Need To Know
Information

 

Vital Travel Information

Location & Coordinates

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is located in the southwestern corner of Uganda in East Africa. The lodge sits on the Nteko Ridge overlooking the swath of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the two regions where the endangered mountain gorillas are heavily protected and can be seen by tourists.

Perched at an altitude of 2,161 meters (7,090 ft) above sea level, this area is totally mosquito free and enjoys superb views of the forested hill locally known as “Nkuringo”, the Kashasha River Valley, the magnificent Virunga Volcanoes, world-renowned Bwindi forest and the Great Albertine Rift Valley.​

GPS Coordinates: S 01° 05’ 05” E 29° 37’ 52”. Google map pin: https://g.page/Bwindilodge?share

Passport and Visa

Kindly note that all nationals require a visa to enter Uganda. The Uganda Visa fee is US$50 per person irrespective of adult, child or infant. Visas can only be obtained online using Uganda Electronic Visa/Permit Application System. You can also obtain your visa in advance from the local Embassy. Alternatively, we can forward you our visa application form in advance, so you can fill it prior to your arrival and save some time at the local immigration desks. (One has to queue). Please also note that you require 2 empty pages in your passport for entry into Uganda.

If visiting Rwanda or Kenya as part of your trip extension, you can alternatively obtain a single East African Visa for Uganda/Rwanda and Kenya at a price of US$100 per person, a multiple entry visa valid for 90 days after arrival.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Standard Operating Procedures

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 truly been missing you all. Our teams have been at the forefront of ensuring we are in the best position to welcome back our guests after the longest forced staycation 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.

Kindly follow the SOPs link, read and understand how we can protect you and ourselves during your stay at the lodge.

Medical Insurance

There is no national welfare scheme in Uganda and visitors are responsible for their own medical expenses. We recommend for our clients to have an emergency evacuation insurance, which we include in most quotations (pls. check your inclusions/exclusions). All clients are requested to inform us about:

Their overseas travel insurance details including:

  • Passport numbers
  • A contact person at home in case of any emergency
  • Nationality
  • Your birth date
  • Your blood group

Whilst every care is taken of you and your property, we cannot be held responsible for any accidents, injury, or illness that you may incur or for any loss or damage to baggage. We therefore advise that you and your property be fully covered by your own insurance and it is advisable to have separate baggage and ticket insurance.

Emergency and Evacuation Insurance

We offer the above as an inclusion in most safaris (which is clearly mentioned) and if not included, you are free to purchase it through us. This is basically an insurance that is already included in most overseas insurances as they offer repatriation to your home country. Nkuringo Safaris has got Insurance cover by AMREF as a backup, evacuation takes place by air and is far more effective than the overseas insurance. You are transported by air from the point of emergency (the closest airstrip) to Nairobi (to a local well renowned hospital with good medical care).

Currency

The monetary unit is Ugandan Shillings; there is no limit to the amount of currency that you bring into the country. Uganda is mostly a cash economy with few lodges accepting credit cards. There is no longer “exchange control” the rate of exchange varies between banks, foreign exchange bureaus and hotels. It is recommended that visitors do not change money on the black market, as they are more likely to receive a lower rate of exchange. There is an opportunity for tourists to change their Euros, USD Or GBP among other currency at entry points especially at Entebbe International Airport arrivals.

Drinking Water

The Ugandan taps do not flow with water safe enough to drink. Please buy bottled water with a sealed cap when travelling. At the lodge we provide safe drinking water in all rooms and lounges. We also encourage all our guests to travel with a water bottle that can be refilled when in need from our dining.

Luggage

Please ensure that your baggage is packed in soft bags and should weigh no more than 15 to a maximum of 20 kgs.’ per person. It is possible to store luggage during the safari either at your hotel if you are returning thereafter your trip or in our offices. Most lodges have laundry facilities at an extra charge. On air safaris the maximum luggage allowance per person is 15 kgs.’ including hand luggage.

Clothing to Pack

You should note that you'll be visiting the jungle if you're headed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, so pack in relation to African jungle lifestyle not trendy city apparel.

what you need to pack for your gorilla jungle hiking is:

  • Sturdy hiking boots (ankle high),
  • Additional footwear such as sports sneakers
  • Long trousers due to the possible presence of safari ants in the forests (quick dry cotton trekking trousers are ideal)
  • Long sleeved cotton shirt (the vegetation can be quite aggressive)
  • Lightweight water-proof rain jacket and rain pants
  • Rain poncho (this can also be rented at the UWA office or provided by Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge for those staying with us)
  • A cap
  • Gardening gloves
  • Warm Jacket for the cool evenings
  • Sun screen cream
  • Insect repellent
  • Waterproof backpack for carrying water and packed lunch or your photography equipment

Vehicle

Your vehicle will be custom built and safari equipped 4WD Land cruiser, a pop-top van for budget safaris. Our vehicles have game viewing hatches / pop-up roofs or are open, are comfortable.

Communication

The outside world is of very little interest or consequence when on safari, but if there are urgent messages they should be sent to our office in Entebbe for onward transmission by E-mail/Tel.

At the lodge we do have Mobile and internet connection networks and it is very possible to call from a lodge / camp to your home country or for your cell phone to be used, switch to roaming to enjoy the Uganda mobile network. Internet at the lodge is available in the lounge all day at optimal speeds. The bush network may not be so fast like your city connection, but its good enough for you to send or receive your messages and connect to your social pages.

Electricity Voltage

Voltage throughout the East Africa is 220-240AC. Most safari vehicles have a cigarette lighter socket operating on a 12-volt system. Our safari vehicles have inverter so you can charge as you travel.

At the lodge we use the mains electricity grid with backup of solar and gas generator. We have electricity sockets in the lounge area, all rooms including the bathrooms. In In Uganda the power plugs and sockets are of type G. The standard voltage is 220-240 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. Please carry universal power plug adapters with a square 3-pin (English standard) option and sufficient batteries for your photography equipment.

Activities

Your full-board lodge booking includes meals and accommodation but not the activities outside the lodge. Make sure you carry or inform your travel agency to book for you and inform you of the extra activities you may want to pay for. If not paid in advance with your travel consultant, carry enough money to pay for activities outside the lodge. We recommend you carry some extra money for souvenirs that you may wish to purchase during your trip.

Photography

It is prohibited to take pictures of State houses, airports, military installations, police stations, government facilities, any border post, soldiers or police. Always seek advice from your driver/guide before taking pictures of tribes. Not everyone will agree to have their photograph taken randomly.

Tipping

Although tipping is a safari tradition, it is never compulsory and should only be done if you have received good services. The staff very much appreciate receiving gratuity from our guests, because it is one way of assuring them they are doing a good job.

Most lodges have a staff tip box located at the reception, or a central location. We recommend a US$3 - $5 per client per day in a tip box. Tips left here will be divided amongest the porters and waiters and all other lodge staff. If you are particularly satisfied with assistance received from someone, a personal tip is also acceptable. However, driver/guides are always tipped separately.

As for driver/guides: we do recommend approx. US$20 PER DAY PER VEHICLE as a recommended guideline.

It is not acceptable for staff to ask you for a tip or for a present for their family to be sent home etc. and we would appreciate it if you reported any behavior of this sort.

In case of further questions, please do not hesitate to ask at the reception or the manager at the lodge.