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Western Region · Uganda

Kyaninga Lodge

A hand-built log lodge on the rim of a crater lake below the Rwenzoris

Safari Lodge ★★★★★ Kyaninga Crater Lake, near Fort Portal and Kibale
The setting of Kyaninga Lodge
Location image, not the property. Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kyaninga was built by hand over several years from local timber, perched on the rim of a deep crater lake north of Fort Portal. The main lodge is a soaring log-and-thatch structure joined to nine cottages by a long raised walkway, with the Rwenzori Mountains visible on clear days across the crater.

The lake itself is bilharzia-free and swimmable, and a steep path leads down to a jetty. There is an infinity pool, a tennis court and a well-regarded kitchen, which together make this more of a place to stay put than most Ugandan lodges.

Kibale Forest is about an hour away and the chimpanzee tracking there is the best in the country, with a habituation experience for those who want a full day with a community. The Bigodi wetland walk, crater-lake hikes and the Amabere caves are the other standard outings. The owners also run the Kyaninga Child Development Centre nearby.

At a glance

What to expect

  • Crater lake swimming
  • Infinity pool
  • Kibale chimpanzee tracking
  • Tennis court
  • Rwenzori views
  • Guided crater hikes
  • Spa treatments
  • All meals included