Uganda Turning Into Africa’s Newest Luxury Destination
“Remain motionless.” The ranger who is leading me through Kibale National Park in Uganda doesn’t need to remind me. Just as Bahoire, a male chimp with a notoriously irritable temper, cannonballs by me, hooting and waving his arms in a show of dominance, I stand motionless on the open route. While staying at Kibale Lodge, the newest property in Volcanoes Safaris’ portfolio and the first real luxury lodge with easy access to the forest’s 1,500 chimps, I received a briefing from Dr. Emily Otali, the nation’s leading primatologist, the night before my jungle excursion. After a crash lesson, our closest living cousins share an astounding 98.8 percent of our DNA, making it simple to understand their moods. I’ve already seen Bahoire’s kind on the evening news.
Kibale is home to 13 distinct primate species, four of which are endangered, and is frequently referred to as the primate capital of the world. But my week of touring the Pearl of Africa also included seeing mountain gorillas in Mount Gahinga, a portion of the Virunga Massif’s network of protected areas shared with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to about half of the world’s population of these gentle giants. Kyambura Gorge is an ethereal 7.5-mile long sunken rainforest where a group of 30 “lost” chimps live in isolation.
I’m not the only one who has always wanted to put on hiking boots and follow in the muddy footsteps of renowned primatologists like Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall. Chimpanzee and gorilla ecotourism is rapidly gaining popularity. These great-ape expeditions are popular with “seasoned, active travellers” who have already enjoyed the more relaxed excitement of a regular Big Five safari, according to Liesel van Zyl, head of positive impact at African travel operator Go2Africa and The Bespoke African Safari Co. With organisations like Volcanoes connecting the most famous primate-trekking locations in Rwanda and Uganda, it’s also simpler to get to.
Rwanda has received the greatest attention—and tourism dollars—to date, despite the fact that both Uganda and Rwanda provide heart-warming experiences with gorillas and chimps. It is smaller, more costly, and serves a glitzier clientele than Sonoma in Uganda. In order to raise more money for conservation, the Rwanda Development Board doubled the cost of their daily gorilla-tracking permit to a substantial $1,500 in 2017 due to the overwhelming demand. A month later, Wilderness Bisate Lodge was the first of several upscale resorts to follow. With plunge pools, butlers, and pre-trek briefings with renowned naturalist Charles Nsabimana, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest and Singita Kwitonda further raised the standard.
Uganda appears to be a good deal in contrast. Tracking permits there now only cost $800 each and require less preparation. To avoid being let down by sold-out dates, it is recommended to make reservations up to a year in advance at the busiest times of the year across the Rwandan border. Additionally, there are many trekking destinations in Uganda, such as Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest, where chimpanzees are far more common than in Rwanda.
“Chimp trekking is just beginning to gain popularity because people are looking for other things to do while they are in Rwanda and Uganda,” adds van Zyl. “Being highly active, chimps provide visitors with an exciting and captivating experience at a fraction of the price of gorillas.”
Now, Uganda is catching up to its ostentatious neighbour as it welcomes more affordable flights and carefully planned safari itineraries. Its 10 national parks had a 20% increase in visitors in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
But the most significant effect appears to be being caused by the introduction of opulent camps. According to Sharon Amagoro, cofounder of Kabira Safaris, interest in Uganda as a travel destination has been growing for some time, but the addition of notable hotels is now luring her wealthy clientele to explore less-traveled areas. Enquiries to Van Zyl have also increased as a result of the recent inauguration of Volcanoes Kibale Lodge and Asilia Africa’s planned expansion into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Erebero Hills.
They are by no means the only companies making investments in Uganda. While the neighbouring Marasa Africa Silverback Lodge is being redesigned as 12 exquisite “nests” by award-winning Hesse Kleinloog, the same design firm that created Rwanda’s breathtaking Singita Kwitonda, the A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in the centre of Bwindi is presently undergoing a comprehensive reconstruction that will last until May 2025. While Great Lakes Safaris is building Padibi Lodge on the site of a former Jane Goodall research centre in Budongo, travellers hoping to spot naughty chimps will soon be able to stay at River Station, an eco-chic lodge constructed by Wildplaces Africa in Kyambura.
Even though Ugandan lodging is quickly improving, the majority of it is still more affordable than Rwanda’s infamously extravagant lodges, emphasising eco-friendly materials and local craftsmanship above imported items and metropolitan amenities.
According to Praveen Moman, the creator of Volcanoes Safaris, “our lodges have evolved from simple camps in 1997 to luxury lodges today.” “The concept of sustainability has gained increased attention. We believe that it’s critical to strike a balance between the expectations of visitors, the environment of the isolated locations they visit, and the prudent use of resources.
Sullivan claims that this philosophy is the reason so many tourists are currently travelling to Uganda: “I believe that a large number of Ugandan-owned and operated passion enterprises that offer a genuine sense of location and hospitality are part of what makes Uganda such an intriguing travel destination. It feels manageable. Many individuals can relate to that.
There is still work to be done on Uganda’s remaining tourism infrastructure. The rugged, poorly maintained roads are often a physical and figurative pain in the neck, and the country is around nine times larger than Rwanda. You’ll see more than just apes, too, including the mist-covered Rwenzori Mountains, tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and dinosaur-like shoebills in the marshes around Lake Victoria.
According to Sullivan, Uganda’s location both favours and hinders the country. In terms of the variety of experiences that may be had there, it offers a lot more than Rwanda. It alone makes a whole journey worthwhile.
Thankfully, lodges are assuming greater responsibility as safari outfitters to make domestic travel more pleasurable and seamless for their guests, securing trekking permits and organising transfers and connections, much like Uganda Airlines’ new direct international flights are making it easier to get to Entebbe.
The 10-Day Primates of the Great Rift Valley Safari in Kibale, Kyambura, and Gahinga is one of Volcanoes Safaris’ recently introduced carefully crafted itineraries. It includes both on-and off-property activities, like cocktails with a primatologist from the Kibale Chimpanzee Project and a boat cruise on the lush Kazinga Channel, which is a popular destination for wildlife like elephants and cape buffalo. The Volcanoes team can set up a helicopter from Entebbe and between any of its Uganda lodges, while the majority of their visitors go by a combination of charter jet and automobile. You’ll be among the first on the ground in an area that many advisors say is still underappreciated and unexplored, but privacy may come at an extra cost.
According to van Zyl, “it’s incredible to enter the national parks and not have a lot of other safari vehicles nearby—it feels very exclusive.” “However, I wouldn’t be shocked if Uganda became the next “it” destination in ten years as the nation continues to grow, more lodges open, and chimp trekking gains popularity.”