Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge- Luxury Stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is for gorilla trekking enthusiasts and those seeking relaxation in one of Uganda’s most dense forests. Perched on a natural bluff, Clouds Safari Lodge provides breathtaking scenery of the Nyiragongo volcano on a clear night.
The 8 stone styled bedrooms, two of which are double-roomed family units for partners on travel provide the perfect opportunity to connect with the sights and sounds of Bwindi. Each of the rooms has its twin basin en suite bathroom equipped with electric lights, plug points, and a fireplace. Ample cupboard space for your gear and commissioned artwork from Ugandan artists adorn the walls throughout.
Sit back and relax in the comfortable chairs on the outdoor verandas provide the perfect vantage point to admire the unforgettable vistas of the forest below. Enjoy stunning views from the main balcony area stretch across to Rwanda and the Virungas and across the border towards Goma in the Congo.
As the evening falls, the bartender is on standby to offer you a glass of wine or champagne as you reflect on the day’s activities. Blazing fireplaces create a cozy glow as evening falls. Guided forest walks, bird-watching expeditions, and local community visits bring life to the clouds experience.
With Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge’s spacious rooms, and delicious food complimented by excellent staff, what more would you expect? The meals are prepared using the freshest local ingredients and served in front of a roaring fire in the dining area or the privacy of your stone cottage.
Located in Nkuringo, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is Bwindi’s most exclusive and luxurious place to stay. Endeavour to set foot in the southern part of Bwindi National Park and enjoy cloud nine.
How to Book a Gorilla Permit
If you have confirmed that you’ll be staying at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, You can purchase a gorilla permit directly from UWA. However, the process tends to be bureaucratic for individuals, hence making it easier to book through a reputable tour operator. You’ll start by selecting a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience in Uganda. You can also state when you wish your gorilla safari to start and end. This will help to ensure that a date for your gorilla tour is within your travel time.
When you enquire from us about your gorilla safari, our tour consultant checks for gorilla permit availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list.
As soon as there’s a gorilla permit availability on your dates, our consultant will get back to you shortly. This is because the status of the gorilla permits changes at any time without notifying anyone. The number of gorilla permits opened to the public is limited. A maximum of 8 treks for each gorilla family while 4 tourists visit each gorilla family for habituation.
Purchase your gorilla permit as soon as possible to avoid losing it since a first come, first served basis is used to book Uganda gorilla permits. You cannot reserve a gorilla permit without payment.
Later, forward us some personal details to add to your gorilla permit cards. These include your full name as presented on the passport, date of birth, nationality, passport expiry date, and others.
Can I pay for the Uganda Gorilla permit in installments?
Can I pay for a gorilla permit in installments? Yes, the Uganda Wildlife Authority accepts installment gorilla permit purchases. However, you must’ve booked your permits 90 days before the gorilla safari date and top it up 90 days before the gorilla tour date. Failure to comply with this will result in your gorilla permit being re-opened to the public without your notification. You stand to lose the deposit on your gorilla permit, too.
It is best to pay in full for your gorilla safari permit to avoid last-minute disappointment if you forget to top it up.
What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla Safaris In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
15 years and over is the age limit for gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The gorilla safaris include walking in the jungle, which is rough for a child below this age. Even the time spent locating the mountain gorillas is still being determined as sometimes tourists find the mountain gorillas in about 2 hours while others spend more time. It may be hard for children to cope with waiting to see the mountain gorillas.
How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
With your stay at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, you can be sure to see gorillas. Seeing the mountain gorillas is a sure activity even though they live in a vast jungle and are not restricted by anything from moving.
There is a 99% chance of seeing mountain gorillas in the jungle. This is because they live in cohesive families that do not move without reason. This is why they can be traced.
Each day, a team of ranger guides patrol the gorilla families to obtain where they might have spent the night and possible hangout spots for the day. Rangers and tourists use some of these clues to find the mountain gorillas.
Researchers first habituate each gorilla family for a certain amount of time until proven ready for public visits. Gorilla habituation is a process by which researchers help a wild gorilla family get used to humans’ presence without altering their nature. The process may take about two years or more as the gorilla family is under surveillance, and notes about it are recorded.
Tourists are asked to participate in searching for the mountain gorillas by looking out for clues gorillas leave behind. These include freshly leftover foliage, footprints, fresh dung, listening to murmurs, and much more.
How much is a Gorilla Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
From July 1st, 2024, the Uganda gorilla permit will cost $800 per person per trek. Other safari logistics compose the entire package.
At Safari Vacations and Travel Services, we work with you to package a gorilla tour to soothe your interests. We include logistics like accommodation, transport, and others. We package our safaris according to High-End, Mid-range, and Basic. Since Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is a luxury facility is a luxury facility, you may need to combine it with other luxury complementary services. Our goal for every safari is to offer value for money and make our customer’s safari dream of meeting mountain gorillas a reality and fun.
To make a gorilla safari quotation, some items we include are accommodation costs, transport costs, additional safari activities, and others. We charge the safari logistics according to the number of people traveling and the number of safari days. We also quote according to the type of safari package you travel, the time of booking, and others.
Is the cost of gorilla safari worth the expense?
Every coin you pay for your gorilla safari is worth the adventure. You get closer to the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world. You’re not only one of the lucky people for the day to be in the company of the mountain gorillas. But also, you get to prove the mountain gorillas’ actual life.
On the outside, the mountain gorillas look intimidating and grumpy. However, you realize how vulnerable they are when in their company. They are more scared of you and, when agitated, can quickly run into hiding instead of staging a war against you. While with the mountain gorillas, you cannot resist their adorable spell.
The UWA sells permits to collect more funds to support the conservation of the mountain gorillas. Most money from selling gorilla permits goes to mountain gorilla conservation. Even annually, a percentage of the funds from mountain gorilla safaris goes back to the community. This helps to compensate for the damages mountain gorillas cause when they straw into the community.
Hiring a porter helps you not get so tired from the heavy gorilla safari gear. A porter is a local person that tourists hire to carry your gorilla safari gear and may give you a push when tired. This is one way for the locals to earn from the presence of the mountain gorillas and appreciate their importance. Therefore, If you wish to give back to the local community directly, you may hire a porter.
What to expect when gorilla tracking in Uganda
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi starts early morning at the Forest Welcome Centre. Here, you will meet other tourists, and temperatures will be checked to ensure that you are fine and do not have any illnesses to spread to the gorillas. After the check-up, you will converge in the auditorium, where groups of local dancers will entertain you. A lead guide will then brief you about what to expect when gorilla trekking and the rules to follow during the trek.
You will be called and assigned a gorilla family when the briefing is over. The hikes in Bwindi fall into three categories: short, medium, and long treks. However, there is no guarantee about the length of the actual trek. Meanwhile, Your preference will be considered when assigning the sectors and gorilla family. This is also when you will be asked whether you require a porter, but we recommend that you get one to enjoy the trek bag free, and it is also a source of income for the locals.
What is the minimum age limit for gorilla trekking in Uganda?
The age limit for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years, and the change was made this year (2023) from 12 years by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The minimum age limit was set to ensure that everyone participating in the trek was mentally prepared and ready for the trek and could follow all the rules and regulations for gorilla trekking. No maximum age limit was set as long as the trekker should still be in good shape. Additionally, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has introduced Sedan chairs that porters carry. Older people can use the sedan chairs, and the cost ranges from $400 to $500.
Packing for a gorilla safari in Uganda
During a gorilla trek, you must be comfortable if you plan on enjoying the safari. Suggested items for the gorilla trek safari in Uganda include:
- Long-sleeved shirts and trousers in neutral colors.
- Insect repellent to avoid bug bites
- Strong hike boots should be waterproof, ankle-length, and well-fitting to prevent blisters on your feet.
- Refillable water bottle
- sunscreen
- Camera, extra camera lens, batteries, tripod, and waterproof camera bag
- Comfortable socks for warmth
- Gardening gloves to keep blisters off your hands
- A warm sweater and waterproof rain jacket
- Binoculars
- Walking/running shoes and sandals
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Wet wipes and sunhat
- Toiletries. Although these are found in lodges, it is better to carry some just in case you run out of what to use.
Getting to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
You have two options to get to Mgahinga and Bwindi National Park: By car or charter plane. The drive to both national parks is done using 4×4, well-maintained safari vehicles. The vehicles come with complimentary bottled water. They’re also comfortable enough for the long ride from Kampala to Bwindi, which takes 8 to 9 hours. Driving to the national park might be a long journey, but it is more scenic, and you get to enjoy the different attractions along the way, a stopover at the Equator monument, and Uganda’s daily life.
You can also drive from Rwanda through the Gatuna border, which takes about 4 to 5 hours to get to Bwindi. It is a shorter distance that tourists use, and the only downside of traveling from Rwanda to Bwindi is that you miss out on other safari destinations that are in Uganda.
We can arrange for Charter flights can be arranged daily through domestic companies. However, you need to inform us in advance to ensure the flights are available and not fully booked on the day of the trek. Flying is about an hour and forty-five minutes to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip. From here, a driver guide will be waiting with a safari vehicle to drive the rest of the journey to the park.
Best time for gorilla trekking
You can best go Gorilla trekking during the dry season, June to September, and December to February. It is easier to trek the gorillas during this period. This is because of the dry and easier trek routes for tracking and clear views of the gorillas due to the thinning out of the vegetation. The wet/rainy season, March to May and October to November, is also a good time to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking.
Best Activities to combine with gorilla trekking in Uganda
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda can be combined with several safari activities. When visiting Uganda for a gorilla trekking safari holiday, here are the best activities to combine with gorilla trekking in Uganda;
Batwa Cultural experience (Batwa Trail experience)
While on a gorilla trekking expedition in Uganda, you can also combine your tour with the unique Batwa Cultural experience. The Batwa Pygmies are a group of people who live across East Africa, specifically in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Batwa are the local inhabitants of the areas around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. They are known for their unique cultures and way of life that you can immerse yourself in during your Uganda Gorilla Trekking tour.
Initially, the Batwa lived within these forests in a semi-nomadic lifestyle, where they kept looking for shelter and food within the forest.
When you combine gorilla trekking in Uganda with the Batwa Cultural experience, you will get a chance to witness their traditional ways of life including dance and music, spirituality and beliefs, and their hunter-gatherer unique skills. You will enjoy great performances from the locals and perhaps have a chance to join them.
Visiting Lake Bunyonyi
During your gorilla trekking tour in Uganda, you can also embark on a thrilling expedition. This is a visit to one of Africa’s Deepest and most scenic Lakes, Lake Bunyonyi for an opportunity to witness a reminiscent of ‘‘Lord of the Rigs.’’ This breathtaking safari lake is a popular destination for safaris in Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi is popular for its numerous small islands and unique birdlife. During a visit here, you can have an opportunity to embark on activities like canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi.
Contact us to plan your safari to Uganda today and stay at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge. You can do so by filling out the form below
