The best accommodations Southwest Route

The forty rooms of this guesthouse, frustrating and sometimes noisy, are nevertheless clean and equipped with a TV, mosquito net and a bathroom (the conveniences, sometimes outdated, work erratically). It is possible to eat in the small restaurant on the ground floor. The location of the Vienna, in the centre of Masaka, is both an advantage for those wishing to discover local customs and a disadvantage for Beijingers allergic to the frequent nocturnal noises emanating from the street...

Enjoying a magnificent view of the canopy and surrounding farmland, this ecolodge perched on a ridge is less than 3 kilometres from the UWA premises from which you can launch your gorilla tracking. The lodge has five bandas with balconies, cottages and two "nests" that dominate the site. The well-equipped and well-kept rooms, the carved wooden chairs around the fireplace where a campfire crackles at night, and the smiling welcome of the staff are all pleasing signs that the Agandi has been discovered.

Within two walls. From your terrace, you will indeed be leaning against the wall of your room and will face the green wall. From this virid ocean sometimes emerge buffaloes, elephants, chimpanzees, duikers, even gorillas, the Holy Grail... The simple and clean rooms are hung on the side of a hill whose summit is crowned by a bar-restaurant. Here, you can escape the chilly evenings by settling down near the hearth. In this room, where good food is eaten, some zoological works are available.

Founded in 2017 by an Australian woman, Yoly Phillips, Karungi Camp is popular with many travellers. Why is it so popular? For the interaction it allows with the inhabitants of Rubuguri, for its team, for its sober, clean, equipped and - compared to the rates charged on the outskirts of the park - inexpensive rooms, for its advantageous location for those who wish to discover the beauty of the region and to engage in gorilla tracking (the starting point for tracking in Rushaga is located 8 km away) and, finally, for the activities it offers.

On the plus side: relatively affordable rates for backpackers wishing to sleep close to the park, an excellent location (on the edge of the trail leading to Nkuringo and its UWA offices, located 4 km away) as well as breathtaking views of the jungle from the cottages and the restaurant. On the other side of the coin: expensive meals, recurrent dysfunctions in the rooms and, concerning the multiple activities on offer, organisational problems and sometimes excessive prices...

Planted in the middle of eucalyptus trees, on a hilly peninsula where agriculture predominates, the Edirisa camp ("window" in chiga) will delight backpackers. The dormitory, cottage and family house are simple but very clean and equipped with mosquito nets. Open-air showers and wooden cabins, which serve as toilets, are never far away. Meals (including breakfast at 8,000 Ush) are excellent bills. Also note the free access to wifi, the establishment's canoes and the unlikely swimming pool. Modest prices and a nice welcome!

Although rudimentary, the rooms at Fort Coleb each have a shower room and a mosquito net. Located on a hill in the peaceful Kakyeka district, and more precisely on a piece of land that until recently housed an annex of the Havana Café, this small establishment was originally the family retreat of several high dignitaries. A bar-restaurant, offering a few simple dishes and cold drinks, allows you to eat and quench your thirst without having to go all the way downtown. A warm welcome.

Located less than a thousand metres from the starting point of the muddy trails and slippery bays that cut through the jungle, Gorilla Safari Lodge is a charming establishment. Here you will find a pleasantly appointed lounge-restaurantand no less attractive chalets. The latter are duly equipped (wooden balcony, mosquito nets, safe, shower room and even, for some of them, a fireplace...) and, in most cases, colourful. The lodge offers the possibility to criss-cross the surroundings on foot or by bike. Good reception.

This motel, ideal for a lunch break, has spacious rooms equipped with a television, a clean bathroom and a mosquito net. The Skyblue, which faces the Courtyard Hotel, of which it is a less comfortable but more economical counterpart, also offers the possibility to sleep in bandas (or cottages, depending on the name chosen by the management of the establishment). Despite some occasional problems, such as power cuts or the vagaries of the wifi, the entire complex is still suitable for a night or two.

The Mutanda Eco Community Centre is the geographical and financial counterpart of Chameleon Hill Lodge, offering cheap accommodation on the lake's lapping waters. Rooms, which boil down to the essentials, a panoramic platform, rising some ten metres above the shoreline, and a new restaurant complete the picture. A community establishment tailor-made for small budgets in a beautiful natural setting.

Equipped with a bathroom, a work table, a fan and a mosquito net, the rooms without fuss of this establishment are clean and functional, we say it to you "cash". Small restaurant on the ground floor. Note that this hotel, inaugurated in 2007, has a branch (Hotel Kash-North Wing), whose rates are somewhat different, on plot 92 of Kampala Road (+256 702 751 466). The location of this guesthouse, in the middle of the city, and the hospitality of its staff are two undeniable assets.

A billiard bar, a health club,an outdoor swimming pool, a beautiful garden, very clean rooms and a very welcoming staff: Cepha's Inn, located in a quiet area, is undoubtedly one of the best addresses in Kabale. Except for the gym and sauna, which are a bit poorly maintained, this establishment has a lot of good points, such as the amenities and spaciousness of the rooms, the soft grass waiting for the campers' tent and the fairly good kitchen.

Appreciated by the feathered gentleman (souimangas, weavers, flycatchers and consorts), this structure offers a pontoon on which to bask in the sun, a restaurant featuring crayfish and other fresh local products, a plethora of activities (canoeing, visits to traditional forges, hiking, discovery of the lake islands and islets, meeting with the Batwa living on the southern shores of the lake....) and, despite their rusticity and slight decrepitude, pleasant rooms overlooking the lake. Good welcome.

Charming small lodge of eight rooms offering a beautiful view on the surroundings. Nestled high above the road, it is easily recognizable with its green facades. The rooms offer pretty four-poster beds made of local wood and small terraces. They are equipped with a private bathroom. Everything is simple and comfortable. In the evening, we meet around a fire and in the restaurant for a simple and local cooking. A good address

Arriving from Kabale, don't miss, 5 km before the UWA offices in Ruhija, the sign indicating the trail to Broadbill Forest Camp (located 1.5 km from the fork). Set between farmland and forest, this isolated camp is well worth the detour for its simple but well-kept tent safari tents, home-cooked meals made with fresh fruit and vegetables, a garden popular with chameleons, butterflies, primates and beautifully feathered birds, spectacular views and, last but not least, a smiling and knowledgeable team of birdwatchers!