Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge: Overlooking Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, the Lodge is one of the lodges found in Bwindi. Volcanoes national park is a luxury lodge found in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Buhoma sector is found in the northern region of the park harboring 5 mountain gorilla families among which include Mubare gorilla family which is the eldest family in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is a luxury lodge in Buhoma with great views of the forest canopy across the stream. Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is among those few places where travelers have a chance to encounter mountain gorillas going through the bush around the lodge. The lodge also gives perfect views of most of the park animals that move around the lodge throughout the day.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge comprises 8 spacious bandas and 2 deluxe bandas of timber, stones, and grass-thatched roofs that are perfectly built facing the forest. Each room at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge has an en-suite shower room, sitting area, and a laptop safe. The lodge has a large terrace that overlooks the Bwindi forest and it gives a great view of the birds and different wild animals in the park.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge has free parking, free internet, free breakfast, laundry services, spa and massage, a gift shop, a bar with soft and hard drinks, and a restaurant with well-skilled chefs who prepare local and international dishes. Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is one of the places to stay of you are looking for luxury accommodation facilities on your safari in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
Getting to volcanoes Bwindi lodge
The quickest way to get to Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge if you are going to use road transport is flying to Kigali international airport and crossing to Uganda through Katuna border in Kabale and Cyanika border in Kisoro. The journey from Kigali to Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is 5 hours full of great views of the surroundings.
Travelers can as well get to Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge by road transport from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro to Buhoma region of the park. The journey from Kampala to this safari Lodge is 9-10 hours with stopovers at places such as the equator. Luxury travelers can access Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge by flying to Kihhi airstrip which is located in Buhoma region of Bwindi.
Activities to do while staying at volcanoes Bwindi lodge
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the most done activity done by travelers staying at volcanoes Bwindi. The activity starts early in the morning with trekkers waking up for morning breakfast and then join the driver to transfer then the sector offices. At the sector offices is where all travelers gather for a briefing from the park wardens. Groups not exceeding 8 people are made and armed ranger guides lead the trek.
Searching for mountain gorillas in Buhoma region can take 2-7 hours of meeting different park animals and the time taken to locate the mountain gorilla family depends on the location of the group and the speed of trekkers. When the mountain gorillas are located, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the family and this enables them to learn about the gorilla habits, watch the members do daily activities, take photos, and record videos.
Birding
Buhoma is one of the best birding regions of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and there for guests staying at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge interested in birding activities shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity. Birding activities are done using well-developed trails in the park with a help of armed ranger guides.
Birds to watch out for in Buhoma region of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park include great blue turaco, African jacana, grey crowned crane, forest robin, little greenbul, grew wagtail, brown chested alethe, olive thrush, sedge warbler, forest robin, honey guide greenbul, wood warbler, green crombec, tiny sunbird, dusky tut, tut hylia, banded prinia, white chinned prinia, swamp flycatcher, and olive sunbird among others.
Batwa cultural tour
Guests staying at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge can take a visit to the Batwa community near the park. the Batwa settled around the park boundaries after being evicted from the forest in 1991 to protect endangered mountain gorillas. A visit to Batwa is led by the local guide that knows more about the Batwa culture and he takes you around the park boundaries telling you how they used to survive in the jungle feeling on fruits, meat from small animals, and honey. When you get to the Batwa community, you will visit different homesteads and interact with the local people. You will get to know how they live they day to day life and be part of the activities such as food preparation. You will get entertained by the local dancers through dances and drama.
Nature walks
Travelers staying at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge can be part of the nature walk activities that are done inside the park and even around the lodge. The nature walk activities are led by well-trained guides who take you around the bush with opportunities of meeting different park animals such as bush pigs, duikers, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, elephants, birds such as tropical boubou, montane oriole, collared sunbird, olive sunbird, tinny sunbird, ashy flycatcher, and winding cisticola among others.
Best time to visit
Travelers can visit Buhoma region of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and stay at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge at any time of the year however there are months that are better than the rest. The dry season is the best time to stay at Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge and trek mountain gorillas of Bwindi because it’s characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails dry, the vegetation around the lodge and inside the lodge is short with good views of the wild animals and the roads leading to the park are in good conditions.
Travelers can still visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and stay at this Lodge in the rainy season but this favors the budget travelers because the lodge gives out discounts. The rainy season occurs from March to May and October to November and is characterized by too much rainfall that makes the trekking trails in the park muddy and slippery, the roads are in poor conditions and the vegetation around the park and the lodge is tall with unclear views of the park animals.