Western Uganda wildlife tour

Planet

Much of this adventure is about slowing down and experiencing Uganda on foot. Guests track rhinos with rangers at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, follow chimpanzees through Budongo Forest and trek deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of mountain gorillas. There are also guided walks around Lake Kyaninga, through Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve and into Katara Village. Travelling this way not only reduces the need for vehicles, but allows our guests to experience Uganda's wildlife and landscapes with minimal disturbance.

We encourage everyone travelling with us to bring a refillable water bottle and avoid single use plastics wherever possible. We have also carefully chosen smaller lodges with a strong focus on their environment and communities.

Kyaninga Lodge is a good example of this approach. The lodge has invested in reforestation and greener building practices, with its distinctive log cabins requiring considerably less timber to construct than conventional buildings. Solar energy is used at the lodge and single use plastic water bottles are avoided in guest rooms.

Katara Lodge, overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park, has also been designed with its environmental impact in mind. The lodge is powered by solar energy, including its lighting, electrical outlets and water heating. Its cottages were built by members of the local Katara community using locally sourced materials including timber, stone and thatch. Rainwater is harvested, ultra low flush toilets help reduce water consumption and the swimming pool uses salt rather than conventional chlorine chemicals.

Protecting Uganda's wildlife is also fundamental to the trip. Our visits to national parks, forests and protected areas support conservation through permits and entrance fees, while guests experience wildlife with trained guides and rangers. This includes Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary's white rhino breeding programme and carefully controlled chimpanzee and mountain gorilla trekking.

In Bwindi we also visit Community Initiatives for Biodiversity Conservation, CIBIC, which works with communities living around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Its work focuses on improving local livelihoods while conserving the biodiversity of this important protected area, recognising that the long term protection of the forest depends upon the communities living alongside it.

People

Keeping tourism income within Uganda and ensuring local communities benefit from our visits is an important part of this journey. We work with Ugandan guides, drivers, rangers and wildlife trackers throughout the trip and favour locally based accommodation with strong connections to their surrounding communities.

Kyaninga Lodge was built with the involvement of the local village, while Katara Lodge employs people from nearby communities and sources ingredients locally for its restaurant. This helps ensure that spending on accommodation and food creates employment and income within the areas we visit.

At Budongo Eco Lodge, where we stop for lunch following our chimpanzee tracking experience, the lodge also serves as a training centre for young Ugandans looking to develop careers in hospitality and tourism.

In Katara Village, guests join a guided community walk and meet members of a local women's empowerment group. This creates an opportunity to learn directly about their work and lives while supporting initiatives that create opportunities for women within the community.

Our stay at Haven Lodge Buhoma has an especially direct community benefit. The lodge was established by the Buhoma Mukono Community Development Association, BMCDA, which brings together more than 9,000 community members with the aim of improving livelihoods, developing skills and conserving local natural resources. The organisation helps local people gain employment and develop skills that can lead to careers within tourism.

The lodge employs Ugandan staff and its chefs prepare meals using locally grown produce. Revenue generated through accommodation and community experiences is channelled through BMCDA into local projects, including schools, clean water initiatives, rainwater harvesting, fruit and vegetable growing projects and a community savings and credit cooperative.

While in Bwindi, we also spend time with Community Initiatives for Biodiversity Conservation, CIBIC. The organisation works with communities living on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to improve livelihoods while protecting the biodiversity of the forest. It is an important part of the journey because it allows our guests to see the connection between conservation and community first hand.

Through our choice of locally connected accommodation, Ugandan guides and drivers, community visits and conservation organisations, we aim to make sure the benefits of tourism extend well beyond the individual traveller and contribute to the people and places that make this journey possible.