Extraordinary Africa>Uganda>Mgahinga>Mount Gahinga Lodge
Mount Gahinga Lodge is, in our view, the only place to stay if you want to visit Mgahinga National Park and is a very comfortable spot which prioritises sustainability.
What’s Mount Gahinga Lodge really like?
The worst bit of Mount Gahinga Lodge is arriving (and leaving). The road in isn’t that great, and while there’s been talk for some time about fixing it, as far as we know this is still TBC. Like all good things though Mount Gahinga Lodge rewards those who put in the effort, and it’s a rather charming spot to be.
There are eight stone and thatch cottages, simply decorated with toasty fire and a stone terrace outside where early risers can hear the dawn chorus. Two of the rooms are deluxe bandas and have a sitting room as well as slightly more ornate design. The main lodge is in a similar style, with a homely feel- cosy fires and sofas, and a large central dining table.
What can I do at Mount Gahinga Lodge?
Pretty much every guest who comes to Mgahinga will try the gorilla trekking, and you’re just a short distance from park HQ here, but we’d also recommend the golden monkey trekking for a fun, if challenging, hike. For twitchers there’s a lovely bird walk with a chance to spot some of the Albertine Rift endemics.
Other hikes include heading to the top of Mount Gahinga or Mount Muhavura. These are both tough hikes, especially the latter, but how often do you get to climb a volcano? For something a little more leisurely, there’s a hike of a couple of hours to the Kizoki caldera, which has glorious views on a clear day.
Giving back at Mount Gahinga…
Praveen, the owner of Mount Gahinga has a passionate love for the Virunga Mountains and is committed to giving back to the wildlife and community. In this incredibly densely populated part of Uganda, land is hugely costly, and for the impoverished Batwa who had been evicted from the park, finding a permanent home was extremely difficult.
Via the support of Praveen and the VSPT, 10 acres of land were purchased as a base for the Batwa to make a longer term home, building houses and with space to grow their crops. A number of community tourism enterprises have been set up to enable the Batwa to generate income, and should you wish to visit and learn about their historic way of life this can easily be arranged.
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