Covid-19
Travel Message
Keeping the magic safely alive...
At Nkuringo Lodges, our guests are at the very heart of everything we do and whilst staying safe and looking after our own family and friends has been the most important thing everyone can do, we have remained open throughout the most trying times.
We managed to make it through the most difficult times and remain open with your support and a dedicated team behind masks. Our teams have been at the forefront of ensuring we are in the best position to welcome back our guests in the safest way possible.
Whether that’s adhering to local laws or putting in place meticulous new cleaning measures, you can be assured that we will go above and beyond to ensure our guests have complete peace of mind and trust in everything we do. We will continue to deliver the magic and extraordinary experiences that we are renowned for, just in a slightly different way.
Uganda Entry Requirements
Uganda is open for tourism, with a few fading restrictions;
A negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate is no longer required for fully vaccinated inbound and outbound travellers. Children under the age of 6 are exempted from providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate whether vaccinated or not.
Arriving guests will be subject to temperature checks and screened for infectious diseases by the Port Health authorities. If your temperature is above average or you display COVID-19 symptoms, you may be required to take a COVID-19 test. If foreign nationals test positive for COVID-19 and wish to be repatriated for treatment outside of Uganda, they will be expected to cover the costs themselves.
If you are fully vaccinated (and for children under 6), you can now enter Uganda via air and land border points without showing a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate. You will be required to show evidence that you are fully vaccinated.
If you are not fully vaccinated, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate issued no more than 72 hours before departure on arrival by land or air.
You must have a 6-months valid passport, a visa (applied online), and a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card. Find out more at the gov. official website immigration.go.ug.
Rwanda Entry Requirements
Rwanda no longer requires proof of a negative COVID-19 test before arrival in Rwanda. Completing a Passenger Locator Form is also no longer needed.
You do not need to present proof that you have been fully vaccinated to enter Rwanda. However, incoming travellers eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations (aged 12 years and above) are encouraged to be fully vaccinated before travel.
Incoming travellers eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations (aged 12 years and above) are encouraged to be fully vaccinated before travel.
COVID-19 tests are not mandatory for entry for accompanied children under five years.
All Rwandan travellers aged 12 years and above must show proof of complete vaccination before departing Rwanda by air.
Checking In & Out
You can be assured that from the moment you arrive with us you will be treated as part of the family and with the same Nkuringo Lodges love and welcome our guests can always expect. We may be keeping a social distance but we will still be ready and waiting to create your own truly unique experience.
We want to make your stay as simple and relaxed as possible and that’s why we have created our own little welcome pack that you can expect with all the usual little luxuries that we will never compromise on. Each of our guests will receive a free face mask (Nkuringo Lodges in style of course!), sanitizers and antibacterial wipes for your convenience, to use as you wish.
We will then talk you through all of the different options available during your stay to ensure you feel as at home as possible, whilst still getting the outstanding service we're known for.
As hard as goodbyes are, when it comes to it we'll make it as seamless and easy as possible.
Flexibility & Simplicity
We understand that everybody’s level of concern is entirely personal and while our promise is that your safety is our number one priority, we want to ensure that we are working to your comfort level.
So, whether that’s choosing not to have housekeeping during your stay, or providing you with the same member of staff every day, you can have complete confidence that we remain fully flexible, adapting our processes around your preferences and ensuring that you have as memorable a stay with us as ever.
Keeping It Clean
We give you our absolute word that we will be carrying out the most meticulous cleaning measures, which will also meet any new local regulations now in place across our properties. You can expect to see some of our staff a little more than usual in all guest areas as we ensure that all common surfaces and touch points within the properties are cleaned at least once every hour.
Every single member of our staff has received new COVID-19 training and we will be continuing to refresh, adapt and improve our processes, to ensure we are always one step ahead.
You may notice a few temporary alterations to some of our rooms and guest areas as we do our very best to keep our guests safe. Our rooms will still have the same beauty and comfort that they have always done, but as we strive to increase safety measures we ask you to kindly bear with us and know that we remain completely flexible to tailor your stay - and at your disposal.
Clean Hands
For the comfort of our guests, we have placed hand sanitiser stations across key areas in all of our properties. We encourage all of our guests to use these whenever possible.
Masks
For the safety of both our staff and guests, our staff will be wearing face masks at all times. Whilst these may well hide our smiles, we will most certainly still have smiling eyes!
We would encourage all of our guests to also wear masks in communal areas and where face masks are mandatory by local law, our team will advise accordingly.
Temperature Screening
It is our number one priority to ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of all of our guests and staff, and with that in mind, we hope you’ll understand that we will be carrying out temperature checks and a medical questionnaire for all guests on arrival.
In addition, our staff will undergo daily temperature checks before they start work every day (that even includes the many staff members across our collection that reside on property); so you can have complete trust that you are always in safe hands.
Medical Support
Should any of our guests have any health concerns, we have medically trained staff or qualified nurses at each property, readily available 24/7.
Transfers
Whether it’s from the airport or on a game vehicle in the bush, we will be following rigorous cleaning measures before, during and after; as well as having hand sanitiser onboard all of our vehicles for the convenience of our guests and staff.
If you have booked your transfer through us with one of our reputable suppliers, you can have every confidence that they will be following the same rigorous cleaning measures, before, during and after your transfer. We will also have hand sanitiser ready for you as soon as you arrive at our properties.
Guests on game drives will be reduced down to four people per vehicle to allow us to ensure safe social distancing measures, unless travelling as one larger family or group, of course.
Dining
We are extremely proud of the incredible dining options we offer across our properties and while there will be no compromise to any of this, we will be making a few small changes to ensure social distancing and how we might present our food.
Like always, we will continue to maximise the incredible dining locations across our properties, where possible, and we will also be increasing the variety of outdoor set-ups, as well as offering guests the opportunity to dine in their rooms, should they wish to.
Activities
We know lots of our guests like to stay active during their stay and whilst we still encourage this, please understand that some activities might not be available.
Our team will be sure to keep you updated before you arrive on property, but if you have any questions about particular activities or our third party partners, please do reach out to our lovely reservations team who will be happy to help.
Gorilla Trekking
All trekkers are required to carry two facemasks (preferably surgical masks). You'll be required to wear one at the briefing point, where your shoes and hands will also be disinfected. While trekking, you'll not require to wear a facemask, but you'll be required to wear a fresh one when you get to the mountain gorillas. You'll be compelled to keep a 32 ft (10 m) distance from the mountain gorillas with guidance of the expert trackers.
Spa
We all love to be pampered every now and then - and that’s why we’re doing our very best to continue with our spa offering across some of our properties. This is likely to be a limited offering compared to normal and there may be less treatment slots available, but where we can, we will be making use of the incredible outdoor locations we’re privileged to have.
Needless to say, by their very nature, our spas have always had very strict hygiene protocols, so you can rest assured that whether it's our own therapists or trusted third party suppliers, our treatments will be carried out in the safest way possible.
We will do our very best to keep you informed about our spa services prior to arrival.
Community Tours
Where possible, we will continue with our local community visits at our properties but we will ask guests to wear masks throughout the tour and use hand sanitiser before and after to keep both you and the community safe.
FAQs
Is difficult to check in at the airport?
No! Actually, the airport process has returned to normal with very relaxed restrictions. Carry your 72-hour Covid test certificate if you are not immunised or your immunisation certificate and proceed to passport check-in like it used to be.
How long will these measures be in place?
We can't put a date on that as it depends on government advice, but we will continue to review all of our measures and ensure they remain in line with local law whilst keeping our guests and staff safe.
Can I hire any of the properties exclusively?
The simple answer is yes; in fact, all of our properties can be booked exclusively, so you can relax knowing that your group has the place to themselves! Nkuringo Bwindi Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Papyrus Guest House in Entebbe are all booked on an exclusive use basis year-round. To enquire, just contact us by email bwindi@nkuringolodges.com or call +256 392 176327.
What if I don't want housekeeping in my room?
That's completely fine! We will be limiting housekeeping services to once a day at our properties, but should you wish not to have housekeeping during your stay, just let us know, and we'll ensure our teams are aware.