Gorilla and Golden Monkey safari in Uganda

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION:
This luxury itinerary has been designed to ensure that it has a positive impact on the planet. We encourage travellers to plan a longer trip farther away and stay longer in one place instead of taking multiple short trips each year.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE:
When in conservation areas, it is vital that we hand-pick lodges that have a positive impact on the environment and actively preserve this for future generations. For example whilst guests are staying at Mount Gahinga Lodge, Volcanoes Safari and Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust are the single largest stakeholders in the gorge ecosystem, without the help of these organisations the survival of the gorge and chimps would be under threat. Guests can also join the Lion Monitoring Team as they search for lion, leopard and hyena part of the annual census.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY:
It is very important that we promote small boutique lodges that have a positive impact on their surroundings and give back to the local community by supporting local small businesses and employing from the local area. We make a special effort to recommend lodges that support local businesses by supplying local produce and selling local handicrafts and artwork. The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust has a long term partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute Uganda which reinforces community led conservation.

Starting in 2016, Virunga Lodge has been providing plastic water tanks to the local community with the support of our guests. Although it rains heavily around Virunga Lodge, there are very few facilities for water catchment and storage and in the dry season there is an acute shortage of water. The village communities around Virunga lodge do not have enough clean water for drinking or for growing crops. Virunga Lodge has donated 140 tanks to all households in Sunzu village. As of September 2023, 121 tanks have also been donated to families in Bugeyo village.

Visit the Gorilla Health and Community Conservation centre in Buhoma, Bwindi which offers a community health program working with villages promoting hygiene, sanitation, family planning and infectious disease prevention and control through education and referring suspect TB, HIV, Scabies and diarrhea patients. Tourists can visit to see what help they can provide to the communities.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY:
All the guides referred to in this itinerary are employed locally and offer incredible knowledge about the history and communities of Uganda. We believe it is essential to have local guides as this provides a more authentic and cultural experience for travellers. Employing local guides ensures money goes back into the local community. We also ensure that the accommodation used in this itineraries also have strong inclusive policies and strict equal opportunities policy.