Best lodges for gorilla trekking overnight stay in the Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Best lodges for gorilla trekking overnight stay in the Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Buhoma sector is located in the northern part of Bwindi and is one of the four sectors in Bwindi where gorilla trekking takes place. Buhoma is home to 7 habituated gorilla families including Habinyanja, Kanywani, Mubare, Katwe, Rushegura, Binyindo, and Muyambi gorilla families. When planning a gorilla trek safari, you need to look at accommodation and all tourists are advised to use accommodation facilities that are close to or within the sectors that they have been assigned. In this article, we look at the best lodges to use when gorilla trekking in the Buhoma region in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

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Buhoma Lodge has a variety of accommodation facilities which include lazy camping, budget/standard accommodation facilities, mid-range/comfort accommodation facilities, and luxury accommodation facilities.

Luxury accommodation facilities- these are commonly used by tourists looking to have a high-end and comfortable stay on the gorilla safari trek in Buhoma. Most of the luxury lodges in Buhoma range from 4500 to $2000 per person per night and some of the amenities offered at such lodges include privacy, free Wi-Fi, a well-stocked bar, a restaurant serving both local and international cuisines, and other exclusive top-notch services.

Mid-range/comfort facilities- Mid-range facilities are the best when it comes to comfort and are not as expensive as the luxury accommodation facilities. The cost of a mid-range facility in Buhoma can range from as low as $250 to $400 per person per night depending on the season. Some of the amenities offered include self-contained rooms, WIFI, permanent safari tents, and a restaurant serving both local and international cuisines among others.

Budget/standard facilities are highly recommended when you are traveling on a budget. They provide comfortable accommodations and meals, but sometimes you have to share facilities like bathrooms with other tourists and they can go as low as $100 to $150 per person per night.

Mahogany springs Lodge

Mahogany Springs Lodge is the perfect facility for a gorilla trekking safari adventure in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi's impenetrable national park. Located on top of the Munyanga River, the lodge has 12 luxurious suites surrounded by the valley and the beautiful gardens. The lodge has been operating for about 11 years and with the great management and well-trained staff comes exceptional services from all the staff.

The lodge is strategically located near the bird-watching trek trails and the starting point of gorilla trekking in Buhoma. The main lodge structure is on a hillside with an expansive terrace offering breathtaking views. Guests can use the main lodge for private dining or their private balconies. The well-stocked bar has a wide range of beverages ranging from spirits, water, beer, cocktails, soft drinks, and wines among others.

The main area has a gift shop that sells a variety of items including crafts, clothing, souvenirs, and shoes among others. Guests can also relax and unwind in the renovated living room or the comfortable sofas near the fireplace. The lodge also offers health and fitness centers like spas, gyms, and saunas.

Volcanoes Bwindi lodge

Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is found in Buhoma overlooking the impenetrable forest where one goes to enjoy the unforgettable tracking experience in the park. The lodge has 8 en-suite rooms constructed using stone and timber each facing the forest canopy. The 8 bands are grass thatched and each has amenities including comfortable canopied beds, large en-suite private bathrooms with showers having hot and cold running water, solar panels, free toiletries, flat-screen TVs, mosquito nets, flushing toilets, free extinguishers private verandas. The rooms are fitted with queen and king-sized beds with comfortable bedding and the Bandas are categorized into standard, deluxe, double/twin beds, triple, and family bands.

The different facilities and services offered at the lodge include a restaurant with well-trained chefs preparing both international and local dishes, health and fitness centers like spas, massages and saunas, laundry services, housekeeping services, ample parking space, backup generator, a well-stocked bar with both soft and hard drinks and WIFI.

Activities offered at the Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge include gorilla tracking, bird watching, cultural trips, and guided nature walks. 

Silverback lodge

Silverback Lodge is a five-star lodge in the Buhoma sector five minutes from the park headquarters. This is the largest lodge in Buhoma providing primate views right at the doorstep of your room. Silverback Lodge has 12 rooms with 1 single room, 7 twin rooms, and 4 double rooms. Silverback lodge rooms were built and designed using local materials and each of these rooms has facilities including en-suite bathrooms, comfortable sitting chairs, bathrooms with hot and cold running water, coffee and tea-making facilities, a veranda with great views of the forest, satellite TVS, flushing toilets, extinguishers, clean and comfortable beddings, and a fireplace to provide warmth to the tourists in the lodge.

Some of the services that are offered at the lodge include a restaurant that offers delicious local and international dishes, a well-stocked bar, laundry services, gardens, WIFI to keep in touch with your loved ones, business centers where you can hold wedding meetings, conferences, health and fitness centers like massage parlors, saunas and gym, a craft shop, and free parking space.

The different activities that are offered at the lodge include gorilla trekking, guiding nature walks, walking the Batwa cultural walk, and bird watching among others.

Engagi Lodge

Engagi Lodge is one of the best and most luxurious lodges in Buhoma built with African raw materials of stones, banana fibers, and grass for the roofs. The different facilities that are offered at the lodge include laundry services, security, free parking, laundry services, and airport transfers among others.

Engagi Lodge consists of 8 cottages evenly spaced out to provide privacy to the guests. The rooms have twin or double beds, bathrooms with cold and running water, flushing toilets, mosquito nets, private verandas, tea and coffee-making facilities, solar power, a backup generator, and clean comfortable beds.

The main building at the lodge is divided into a well-stocked bar, sitting room, dining and a very large outdoor veranda where you can relax after a long day. The kitchen on the other hand is built away from the lodge and it prepares a variety of meals considering clients’ dietary requirements.

Activities offered at the lodge include gorilla trekking, guided nature walks, bird watching, and cultural visits to the Batwa villages.

Buhoma Lodge

The Buhoma Lodge is an intimate and charming safari lodge that provides the best accommodation in the Buhoma sector. The accommodation at the lodge is found in a two-story building that was constructed using local materials like stone, timber, and grass thatched roofs flawlessly blending in with the surrounding areas. The accommodation consists of ten chalets and 9 are designed to sleep two adults with an extra bed for a child under the age of 5. The remaining chalet is for honeymooners and family. They have an eco-solar system, comfortable beds, insect-proof window screens, safe, flush toilets, a spacious washbasin, a shower with both hot and cold water, bathtub. All chalets have a veranda where you can relax and enjoy the forest and scenery around.

Activities offered at the Buhoma Lodge include gorilla trekking, the Buhoma guided walk, bird watching with over 350 bird species, guided forest walks, butterfly watching, cultural walks, and community visits.

Buhoma Community Haven Lodge

This is one of the mid-range facilities in Buhoma offering some of the best and comfortable accommodations and views of the Bwindi forest. Found above the Buhoma village, it is 5 minutes’ drive from the main road and its elevation gives it the best views that you can see from the comfort of your room. The Buhoma Community Haven Lodge was opened in 2014 with 6 twin/double cottages, 2 non-contained twin bandas, 3 self-contained cottages, and one family cottage all constructed using local material. Designed with African architecture, the cottages offer comfortable beds and the lodge also offers a dormitory sleeping 6 people.

Facilities offered at the lodge include a restaurant that offers breakfast with fresh fruits from the garden, packed lunch for trackers and meals preparing both local dishes and international cuisines, a craft shop, cigarettes for sale (although you will not be allowed to smoke when with the gorillas), mosquito nets, charging system, laundry services, walking sticks for rent, games, reading materials, postcards for sale, parking, complimentary tea and coffee, shower facilities, massage facilities, backup generator and a well-stocked bar among others.

Activities offered at Buhoma Community Haven Lodge include bird watching, gorilla tracking, butterfly watching, cultural trips, and guided nature walks.

Bwindi Community Homestay

This is a budget mid-range accommodation facility found in the northern part of Bwindi in the Buhoma sector. The homestay has 12 units which include 3 mid-range en-suite cottages at the Noels cottage which overlooks the Nyabubare stream and waterfall and 8 budget en-suite twin/double rooms located at the Mwebesa house. 

Mwebesa House rooms are individually decorated and furnished with local materials by the Ride 4 a Woman initiative. The Noel cottages offer a spacious bedroom and French doors that open to the balcony where you can relax from after a trek within the sector. The facilities within each of these rooms include WIFI, tea, and coffee-making facilities, a flat-screen TV, air conditioners, a mini-bar, a sitting area, flush toilets, showers with hot and cold running water, and balconies.

The facilities and amenities offered at the lodge include a restaurant offering African and international cuisines, 24-hour front desk service, a terrace, facilities for disabled guests, bicycle rental services, a minibar, garden, non-smoking rooms, and room service among others.

The top things to do at Buhoma Community Homestay include gorilla trekking, mountain biking, guided nature walks, bird watching, and cultural trips. 

Bwindi Forest Lodge

Bwindi Forest Lodge is one of the best budget safari lodges found in Buhoma in northern Bwindi. The Forest Lodge is close to the start of the tracking point making it a good place to stay for all tourists trekking gorillas in the Buhoma sector. 

Bwindi Forest Lodge has 10 comfortable and spacious rooms overlooking the forest and constructed using local materials and designed with African designs including grass thatched roofs. The rooms at the forest lodge come in different sizes including single bed, double, twin, triple rooms, and family rooms, and each cost different depending on the number of people sharing and the services needed. The rooms are well elevated with great views of the surroundings and are fitted with flushing toilets, complimentary bottled water, slippers, private bathrooms with hot and cold showers, mosquito nets, hair dryers, dining table toaster, drying rack for clothes toilet paper, free toiletries and comfortable beds.

Rooms at the Bwindi Forest Lodge cost $150 per person per night but this can go high depending on the season. The different facilities that are offered at the lodge include a restaurant that serves different types of food including local and international, laundry services and housekeeping, a well-stocked bar, an overlooking balcony, non-smoking rooms, a terrace, an airport shuttle, a seating area, and WIFI among others.

Activities that you can engage in while on your stay at the lodge include gorilla tracking, bird watching, guided nature walks, and community trips to the local villages.

Bwindi Guest House

This is a budget lodge in the Buhoma sector offering accommodation to trekkers in northern Bwindi. The Bwindi Guest House has six guest houses which are owned and operated by the Bwindi Hospital and volunteers.  

The Guest House was constructed in 2012 adjacent to the monkey house which at the moment is being used by guests who prefer privacy. The lodge has houses named Lower Gorilla Guest House, Middle Gorilla Guest House, Paul and Barbara’s House, and Upper Guest House which were all established by volunteers as a way of supporting the Bwindi Community Hospital. Guests at the lodge are offered free tours of the hospital and nursing school.

Facilities offered at the Guest House include free parking, internet, laundry services, campfires, security, a restaurant, a free tour of the Bwindi community hospital, and a bar and lounge among others.

Tourists can engage in different activities when at Bwindi Guest House and these include gorilla tracking, bird watching, mountain biking, cultural visits, and guided nature walks.

Bwindi View Bandas

Located in the Buhoma sector, Bwindi View Bandas is about 100 meters from the Buhoma sector entrance offering accommodation to tourists travelling on a budget. The Bandas was constructed overlooking the Bwindi forest. Accommodation at the view bandas comes with 3 Bandas each fitted with 4 beds and 2 small Bandas fitted with two beds.

Guests should expect warm and friendly services from the well-trained staff for a memorable experience. The view Bandas provide three meals a day and a packed lunch for the trekkers or those going for a guided nature walk. There is a canteen that provides all types of snacks both local and international but note that all the meals have to be ordered in advance. In case you have any dietary issues, we advise that you inform your operator so that the restaurant is informed.

Amenities and facilities offered at the lodge include security, laundry services, a well-stocked bar and lounge, internet, showers with cold and hot water, a bathtub, restaurant, information board, rental facilities, reading materials, picnic area, latrines, grocery and storage facilities, and WIFI among others. 

Some of the activities that are offered at the lodge include guided nature walks, bird watching, gorilla tracking, entrainment from the locals, cultural trips, and enjoying the views of the Buhoma Valley.

For more information about lodges in the Buhoma region, get in touch with us via email.