‘Clouds’ Mountain Gorilla Lodge

Opening in 2008

Deep in the misty mountains of South-western Uganda lies a large tract of lush montane rainforest. This ancient rainforest – one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age – is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla.

High up in the clouds on Nteko Ridge, on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the views are breathtaking. In the shadow of three volcanoes, looking down into the thick treetop canopy of Bwindi and beyond to the golden grasses of the Western Rift Valley, guests at ‘Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge’ will feel on top of the world.

This lodge, a first in Uganda, is being built as a partnership between the Nkuringo Community Development Fund (NCDF), United States Agency for International Development ((USAID) through their Prime West Project, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. With the ultimate goal of protecting the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla, ‘Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge’ will directly benefit the community of Nkuringo who also have a significant stake in the entire project.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is being built to cater to those who track the Nkuringo group of gorillas, situated on the southern side of Bwindi. Up until now it has been challenging to get to this side of the park, but with the opening of Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, our guests will be able to walk from their cottage to the starting point. Better still, they won’t have a long journey at the end of their day gorilla tracking.

The lodge construction is well under way and we are planning for the official opening 1st of August 2008.