Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge

Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge is an accommodation facility located between Buhoma and Ruhija. Buhoma and Ruhija are some of the sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where mountain gorilla trekking is done. There are 5 mountain gorilla families in Buhoma region and 4 in Rushaga sector all available for trekking at any time of the year. Travelers staying at Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge can trek mountain gorillas in any of the two sectors based on their gorilla trekking permit.

Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge is a budget accommodation facility located near Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The lodge has good-sized bandas with private verandas that do give magnificent views of the Bwindi forest. The bandas are self-contained rooms with good-sized beds, bathrooms, mosquito nets, extra long bed sheets, and there is 24-hour solar power in the rooms.

Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge has free parking, free breakfast, airport transportation, car hire, laundry services, picnic area, chapel, children activities and pets are allowed at this lodge. They have an outdoor fireplace where guests sit in the evening hours to get some warmth and also listen to stories from different people. They have a bar with soft and hard drinks and they do have a restaurant with professional chefs who do prepare local and international dishes. Travelers who know Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge can always tell their local tour operators to book it during their safari in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Getting to Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge

Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge can be accessed using road transport from Kigali via Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale where you connect to the lodge taking you 4-5 hours. Travelers from Kampala/Entebbe will have to drive through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro to connect to the lodge and this takes 9-10 hours of different stopovers and fantastic views of the surrounding areas. Those that want to fly to Bwindi can use Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip and the flights can be from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport.

Activities to do while staying at Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge

Encountering mountain gorillas: Guests can stay at Eco Marvels Gorillas Lodge and encounter mountain gorillas in Buhoma region or Ruhija region since the located is located near these communities. On the day of gorillas trekking, you will be required to wake up early in the morning and head to the sector offices where you will meet other trekkers. You will gather for a briefing from the park wardens who will teach you about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. After you will be grouped not exceeding 8 people and each group will be led by armed ranger guides. These will take you around the sector until you meet a mountain gorilla family. When you meet the mountain gorilla family, you will be given 1 hour to be around the members, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.

Birding: The best birding activities while staying at Eco Marvel Gorilla Lodge are those done in Buhoma region where different birding trails have been made to enable birders to spot several birds. During the birding exercise, you will be able to encounter birds such as red chested sunbird, tiny sunbird, regal sunbird, swamp flycatcher, common fiscal, great blue turaco, sooty boubou, varrable sunbird, tropical boubou, slender-billed starling, montane oriole, compact weaver, red-headed malimbe, wallers starling, black kite, black bishop, dusky twin spot and common waxbill among others.

Batwa community visit: A visit to the Batwa people is organized for those that love the African culture. The Batwa people were forest dwellers that lived in the jungles of Bwindi until 1991 when the government evicted them to protect the mountain gorillas that were about to get extinct. The Batwa left the forest and settled around the park boundaries where travelers can visit them with a help of the Batwa guides. A visit to their communities takes you around the forest for a simple nature walk and this is to help you know how they survived here eating fruits, honey, and meat from small animals. You will visit their communities and interact with the members to know how they live their day to day life. You will be entertained by the traditional dancers at the end of it all and this is always through dance and drama.

Nature walks: Buhoma region is one of the areas that are considered to be good for nature walks and so many trails are found in this region to enable you to explore more of the park on foot. During the nature walks in Buhoma region, you will be able to spot a variety of plants species, rivers, animals such as elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, monkeys, olive baboons, chimpanzees, and birds such as grey crowned crane, great blue turaco, black kite and common waxbill among others.

When to stay at Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge

Most of the travelers staying at Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge are those visiting Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and the best season to visit this park is the dry season. The dry season occurs from June to September and December to February and they are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails keep dry, the vegetation is short and thin with good vies of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in good condition.

Travelers, especially budget travelers should visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and stay in Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge in the rainy season to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season occurs from March to May and October to November and they are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park and lodge are in poor condition.