The Camp

Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Uganda
Number of Cottages: 8

In a previous era, this site on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley housed a coffee cooperative surrounded by plantations and subsistence farms. Today, Kyambura Lodge is one of the area’s premier bases for safaris into Queen Elizabeth Nattional Park. Eight cottages built of natural materials are tucked discreetly into a mountainside, blending with the wild environs. Each offers exceptional privacy and a slate of comforts, with large, log-pole beds, en suite showers, hot and cold running water, 220v electricity and a private wooden balcony with views across the park’s vast expanse. A swimming pool sits next to the communal campfire where local traditional dances are often performed by the Banyaruguru troupe. The restaurant and lounge open onto a sundowner deck overlooking the park, for mellow relaxation after the day’s activities. The friendly, professionally trained kitchen staff serves multi-course meals featuring international and local cuisine. Organic vegetables from the lodge garden are a highlight.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with shower
• Shampoo and soap
• Hair dryer
• 220v charging outlets in room
• Central plunge pool
• Massage treatments (extra cost)
• Wi-Fi in main area
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• No air conditioning or telephone

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to nearly 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species, making this superb safari territory. Elephants, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and handsome Uganda kob are all regularly on view. The park's remote Ishasha sector is famous for its tree-climbing lions, while Kyambura Gorge harbors habituated chimps. A river cruise on the Kazinga Channel brings you right up close to one of the largest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in the world. The Maramagambo Forest, a valuable tropical hardwood ecosystem, is home to an alluring selection of forest monkeys and birds. To the south, the rolling acacia savannas conceal a number of pristine crater lakes, the most important flamingo sites in Uganda. Of Uganda’s 241 wetland bird species, 111 have been observed in the reserve. 4x4 drives, bush walks and hikes offer intimate wildlife encounters. Through Kyambura Lodge’s cooperative involvement with the local community, visitors also have access to authentic village visits.

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a variety of habitats within the park, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced. Chimpanzee can be tracked in Kyambura Gorge, although most travelers prefer to view chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park. Other typical sightings may include the rare shoebill stork and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on seasonality and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

Like other Ugandan parks, Queen Elizabeth National Park lost much of its wildlife during the country’s civil war in the 1980s and ‘90s. The good news is that wildlife numbers are steadily on the rise, and many animal populations are returning to prolific numbers. This is due in part to cooperative arrangements between conscientious lodge operators and local communities to educate and encourage ecotourism as a means of revenue production that will help to protect fragile local ecosystems. Tourism is especially important for the survival of the small population of chimpanzees that lives in Kyambura Gorge. As a cooperative-owned lodge, Kyambura Game Lodge directly integrates locals into ecotourism ventures that play a critical role for the future of wildlife, including the chimpanzees, in this area.

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