Kaara Gorilla Mountain Lodge

The staff are super friendly and kind.Alex, Gloria, Nixon, Dan - thank-you so much for your warm welcomes and attentiveness throughout . Decor in the main hall was great and even got to learn and play Omweso

Nothing to say here. It was all good

The location is spectacular, offering world-class views of the Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The local staff are generally kind and well-meaning; Moses on luggage was a standout for his politeness and helpfulness. I also sincerely appreciated the thoughtful gesture of a birthday cake from the team during my stay.

The experience was immature and significantly overpriced for the level of service provided. Financial transparency: An unadvertised 4% card surcharge was requested on arrival. Billing was highly unprofessional, presented as totals on a torn scrap of paper that did not even match the handwritten scrapbook records shown to me later. Expensive transfers to activities were not explained in advance. Noise: Extensive on-site construction was not disclosed in advance, resulting in constant noise. Privacy: Most concerning was finding a worker directly outside my window at 7:30 am while I was dressing. Management: The on-site manager was arrogant and reactive rather than proactive. Interactions felt quite uncomfortable. When I raised concerns, the responses were defensive or unrealistic, such as offering to halt all construction work for my stay - and putting the onus on me to put many people out of work for my stay. A pre arranged tour of the property did not occur. Dining standards: Marketed as "fine dining," the food was actually cheap, bland, and consistently overcooked. Orders missed the mark, steak well done instead of medium, eggs well done instead of medium, a 'spanish omllette' with no potato in it, and 'lemon pancakes' was a single cold pre-made pancake with no lemon. Poor value activities: Charging $30 for a 10-minute "Top of the world" walk to an empty table felt like a blatant attempt to extract extra money. Gardens and vegetable garden: The greenery around the property hadn't been tended for some time. The vegetable garden was derelict. Design flaws: The oversized, soulless dining hall is poorly designed; the building's own timber work actually obscures the forest views. Defensive ownership: When I provided detailed private feedback, the owner’s response was defensive rather than professional. He attempted to justify poor value for money and disputed the billing issues despite photographic evidence.

Luxury stay with incredible view of the surrounding mountains. The lodge is ideally located for gorilla trekking and best place for exploring the Bwindi National Park and the area around. Thanks to Monday, who picked me up from the airport and took me safely everywhere. The staff were amazing! Thanks to Moses, who cleaned my muddy hiking boots, they look like new! Waking up to the peaceful sounds of nature was so relaxing. And the food was delicious as well!

This lodge is stunning how they built this place on the hill with limited access is amazing. Incredible views of Bwindi National Park. Staff were fantastic to deal with.

The lodge is a long distance away from the sealed road but all accommodation in Bwindi National Park is the same.

The lodge is even more beautiful in real life and the staff are even better. We stayed for gorilla trekking and cant sing their praises loudly enough. We received a warm welcome with a cultural performance on our first night (dancing and chatting with locals which is paid for by the lodge). There is morning and evening turn down services in the room, they even put hot water bottles in the bed to keep you warm overnight. The food was home style cooking and delicious, with tea and coffee services available at any time in the dining hall. We had candlelit dinners every night beside a lovely open fire and a breakfast out on the patio once when weather permitted. When it rained we would open our door to see staff had put out umbrellas for us and when we returned from trekking covered in mud they even washed our shoes and clothes free of charge. This place is worth every penny.

Not that we didn’t like it but the road to the property is no joke. Required FWD car and skills to access. Keep this in mind if you plan to self drive. Transfers provided by the property are more than satisfactory.

Beautiful suites with private verandas with gorgeous outlook on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest! The staff were amazing and very accommodating. They took care of our every need to insure our comfort including washing our muddy hiking boots!

Nothing

Todo, fantástico!

Nada, fue una experiencia inolvidable

Kaara is a truly magical place to stay for exploring Bwindi National park. We were welcomed by Wilfred and his team and then had an amazing and very warm welcome welcome by the local village culture group who performed music and dancing to tell us about their culture! This was the best welcome we have ever had to a hotel! Throughout our stay, all of the staff worked tirelessly to make us comfortable - from cleaning our boots after a days hiking (thank you Moses!) to setting up breakfast on the terrace to watch the sunrise! A particular highlight was a short sunset hike, led by Barnabus to give us panoramic views of the sunset and volcano! Thank you Barnabus - we really enjoyed this and appreciated you taking the time to walk with us! The staff lit us a fire each evening at the fire pit so we could have a drink as the sun went down. The chefs did an excellent job and the food was great! They also prepared delicious lunches for us on the days we were out hiking. Before we stayed, Peter was extremely helpful in sorting out our Gorilla tracking permits - even going to the bank when the payment was delayed and emailing them to us ahead of time! Having the permits sorted helped everything run smoothly for our days gorilla tracking. You do need to print the permits in advance so much sure you do this before travelling! Whilst staying at Kaara, we also did the Batwa Forest cultural experience (booked through the UWA) - we were unsure what to expect from this and were sceptical as it seemed to be a lot of money, however we were so glad we did! We hiked through the forest with some of the Batwa community who showed us about how they lived in the forest as we went. They showed us where they lived, how they made fire, climbed trees for fruit, caught animals and many more things. It was amazing to see how resourceful they were and also how happy and comfortable they were in the forest. I would recommend doing this to anyone who has an extra day after gorilla trekking.

From the moment I arrived at the airstrip,the lodge had arranged for a driver to pick me up, to arriving at the lodge,the hospitality was exceptional. The staff were incredibly welcoming, attentive, and genuinely kind ,they made me feel right at home. The lodge is beautifully perched in the hills, offering stunning views of the surrounding forest and mountains. Waking up to the peaceful sounds of nature and seeing the morning mist drift through the trees was simply magical. The rooms at Kaara Mountain Lodge are spacious, immaculately clean, and thoughtfully designed. There’s a perfect balance of comfort, luxury, and eco-friendliness. I especially appreciated the little touches, like the cozy hot water bottles in the bed at night and the warm turndown service after a long day. The food was another standout ;fresh, delicious, and made with great care. Each meal, from the early breakfast before trekking to the hearty dinner in the evening, was a treat. The dining area itself is beautifully set, making every meal feel special. Most importantly, the lodge is ideally located for gorilla tracking, making the logistics incredibly easy. After an awe-inspiring day of encountering mountain gorillas, returning to the calm and comfort of Kaara Mountain Lodge was the perfect way to unwind and reflect on such a unique experience.