Rwanda and Uganda Primate Safari

Karibu sits on Entebbe's hillside, ten minutes from the international airport in what was once a presidential residence. The individually decorated rooms offer king-sized beds and high-pressure showers, with organic Arabica coffee waiting each morning. The tropical grounds hold a swimming pool with natural waterfall and an organic garden that supplies the kitchen. More than fifty bird species move through the property — you'll hear them from the open-air restaurant, where the Mediterranean menu draws from the garden's produce. The in-house masseuse offers treatments, and the veranda overlooks the gardens where sunset drinks by the pool mark your arrival in Uganda with birdsong and the day's last light filtering through the canopy.

Your base for gorilla tracking sits on one of Bwindi's high ridges, where tented rooms on wooden platforms look out into the UNESCO-protected forest. The lodge keeps things simple — en suite bathrooms with forest-view bathtubs, a communal cottage with bar and restaurant for cooler evenings, and an outdoor fire area where meals and stories unfold under the canopy.

The real draw is what happens beyond camp. Daily gorilla tracking takes you into the thick-foliaged slopes with expert guides, moving in small groups until you encounter a family group in their natural habitat. Between tracking days, you can join community walks to meet local tea-pickers or visit with the Batwa people, or take guided forest walks to explore Bwindi's flora and smaller wildlife. Gorilla permits are available year-round, and the lodge's ridge position puts you close to multiple tracking starting points across this ancient forest.

Your base sits on the banks of the Nile within Murchison Falls National Park, where the river's flow carries the sound of the distant Falls across the savanna. From your banda, the view stretches over water where hippos surface in the shallows, and sunrise light moves across the current each morning.

The lodge offers deluxe bandas with river views, traditional freestanding tubs, and both indoor and outdoor showers. The Exclusive Banda includes a plunge pool and an outdoor Star Bed for sleeping under the open sky. Families can book the Family Villa, which spans multiple bedrooms, a loft, and a private pool overlooking the Shoebill Peninsula.

Your days here center on game drives through the park, boat safaris along the river, and guided walks through the surrounding landscape. The lodge also offers treatments in a floating massage house and arranges private dinners by the riverside. The outdoor bed in the Exclusive Banda places you directly under the Milky Way for those who want to sleep beneath the stars.

Set among Rwanda's green hills in the heart of Kigali, Hemingways Retreat places you within reach of the capital's markets, galleries, and landmarks. This eco-conscious boutique hotel runs on solar power, with rooms that open to private decks and outdoor rain showers. Saltwater plunge pools sit within quiet gardens, and the spa and fitness centre provide space to decompress after days in the city.

Fusion restaurant draws from Italian, Mauritian, and Moroccan influences, working with ingredients from the retreat's organic garden and local farms. Your days shape themselves: horseback rides on Mount Kigali, walking tours through the neighbourhood, visits to the Women's Centre, then back for sunset drinks and dinner. The retreat captures Kigali's particular blend of creative energy and quiet sophistication.

June through September brings the clearest weather for city exploration, with cool days that also suit gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park.

Sambora Kinigi Lodge sits within Volcanoes National Park, close to the trailheads where gorilla trekking begins. The property offers private cottages and suites, each with en-suite bathrooms, rain showers, and terraces that look out to either the gardens or the volcanic peaks. Your stay includes meals prepared from local ingredients, wine, and a massage after your day in the forest.

The lodge centers around a eucalyptus wood-fired hearth where you gather in the evenings. From here, you set out for gorilla encounters in the misty rainforest, cultural visits to nearby communities, or golden monkey tracking. The morning routine often begins with breakfast overlooking the volcanoes before you head into the park to meet Rwanda's silverback gorillas in their mountain habitat.

One&Only Nyungwe House sits at the forest edge in Gisakura, where the design draws from Rwandan traditions and frames views across working tea plantations. The 22 rooms and two Presidential Suites use a traditional color palette with modern amenities, while the main lodge centers around a lounge and dining area that opens to the surrounding landscape. A swimming pool and spa complete the facilities. The forest itself holds significance beyond its beauty — Birdlife International recognizes it as Rwanda's most important site for biodiversity conservation, a designation that speaks to what awaits beyond the lodge grounds.