Rushage Women’s Group, a local women’s group who teach guests at the lodge how to craft baskets, mats and hats by weaving materials. Gorilla Safari Lodge also buys all food and products from the local community in order to support the local economy and workers.