Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Rating: Mid-range to Luxury
From: USD 300 pp (full board)

Website: mountaingorillalodge.com

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge sits at a 7000-ft altitude on a magnificent ridge with stunning views across the rugged landscapes and the entire Virunga Volcanoes chain backdrop.

Eleven 45-square-foot private garden cottages, two family-style villas, and three luxurious suites sit above the Bwindi Forest canopy with distinctive elegance and startling luxury amid forest trees, flowers, and shrubs. Locally styled furnishings grace the spacious rooms, and light fills the space from private viewing decks over the forest swath and beyond the entire Virunga Volcanoes chain.

At the highest point on the property sits a grand lounge building housing the dining, drinks, and coffee bar spaces with expansive 360-degree views of the gorgeous rugged landscape.

Based on hundreds of guest reviews, Nkuringo is an excellent base for gorilla trekking adventures in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Nkuringo Sector (3 human-habituated gorilla families) and Rushaga Sector (8 human-habituated gorilla groups).

The lodge is a six-time winner at the World Travel Awards (WTA) as Uganda’s Leading Safari Lodge and TripAdvisor travelers’ Choice Awards since 2015.

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is thoughtfully comfortable and concentrates on cheerful African hospitality, which complements its superb location and function as the base for gorilla trekking adventures in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Unspoiled and untamed, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the world’s last remaining rich ecosystems. It is spread over a series of steep ridges and valleys that form a protective habitat for the mountain gorillas, the main attractions in this pristine jungle.

The Nkuringo section of the forest is home to three Mountain Gorilla families. Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge provides a prime access point to the start of the excellent gorilla trekking activity. And about a 25-minute drive away from the Rushaga gorilla trekking sector, it has eight habituated gorilla families and is also an alternative to trekking Nkuringo gorilla groups.

Sustainable Stay

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is entirely eco-friendly, with its design inspired and built with natural materials locally sourced within the communities that surround the lodge. It is owned and operated by a Uganda family whose values are deeply rooted in the sustainability of local communities surrounding the lodge.

The lodge is one of the few Carbon Neutral Certified properties in Uganda. It harvests all the water used at the property, distributing the surplus to the community through its Bwindri Drop Project. It has a tree-planting program that encourages all guests to “plant a tree” in the beautifully maintained gardens. The beautifully thought Pack for Purpose program connects every guest who can carry a small gift in their luggage to the low-income families living in villages nearby.

The lodge entirely uses solar power for light and natural gas for heating and cooking, and it has an onsite fresh vegetable garden to supply the kitchen.

Through their fair-trade policy, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge uses local guides to support their pioneer walking safaris around Bwindi. The program skills local guides with training courses. It extends support to their children in the Nkuringo Junior Stars Program with a primary focus on the girl-child staying in school while their parent earns a comfortable,  sustainable income.

If you are hoping to positively impact the local communities around mountain gorillas with sustainable lodging, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is the best hotel.