Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite, near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

Location:

The Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite is located on a quiet piece of land on the Nteko ridge overlooking the beautiful Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This campsite is a great base for tracking the Nkuringo gorilla family or for exploring the surrounding area. The meeting point for the Nkuringo gorilla group trekking is only about 300 meters from the campsite which gives people staying at the campsite more time to sleep before tracking the gorillas early in the morning. Although getting to the campsite can be quite an adventure, it's worth the effort. There is a great vantage point on the campground which on a clear day offers spectacular views of the sunrise, surrounding volcanoes and Congo.

Room Comfort:

The rooms are small and basic but clean and comfortable. At the time of writing, the 5 simple twin-bed rooms each contained 2 twin beds and a small table. There was also 1 twin bed Banda and a couple more 'upscale' cottages were in the process of being built while we were there. The bathroom is shared and consists of pit toilets and bush showers that were clean and odourless. There is no heat or electricity in the rooms, so bring warm clothing for night, as it can get cooler in high altitudes even in the summer months. If you need to charge your batteries or cell phones, then notify the staff and they will do their best to get a generator going. Lanterns are provided at night for your room and for getting around the campsite. There is a handy clothes line outside of your room which helps with drying clothes, especially after trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest that can get pretty wet and muddy after rainfall.

Cleanliness:

The rooms and shared facilities are clean and well maintained.   

Service:

The service we received from the owner and hotel staff was excellent. While we were searching for accommodations in the Bwindi area, we came across the owner of the Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite, Robert, who was very helpful in our planning as he was always willing to share his knowledge about Uganda with us. The staff at the campsite were also also very kind and helpful. For example, since there is no running water at the campsite, we had to order the hot water for our showers. The staff boiled water for us and prepared the bush shower when we wanted, even if it was before the sun come up. The staff  was excellent in ensuring that our water was hot and ready for us at exactly the time we requested it. The same holds true for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The staff talked to the guests to find out if there were any special meal requirements and ensured that the meals were ready on time. Finally, one of the staff also took us around the village and showed us what life in the village is really like. We even had the opportunity to try homemade banana beer and banana alcohol from a local village bar.

Food:

The food was good. There is a small restaurant on site with a very small and unique kitchen. The prices of food are very reasonable given the isolated location of the campsite.

Overall Value:

Although the rooms and facilities are basic, our stay at this campsite was one of the highlights of our trip to East Africa. When you have the humbling experience of staying at a place like this, you realize that everything they provide is more than you need. Interacting with the local staff and people from the nearby village is an experience you can't get by staying elsewhere. Robert and his staff do a great job to ensure their guests have everything they need and are helpful to answer any questions that you may have. Overall, this is a great place to stay and experience East Africa.

Other Notes:

A performance is given by the Nkuringo Youth Initiative Group, which should not be missed! The performance is held in the early evening on top of a small hill overlooking the surrounding area. The people in the group range in age from 2 to 20 years of age and perform songs and dances that will make you fall in love with this area. The mission of their program is to teach youths not to beg for money but rather to work for it. The program also teaches equality among men and women. They put on beautiful and memorable performances! This is truly a highlight of the visit to the Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite.

We should also mention that we did run into one issue, which was resolved before we left the campsite. We had arranged transportation, (car and driver), from Kampala to the campsite through Robert for a standard price of US$125/day. Upon learning that other reputable companies offered transportation for US$100/day, we contacted Robert and asked if he would be able to match the price and, if not, then we would book with one of the other companies. Robert agreed to match the price so we decided to stick with the transportation Robert had arranged for us. Unfortunately, Robert provided us with a car that didn't seem to be properly maintained. The trip from Kampala to Bwindi usually takes about 9 hours, as the roads are not always well paved (or paved at all), but ours took well over 12 hours as our rental vehicle arranged through Robert broke down 3 times along the way. In the end, a staff member from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) took us the rest of the way, or about 1.5 hours, from where the van last broke down; for a small price of course. Unfortunately, our driver was stranded in the area for several more hours until he was able to get the van to a repair shop and have it fixed. When we finally arrived at the Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite that evening, Robert made it seem like it was our fault that we received a worse vehicle because we reduced the price of the hire. However, when we agreed on the new price, he failed to mention that he would be arranging a different vehicle for us based on that reduced price. If we had known that upfront we would have booked the car and driver with the other company. In the end, Robert did refund us the amount we paid to the UWA officer for driving us to the campsite and our original driver did make it to the campsite the following day with the repaired van, so the issue was resolved. If you are looking to hire a vehicle (and driver) in Uganda, the prices in 2009 ranged from US$80-US$150 plus gas, so shop around.

Our Rating: 4/5   Year Reviewed: 2009 

For the best possible price, please visit Expedia.ca. You can also visit the hotel's website at: www.nkuringocampsite.com

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