Ndali Lodge is a fantastic traditional colonial lodge set in the stunning crater region of Western Uganda. Built of local stone and thatch, the 8 luxury bandas offer views over the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains; each banda is en-suite with a private veranda. The dining room and lounge offer relaxing views over the crater lake below.
This is a great base from where to track the chimpanzees of Kibale Forest. Ndali Lodge does have hot and cold running water however all lighting is by candle or storm lantern!
Ndali Lodge is set in a stunning location on the rim an extinct volcano which has now filled with water to become the breathtaking Lake Nyinambuga – 250 acres in size and 130 metres deep.
Ndali lodge’s style is a mix of rustic romanticism and post-colonial luxury. Indoor lighting is strictly the warm glow of a kerosene lamp, muted by gauzy mosquito nets. Guests take tea in the afternoon and evening drinks with other guests before an English-style meal. The style feels almost Spanish mission, with the main building commanding breathtaking views of lakes on either side.
The Lodge is about 45 minutes from the chimpanzee tracking trailhead at Kanyanchu. The world’s densest concentration of volcanic lakes embraces the hilly landscape area around, giving the lodge an enchanting distant palace feel. It’s a perfect base to hike around the region and go primate tracking in the nearby Kibale Forest.
There is a main thatched lodge with spacious sitting room, reception area and dining room, flanked by eight cottages providing luxurious accommodation for 16 guests.
Facing west, they offer panoramic views to the spectacular ‘Mountains of the Moon’. The cottages are built of local stone and thatch and interiors at Ndali Lodge are imaginatively and comfortably furnished, using local materials. Each cottage, large enough to accommodate a family, has en-suite facilities with bath, shower, WC and hand basin and a private veranda, perfect for watching the sun setting behind the Rwenzori Mountains, the snow-capped peaks which are visible on a clear day.
At night the dining room is festooned with candles as the lodge has no electricity. The sitting room, reception and dining room open out onto Lake Nyinambuga and are connected by two open passageways or breezeways: fruit bats, owls and frogs like to use them as a highway to the crater lake.
Facilities include a swimming pool, lounge and library, dining room, laundry.
Ndali Lodge provides a perfect base from which to visit some of the region’s most popular attractions. Kibale Forest National park, famous home of the largest concentration of chimpanzees in Africa, as well as a bewildering variety of other primates, birds and butterflies, can be reached within 45 minutes.
Also close by is the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-based conservation project that is home to a variety of monkeys and other mammals and, more importantly, a number of rarely seen birds including the White-winged Warbler, White-collared Oliveback and Papyrus Gonolek. Other species frequently spotted are the African Marsh Harrier, African Harrier-Hawk, Grey Parrot, Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-billed Barbet and White-breasted Negrofinch.
A little further afield, three more national parks are within easy driving distance, from the World Heritage listed Rwenzori Mountains to Uganda’s most famous park, Queen Elizabeth National Park.
