Best Safari Lodges and Camps in Uganda

Going exclusive camping is the best way of traveling in Uganda since most of the Camps in Uganda are very well designed when compared with self-contained hotels rooms.

Most of these camping sites are located within different National Parks visited in Uganda, its two ways when going Camping you can either go with your camping tents plus other equipment’s and you camp in the reserved camping sites or you book for permanently gazzeted tents.

Listed below are some of the best camps to stay while on your tour in Uganda. The safari vacation is well tailored according to different National Parks and regions.

Gorilla Forest Camp. This is one of the few Luxurious exclusive camp in the Northern Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It is one of the two camps located inside the park and thus ideal for gorilla trekking, bird watching and nature walks which are popular with Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Gorilla Forest camp has one of the finest and comfortable lounge and bar which acts as the restaurant too. Because of its location, the camp has often and many a time received surprise mountain gorilla visits which tend to excite guests.

The Gorilla Forest Camp belongs to the sanctuary retreat family of lodges and boosts of eight luxurious tents with comfortable warm beds, huge bathtubs and all tents have been strategically constructed in the jungle canopy offering you a relaxing mood especially after your gorilla trekking experience.

Gorilla Forest Camp offers excellent services with some of the best, experienced; professional and long serving managers, chefs and others that will look after you to make sure that your stay is great and memorable. They will make sure that all your meals are prepared and served in time, breakfast and packed lunch are all prepared to enable you arrive at the park headquarters in time for your briefing and exciting gorilla trek.

Lake Kitandara Tented Camp. This prosperous and beautiful tented camp, is located near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, has beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The camp’s central lounge area provides guests with a relaxing place to enjoy sun downers dine and share stories around the campfire at night.

Mount Gahinga Rest Camp. This is located in the suburbs of Mgahinga National Park with a reserved space near the park gate, you can do it by mounting your tent in the reserved space or if not that there is excellent traditional Banda’s for you which are managed by the local community.

Community Camp. If you are a traveler looking forward to visiting Mgahinga Gorilla National Park but hoping for the budget way of staying, just pack all your camping gears which include camping tents and other equipment’s and camp in the cheap community camping ground.

Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp. This is positioned close to the entrance of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park at 12km distance from Kisoro town which is 505km from Kampala the capital of Uganda.

The Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp overlooks the magnificent views of the Virunga Volcanoes where the three of the eight mountains are straight in your front namely; Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

For camping, this camp site features spacious camping grounds and guests are always encouraged to bring along their tents but the tents are available for those who want to hire.

Space is enough for those who wish to prepare the meals. Accommodation facilities at this place include three Banda’s, two dormitories, Camping tents provided, self camping, well stocked canteen with beers, sodas, snacks and other soft drinks, and Restaurant serving different Ugandan meals.

UWA Mweya Camp. It is located in the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park on the South end of the peninsula with few facilities and rattling with potentially dangerous wildlife after dark.

If you are up for an adventure, this is the place to go. The campsite has a number of dangerous animals, like hippos and lions that are frequent visitors.  If you intend to cook for yourself, bring your own food (or if you’re brave you could wander to Tembo canteen for a meal). But be careful after dark and don’t even think about it without a good torch.

Kasenyi Safari Camp. This camp site is strategically located at the edge of Lake Bunyampaka in the Kasenyi savanna area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It comes with an elevated dinning structure which is meticulously thatched. The tents are situated on the platforms with a thatched canopy roof.

The camp has 4 tents and all of them have en-suite bathrooms, luxurious living areas and private decks. Most wildlife species consequently come around the camp especially around the day and night. The notable ones include the hippos, leopards, buffalo, elephant, water buck, Kob, hyena, warthog, lions and many more. At night, you will be rewarded with the sounds of hyenas howling and lions roaring.

Crater Camp and Country Lodge. This area is also located in Queen Elizabeth National Park; it’s another best site for camping and also for luxurious cottage as it comes with amazing picnics, acacia and fig trees. The campsite motto “where nature and relaxation meet” so come and enjoy the natural wonders that Uganda offers to the world at crater campsite and country Lodge.

Simba Safari Camp. For budget travelers this is the best option for you while in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The camp is situated at the centre of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.

The rooms are up to date and they are very clean and comfortable. Each room consists of front porch and amazing landscaping featuring some of Africa’s finest flowers and plants.

Kibale Forest Camp. Where better to capture the thrill of a howling black and white colobus or to listen to the wood owl calling his partner, than from the comfort of your tent in Kibale Forest Camp? Get absorbed by forest smells and sounds, spot primates swinging through the trees and observe rare birds and beautiful butterflies fluttering around.

Have a break from your daily concrete jungle life and experience the real thing. Kibale Forest Camp offers an affordable classic canvas experience in the form of 10 African safari style tents tucked away in a lush forest.

A budget alternative is our lazy camping on our campsite. Complemented by excellent food served in a cozy grass thatched restaurant, the camp forms your perfect base if you are looking for an affordable and comfortable place from where to explore the area.

Kibale Forest Camp is located in a patch of evergreen forest, just outside the southern part of the National Park. It borders the Magombe swamp, known for the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and is a mere it is a 10 min drive to Kanyanchu visitor centre, the place from where your chimp track will start.

Kanyanchu Rest Camp. Kanyanchu is the focal point for tourism activities found in the central part of the park. The main tourist attraction is the opportunity to track chimpanzee in their habitation of this rain forest. A group of chimpanzees has been habituated in this forest since 1991 and the probabilities of encountering the good indeed.

Note that the park is just the locations that are no motorable tracks open to tourists.

The Chimpanzee Experience allows accompany Kibale’s researchers & habituators at chimpanzee all through their daily activities, thereby getting used to human presence without changing their natural you’ll be able to expect to see the chimps de-nesting between 05.30 to 06.30, during the day till they make new nests and at night around 19.00. The Experience runs all through the tourist low season months of March, April, May & November.

UWA Camp Site. This is a protected area located in the Southern part of Murchison Falls National Park managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority, it offers budget camping at the top of the falls for Uganda safari undertakers who would wish to use budget accommodation facilities.

Red Chill Rest Camp. Red Chill is superbly located to explore Murchison. This Camp is at Paraa on the southern bank of the River Nile in the heart of the park. It is just 500 metres from the Paraa ferry, where all vehicles cross the Nile for game drives around the Nile Delta, and from where boats can be hired for game viewing and sport fishing on the Nile either up to the base of the fall, or down to the Nile delta at Lake Albert.

There is a fully stocked bar and restaurant below a large open thatched roof with spectacular views towards the Nile. The bar serves drinks from 6.15am until midnight and meals are available at the following times: Breakfast 7.20am – 10.30am, Lunch 11.30am – 3pm, Dinner 6.30pm – 9pm. Breakfast and lunch are Á la carte, whereas at dinner we offer a choice of 3 different dishes daily: one red meat, one white meat/fish and one vegetarian option.

We cater for other dietary requirements on request – please call/email to discuss. They also supply packed breakfasts (please order before 8pm the previous day) and lunches. Tea and coffee are available so long as the bar is open.

Leopard Rest Camp. This is the perfect budget campsite for all your needs! Located just 2 minutes outside the Nshara entrance gate, it is the only budget campsite on the north side of Lake Mburo National Park. They offer a variety of accommodation and activity & safari options for every type of travelers. Eco friendly, family friendly, budget friendly, group & overland truck friendly, and accommodate anything.

Popularly known for their fabulous three-course meals, whether you’re planning on visiting the park, or just passing through the area for a quick meal or a night’s stay, they have got you covered.

Pull up a chair around their nightly campfire, grab a cold one, and enjoy the beautiful sunset views and a crystal-clear view of the night stars.

Rwonyo Rest Camp. It’s well managed by UWA and was constructed using the local materials like the thatched grass and wood that gives a true African adventure. Many wild animals come around this camp to give the visitors a chance to view game without going on a game drive.

This camp has Banda’s as well as tented rooms that are well furnished and the Banda’s are built inform of wooden hats and have got shared showers and the tented rooms are also built on an elevated wooden platform and have got private showers. The Rwonyo tents are a bit more expensive compared to the Banda’s. You will be given space where you will pitch your own tent.

For those who want to hire tents, they can get them from many companies together with other camping facilities. This Rwonyo rest camp is so ideal as a good place for budget travelers.

Apoka Rest Camp. Sixteen self-contained chalets are offered at Apoka Rest Camp which is a hostel consisting of Fourteen Banda’s each having 2 beds; the Banda’s are actually not self-contained.

With regard to visitors who choose camping, this park has 2 ‘Do it yourself’ camping grounds. You have to carry your own tent along with other camping gear. Guests are recommended to carry enough food as well as drinks to last them throughout their stay within the park.

Cooking may be organized by the staff of the camp and also other additional diet for example chicken plus goat meat may be organized from the close by community intended for visitors that plan to stay for a longer time.

You will find Banda’s offered at a financial budget price, carry your own food and even find the toilet facilities just outside the Banda’s or your cabins.  The spectacular rocky attractiveness of Kidepo Valley National Park combined with the wild animals that waits are going to be well worth it.

Nile River Camp. This is strategically located in Jinja; it has 10 private safari style tents with river views in single, twin or double configuration, 8 spacious dorms, each with 3 double bunks (48 beds in total) and come with bedding and verandah area overlooking our swimming pool, which is the only campsite in the area which offers a swimming pool. There is a massive camping area with designated leveled off sites for those who wish to pitch a tent and have their own space.

The toilets and showers are kept very clean with hot water, laundry facilities are also available. A large open plan bar area, fully stocked of course, cold beers guaranteed, DSTV, free Wi-Fi, a top-class menu with home baked bread put together by our Local Chefs who have been trained by a professional from London or just book in for one of our legendary BBQ’s, the bar being the focal point of the camp.

Nile River Camp caters for the budget sensitive spectrum of the market that values a peaceful, clean, comfortable and tidy place to stay. Come and see for yourself!

For all budget travelers hoping to visit Uganda in the Eastern part of the African continent for tours & safaris and willing to use budget accommodation facilities do not miss out above listed camping sites located in different regions and top destinations to visit in Uganda.