Clouds Gorilla Lodge

the best gorilla base on the south side of Bwindi

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is located in the Bwindi Forest area of western Uganda.

The lodge is set on a scenic hilltop in a rural area to the south of the national park.

It is centred on a large stone building, containing comfortable lounge and dining areas, leading out to a terrace with truly stunning mountain views.

There is also a small spa facility tucked away in the forest.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is in seven traditional stone cottages, each with a private indoor bathroom, open fire, verandah and butler service …

• Cottage : x5
• Family cottage : x2 : with two bedrooms

Activities

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge provides access to the following activities …

• Gorilla tracking
• Forest hikes
• Bird-watching
• Farmland hikes
• Cultural visits

Please note that gorilla trekking on this quieter southern Nkuringo side of the forest is considerably more arduous than at other locations, notably Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga, largely due to the greater gradients on the way in and out.

The Bwindi Forest area is the cornerstone of virtually every trip to Uganda.

The usual stay duration in this area is 3-5 nights. Often this is the only stop in Uganda, other than a possible transit night close to the airport at Entebbe.

Around 30-50% of guests undertake a longer exploration of the country, adding chimpanzees in Kibale and savanna safari in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley, with trips running up to around 10-14 nights total.

Seasonality

Bwindi Forest is best visited during the May-Sep and Dec-Feb dry seasons, when the forest trails should be slightly easier to navigate.

The area is dominated by a tropical rainforest climate, which is characterised by high temperatures year round. It also tends to rain year round, but some months are usually wetter than others.

Getting around

The property is usually accessed by scheduled flight from Entebbe to Kisoro Airstrip, from where it is a road transfer of around 90 minutes.

It is also possible to arrive here by guided overland safari from Virunga Mountains in Rwanda (8 hours).

Bwindi Forest is also the usual start point for the overland segment driving north through QENP to Kibale Forest.

A common routing is to trek through the forest to Buhoma on the north side, which takes 4-7 hours depending on your chosen route.

easily accessed by air from Entebbe