Post - Our Accommodation in Uganda

Our Accommodation in Uganda

Our accommodation while in Uganda was all booked as part of a package trip booked with Xavier’s Safari Memories. We felt it was easier to arrange everything through one contact person instead of booking it ourselves. The only ones we needed to book ourselves were for Kampala on the first night and Entebbe for the last night as they were not part of the package.

In general the accommodation was nice, the food was good, and the facilities were up to scratch. What we had booked could be considered as mid-level range, neither budget nor luxury, although both were available in some of the places we stayed.

If you’re looking for information on places to stay in Uganda then see the post below and hopefully you can find the information you are looking for.

 

1. Cassia Lodge, Kampala

Cassia Lodge is a beautiful setting looking over Lake Victoria and the capital city of Kampala. It is situated in one of the richer areas of the city. The accommodation block is overlooking the swimming pool and if you are on the upper floor level you will have some nice views from your balcony out over the scenery. The room is nice and spacious and provides mosquito nets over the bed and a comfortably sized toilet and shower.

The Room
The accommodation block in Cassia Lodge
The accommodation block in Cassia Lodge
The bedrooms of Cassia Lodge are large and comfortable with access to the balconies
The bedrooms of Cassia Lodge are large and comfortable with access to the balconies
The bathroom at Cassia Lodge
The bathroom at Cassia Lodge
Looking out over Lake Victoria from the balcony at Cassia Lodge
Looking out over Lake Victoria from the balcony at Cassia Lodge

The restaurant block is adjacent to the accommodation building and has the reception area on the ground floor and the bar and restaurant on the first floor. The restaurant has an outdoor seating area which is beautiful to sit on at evening time and listen to the sounds of frogs and look out over Lake Victoria.

This building houses the reception area downstairs and the restaurant and bar upstairs
This building houses the reception area downstairs and the restaurant and bar upstairs
There are beautiful views over Lake Victoria from the outside sitting area in the restaurant
There are beautiful views over Lake Victoria from the outside sitting area in the restaurant
The garden of Cassia Lodge which is visible from the balconies and is next to the swimming pool
The garden of Cassia Lodge which is visible from the balconies and is next to the swimming pool
The swimming pool at Cassia Lodge
The swimming pool at Cassia Lodge

The food in the restaurant is really good and we were very impressed by the menu and the quality of the food. A lot of locals will come to the restaurant at night for a romantic meal and it’s easy to see why. The restaurant also has an inside seating area if you don’t want to sit outside. The bar is nice and cozy if you wanted to relax in here for a while.

The internal restaurant area is large and can hold a lot of people
The internal restaurant area is large and can hold a lot of people
The bar area in Cassia Lodge though most people prefer to sit outside and admire the views
The bar area in Cassia Lodge though most people prefer to sit outside and admire the views

2. Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale National Park

We spent two nights in this accommodation and we really enjoyed it. The grounds were really well maintained, with a tea plantation just to the front of the restaurant area, and a view overlooking the crater lake in the near distance. Sit here and relax and enjoy the sun setting off in the distance as you relax after your chimpanzee tracking experience that day.

The sun setting on the horizon over the mountains and the lake casts a beautiful glow over the restaurant
The sun setting on the horizon over the mountains and the lake casts a beautiful glow over the restaurant
Taking a stroll through the tea plantation on the grounds
Taking a stroll through the tea plantation on the grounds
The Villas

The thatched roof villas are all spaced out from each other giving a very private feeling to the area. You have a little covered balcony to sit on and if it’s raining its lovely to sit here and listen to the rain hitting the leaves of the banana trees.

 

The external view of one of the guesthouses
The external view of one of the guesthouses
A view from behind one of the guesthouses showing the views onto the tea plantations beyond
A view from behind one of the guesthouses showing the views onto the tea plantations beyond

The bedroom is comfortable, and the bathroom, while looking a little strange at first due to the full floor being of rounded stones, even in the shower, does the job.

The bedrooms in the guesthouses have two beds and lots of room
The bedrooms in the guesthouses have two beds and lots of room
The bathroom to the guesthouse
The bathroom to the guesthouse
The shower is unusual in that the whole surface is made up of stones
The shower is unusual in that the whole surface is made up of stones

The restaurant looks out over the tea plantations and is a set menu. You will get a choice of a few dishes to pick from, and to be fair they were all good. We had absolutely no complaints about the food here.

The inside of the restaurant and bar area
The inside of the restaurant and bar area

The grounds of the guesthouse are extremely well maintained and part of it is set aside for anyone who is camping instead of staying in villas.

The well manicured lawns leading down to the restaurant
The well manicured lawns leading down to the restaurant
One of the tents camped on the grounds of the guesthouse
One of the tents camped on the grounds of the guesthouse

 

3. Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park

What better way to experience the wildlife of Africa than to sit on your balcony and listen to the hippos making noise on the lake shore just below you, or to have the chance to have elephants walking past your front door. This accommodation provides just that opportunity!

The view over the lake as the sun started to set in the evening
The view over the lake as the sun started to set in the evening

The bush lodge eating area is out in the open, with fires and lamps lit at night, giving a real adventurous feel to the place. The food is again a set menu, but is of a really good quality. Sitting in the eating area at night with the fires burning and the sounds of the various animals around is an amazing experience.

At night the eating area was all lit up with a campfire and kerosene lamps
At night the eating area was all lit up with a campfire and kerosene lamps
The eating area in the day time
The eating area in the day time
The Lodge

The accommodation we stayed in was one of the villas, and it was top notch. The villa was large with a nice toilet, and a balcony you could sit on at night. The shower room was external and while this may take some people by surprise it adds to the experience. You will need to tell the staff when you are planning on having a shower as they need to manually add hot water to the tanks.

The outside of the accommodation
The outside of the accommodation
The bedroom had an nice comfortable feeling with a good decor
The bedroom had an nice comfortable feeling with a good decor
The WC was seperated from the shower area
The WC was seperated from the shower area
The shower area was outside at the back of the lodge and gave a wild feeling to showering
The shower area was outside at the back of the lodge and gave a wild feeling to showering

One other thing to note is that if you are moving around at night time then you need to inform the staff so they can send somebody with you in case you encounter one of the large wild animals which are prone to wandering into the lodge at night.

As well as the villas, the lodge also provides tented accommodation.

The tented accommodations in the lodge
The tented accommodations in the lodge

 

4. Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Kabale

As the sun goes down and the mist closes in on the mountains not too far away, you get a feeling of what it must have been like for Diane Fossey when she visited the mountain gorillas in this part of the world. The greenery of the jungle fills the hills that rise close by. Sitting beside the open fire in the night time you get the chance to revisit the memories of the day and listen to everybody else’s gorilla encounters along with telling them your own.

The view from the accommodation showing the mist covered mountains of Bwindi National Park
The view from the accommodation showing the mist covered mountains of Bwindi National Park
The balcony of the accommodation looks out over the green misty valleys
The balcony of the accommodation looks out over the green misty valleys
The villas are nice and you feel like you are living among the trees in the rainforest
The villas are nice and you feel like you are living among the trees in the rainforest
The Villas

The villas in Rushaga are large and well spaced out from each other. They have some stunning views from them, and a lovely balcony area to sit on. The bathroom and the toilet and shower are large and very sufficient. Our only issue with the accommodation was that the first night we had no hot water even though we were told there was. The staff moved us to a different villa the next night and it was fine then. Make sure and check the hot water if you are expecting it just to make sure you don’t end up having a cold shower!

The bedroom furniture is all made of wood and gives a rustic feeling
The bedroom furniture is all made of wood and gives a rustic feeling
The bathroom was large although we had an issue with the hot water in the first accommodation we stayed in
The bathroom was large although we had an issue with the hot water in the first accommodation we stayed in

The restaurant served a buffet type meal and this was excellent. There was soup and a variety of main courses to choose from. After the dinner you could sit on the veranda outside or take the short walk down to the open firepit to relax for the remainder of the evening. As the camp is up in the mountains it gets surprisingly cold here so the open firepit is a good option!

The restaurant is nice and has a good buffet for dinner
The restaurant is nice and has a good buffet for dinner
In the evenings the open air fire is lit and its nice to sit around and relax after your day gorilla tracking
In the evenings the open air fire is lit and its nice to sit around and relax after your day gorilla tracking

 

5. Bunyonyi Overland Resort, Kabale

Situated on the shore of Lake Bunyonyi this accommodation is mainly focused to what are termed as the ‘Overlanders’. This is the large trucks you may encounter on your journey around Uganda that carry a large number of backpackers and who are mostly on a camping trip pitching their own tents and cooking their own food. However it also has separate accommodation available in the form of villas for those not camping.

Some of the overlander tents beside the lake
Some of the overlander tents beside the lake
The middle tier of accommodation was similar to a tent in a treehouse
The middle tier of accommodation was similar to a tent in a treehouse
Problems at Bunyonyi

When we first checked into Bunyonyi we were brought to a pretty small and dark villa which we politely asked to be changed. It wasn’t what we had expected. We were given two choices, another larger villa, or a cave villa. This was a villa built to look like a cave. We choose this one as it was different. However, after we had settled in we noticed there was no power and no water. We were told this was a problem with the local supply and the generators would be turned on at 1800 in the evening.

We took a walk around the resort to pass the time but at 1815 there was still no power. After a lot of discussion with different people we were told our side of the camp would only get power and water after the kitchen had finished serving at 2230! Obviously this led to more frustration and complaining, and eventually we got our power and water!

The outside of the cave house we stayed in at Bunyonyi
The outside of the cave house we stayed in at Bunyonyi
The Cave House

The room itself was average, partly our own fault for expecting something amazing out of the cave room. But after an active trip we wanted just a place to rest ourselves. This resort is definitely more aimed at campers and Overlanders, and to be honest we wouldn’t really recommend it if you are looking for a nice place to stay and relax on your trip.

The bedroom gave a real feel of adventure with its bare walls and minimalistic design
The bedroom gave a real feel of adventure with its bare walls and minimalistic design
The bathroom in the cave house was sufficient though not of the most appealing looking
The bathroom in the cave house was sufficient though not of the most appealing looking

 

We had no complaints with the food or the restaurant however, these were really good with a large menu and some really good food. There was a masseuse located on the property too if you wanted a massage.

The restaurant and buffet area for breakfast in the resort
The restaurant and buffet area for breakfast in the resort
The outside restaurant area was almost on the lake and was nice in the evenings
The outside restaurant area was almost on the lake and was nice in the evenings
The bar in Bunyonyi Overland Resort
The bar in Bunyonyi Overland Resort

But unfortunately the standard of the villa, and the problem with the power and water took the joy from this accommodation. We also noticed that there was a terrible smell coming from the toilets and showers for the campers so again this was a negative for us.

The spa were you can arrange for a variety of massages
The spa were you can arrange for a variety of massages

We know that some people will say “but it’s Africa, you can’t expect luxury everywhere”, and we understand that. But if you are told that something is going to be provided and it’s not, or when you see that some places even more remote can manage to have power and hot water and this one can’t, then it creates a problem.

Its possible to get a boat ride in one of the traditional dugout canoes on the lake
Its possible to get a boat ride in one of the traditional dugout canoes on the lake

 

6. Pineapple Guest House, Entebbe

On our last night before leaving Uganda we checked into this accommodation in the town of Entebbe. With a colonial decoration and a homely feeling it was a nice place to spend our last night in this beautiful country.  

The gardens where you could sit and relax with a coffee
The gardens where you could sit and relax with a coffee

On arrival we were greeted by the hostess and shown to our room. It was an average size, as expected in a house, but had tea, coffee, and fruit provided for us. We had asked if the restaurant was open and as it was after 2000 when we arrived we were told no. But to be fair they brought us some bread and butter which was a nice gesture from them.

The reception area in the guesthouse
The reception area in the guesthouse

 

The room was more similar to a hotel room
The room was more similar to a hotel room
The bed was fully protected with a mosquito net
The bed was fully protected with a mosquito net
The bathroom at Pineapple Guessthouse
The bathroom at Pineapple Guessthouse

The guesthouse felt like it was lived in by the owners with some nice decoration. Especially on the first floor landing level and the sitting room. It felt homely and welcoming.

The upstairs landing area gave a very colonnial feel to the accommodation
The upstairs landing area gave a very colonnial feel to the accommodation

The breakfast in the morning was simple but nice. The property has a swimming pool, which we didn’t get a chance to take advantage of unfortunately. All in all, the guesthouse was a nice way to end our time in Uganda.

The dining area in the guesthouse
The dining area in the guesthouse

 

Conclusion

In general the accommodation was nice; there were a little minor issues in some but these we got over. They all had hot water available which was good and to be honest not to be expected in the wilds of Africa.  The food was decent in all and if you wanted a beer to help you relax after your day it was possible to get one.

Of course there were many more places available to choose from, but hopefully the above list will help in your decisions when you are booking accommodation in Uganda, either by yourself or through a tour company.

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