Rushaga Gorilla Lodge

Location: Exceptional proximity to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest’s Rushaga Sector , ideal for gorilla trekking.

We had a great stay at the Rushaga Gorilla Lodge while traveling with Shadows of Africa! We stayed here for two nights and spent one day trekking with gorillas in the Bwindi Forest. Our hotel "tent" was very comfortable and had all the standard amenities of a regular hotel room, with the added bonus of being in the middle of the jungle! Sleeping at night, my husband and I both said it was like we were in the real-life version of the "jungle" noise machine option! It was so peaceful listening to the birds and the sound of the jungle as we fell asleep. The room had a restroom with a hot shower that had good water pressure, and there were toiletries provided as well - which was great because our airline had lost our luggage! The mattress was a little on the firmer side, but we still slept fine. The wifi didn't reach the hotel room itself, but that was preferred given that we were on an adventure in nature! The main area where the dining room and bar area are was very nice and had a gorgeous lookout over the mountain and valley below. Our server during our stay was so kind and would make sure we were always taken care of, even if we were just relaxing on the patio and enjoying the view. A local community group of singers and dancers also performed on our first night there, and it was a real pleasure to hear them in a small setting. They also had handicrafts that we could purchase after their performance for reasonable prices. Meals were very good and we had buffets both times for dinner during our stay! There was a fair amount of variety, and we had many choices for breakfast as well. Because we didn't have our luggage, we weren't as prepared as we wanted to be for our trek, but the lodge helped us out and we were able to rent rain jackets and gaiters for our boots for very cheap. This is a great hotel for gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Forest, and I highly recommend it!

A great mid-range lodge run by Elizabeth who ran a team that provided a really good service. The views from our balcony and the restaurant/bar were amazing over the Bwindi Forest. A small frustration was that it makes a big play about the pool - but it was empty when we got there! The web site says that it is only a 10 min walk to the entrance to the park and the Gorillas. This is broadly true (perhaps 15 mins), however, when you start the Gorilla trek you need to have access to a vehicle to drive you to the start point of the walk depending on where the Gorilla families are (perhaps one start point may have been the gate, I don't know - but most people drove away). We had a wonderful experience at the Lodge and with the Gorillas.