Gorilla Forest Lodge

Gorilla Forest Lodge is the only lodge inside the gates of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, on a hillside above the canopy by the Buhoma trailhead in south-western Uganda. Bwindi shelters roughly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, and the habituated families are tracked from here each morning with the park's rangers; gorillas have been known to wander through the lodge grounds themselves.

Reopened in June 2025 after a complete rebuild, the lodge has ten standalone suites set apart among the trees and reached by private paths. Each is 105 sq m, built with local techniques in an earthy palette of green, terracotta and clay, with woven banana-leaf ceilings, bark-cloth cushions, a king four-poster hung with gauzy canopies, a seating area, minibar, desk, telephone and safe, electric blankets for the cool evenings, and a bathroom with a large round tub looking into the forest and an indoor shower. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a private veranda with two sculptural hanging chairs put you in the canopy among the monkeys and birds, with Leica binoculars provided.

The double-height lounge, bar and restaurant opens onto the rainforest, a resident musician plays the harp at sundowners around the campfire, and a spa with two treatment rooms above a stream uses Healing Earth products. Gorilla trekking permits (ages 15 and over) are bought separately; guided forest walks to the Munyaga waterfall, birding walks and visits to the Batwa community and A&K Philanthropy's projects fill the other days.

Stays are fully inclusive of meals and drinks, a community visit, the park concession fee, laundry and emergency evacuation cover. Park fees, gorilla permits and the two-hour transfer from Kihihi Airstrip are charged on top. Children aged 6 and over are welcome.