Situated in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge consists of 8 cottages built from the volcanic rock in the region. Each cottage has its own dual fireplace that heats up both the bedroom and the lounge areas, twin basin bathrooms with showers, comfortable sofas, king size beds with soft linen, thick carpeting with big chunky cushions. Each cottage has been individually themed with commissioned artwork from some of Uganda’s finest artists (the cottage we stayed in had various paintings of guinea fowl on the walls). The cottages are spacious, homely and extremely comfortable. There are two cottages that have two separate en-suite bedrooms which are ideal for families or groups travelling together.

The lodge itself is spacious with a very homely feel to it. The lounge area consists of a number of fireplaces, numerous comfortable sofas with big cushions, paintings from Ugandan artists, exposed wooden ceiling beams, locally crafted and carved chunky wooden coffee tables and thick soft to the touch carpeting. The lodge has been built in a U shape with the bar area on the one side and the dining area on the other with the lounge/sitting area in between.
The food at Clouds is tasty, well prepared and a lot of thought has gone into each meal. Lunches ranged from platters of roasted vegetables with penne and fish cakes which also came with a side dish of toasted pita breads with homemade hummus and babaganoush on the side, to tagliatelle with ratatouille, roasted vegetables & shavings of pecorino cheese. This was served with a platter of cold chicken breasts and a Greek and green salad on the side - very tasty and very nutritious. Dinners consisted of 3 courses and ranged from curried lentil soup to start, succulent lamb cutlets with mint jelly, ratatouille & crispy chips along with fluffy, melt in your mouth Chocolate Mousse. One of the other meals served was baked fish with ratatouille, rice and roasted vegetables. The chef at Clouds caters for all types of palates from the vegetarians right through to the fruitarians. Some of the food prepared at Clouds comes from the local community in the form of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables and the rest which is not easy to come by in Bwindi, is from Kampala.
There is an extensive range of wines available which come from some of South Africa’s finest wineries along with a wide variety of spirits, beers and aperitifs.
Guests at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge are regarded as special and are treated as such. A butler is allocated to each couple or guest staying at the lodge and each cottage has its own cleaner who takes care of the little things during your stay. The butler will ensure that you have everything you need to make your stay even more comfortable than it is. He will not only take your meal orders, bring you drinks, light the fire and bring you the best brewed coffee in the morning with your wake up call, but he will even take you down to the local craft shops to buy some locally crafted wood carvings of gorillas and woven Nkuringo baskets. The cottage assistant will ensure that you are not without any of the little luxuries that are supplied in your cottage from imported hand creams and shower gels, to fresh clean thick towels and if you would like any of your clothes washed during your stay, then the cottage assistant will ensure it happens.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge with the ultimate goal of protecting the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla, will also directly benefit the Community of Nkuringo who have a stake in the venture – working hand in hand with the temporary management staff, the community is to become fully independent and self reliant with their skills and knowledge gained over the last six months.
As well as the obvious attraction of the Mountain Gorilla, the forest offers a wide variety of mammal and bird life that compliments your safari experience while tracking. The Nkuringo Community experience offers guests a unique experience to visit the local blacksmith and other community projects, many who work with natural materials which have been used in the lodge interiors; or for the adventurous type a trip to the local traditional healer is a must.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge truly is a special place and a must to visit. Accommodation at Clouds ranges from around 450 USD per person per night inclusive of meals and drinks (wines and beers). It is not cheap but then again quality never is!
For more information, please contact: Wildplaces Africa
Tel: (041) 4251182 / (031) 2261658. Email: info@wildplacesafrica.com.
Website: www.wildplacesafrica.com / www.safariuganda.com