{"id":5212,"date":"2026-01-05T14:44:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T14:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/5212\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T14:44:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T14:44:36","slug":"why-uganda-is-the-next-big-destination-for-luxury-africa-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/5212\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Uganda Is the Next Big Destination for Luxury Africa Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

If clients want to check gorilla trekking off their bucket list, only two places come to mind: Rwanda<\/a> and Uganda.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Traditionally, luxury-focused tour operators have looked to Rwanda for mountain gorilla-trekking experiences, which makes perfect sense \u2014 trekking permits cost a whopping $1,500 per person, plus accommodations are world-class, from safari heavyweights such as Singita and Wilderness<\/a> to big international names including One&Only.<\/p>\n

By comparison, neighboring Uganda has, until recently, been considered the more affordable option. Permits are about half the price, and homegrown accommodations have always been comfortable rather than overtly luxe. But that\u2019s changing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Upgrades in Uganda<\/p>\n

Thanks to new infrastructure \u2014 including an airport upgrade and new flights \u2014 and a fleet of chic new arrivals from some of the biggest names in wildlife tourism, Uganda is stepping out of the shadows and is ready for its moment.<\/p>\n

\"UgandaUganda offers gorilla trekking, traditionally at a more affordable price than Rwanda.
Credit: 2025 Nicole Trilivas<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ugandan government appreciates that tourism is a vital economic driver,\u201d said Praveen Moman, founder of Volcanoes Safaris<\/a>, one of the pioneers of primate tourism with lodges in both Rwanda and Uganda. \u201cIt recently organized a dialogue with all stakeholders on how to market the country better. The main international airport at Entebbe has been upgraded, and there is a plan to improve road infrastructure and infrastructure in national parks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED: Review: Lemala Wildwaters Lodge in Uganda<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to the $325 million airport modernization, which is designed to increase capacity and potentially position the facility as a regional hub for African aviation, national carrier Uganda Airlines has been expanding its flight network with its first foray into Europe. In May 2025, a new 9.5-hour direct flight launched out of London Gatwick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New Accommodation Options<\/p>\n

It’s not just the connectivity and infrastructure that\u2019s improving; the lodges are leveling up, too. Known for responsible safaris across East Africa, Asilia is slated to open the eight-suite Erebero Hills lodge<\/a> in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park next year, and Great Plains Conservation<\/a> \u2014 a luxury ecotourism outfit founded by wildlife filmmakers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert \u2014 is also eyeing Uganda, though no official opening dates have been announced yet.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s Abercrombie & Kent<\/a> (A&K) leading the charge with the newly reimagined, 10-key Gorilla Forest Lodge<\/a>, an A&K Sanctuary, which reopened in June 2025. A bar-raising debut setting a sky-high new standard for the country, it\u2019s the only luxury lodge within the primary borders of the UNESCO-listed Bwindi<\/a>, often considered the best destination for trekking and home to more than half the world\u2019s mountain gorilla population. Besides the prime positioning, the lodge is also gorgeous enough to make guests gawk, with cathedral proportions, earthy terracotta-hued walls and swanky suites nestled in tangles of steamy rainforest. Even the gorillas have been known to make an appearance.<\/p>\n

RELATED: A Complete Guide to Travel to Zambia<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUganda has undergone a remarkable transformation,\u201d said Paul Bauer, senior vice president of Abercrombie & Kent DMC Africa and Europe. \u201cTen or 15 years ago, it was often viewed as a specialist destination primarily for gorilla trekking. Over the past few years, we\u2019ve seen a marked increase in demand for Uganda as a luxury destination, and our decision to reimagine the property was driven by this evolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A&K\u2019sA&K\u2019s Gorilla Forest Lodge offers just 10 guestrooms.
Credit: 2025 Abercrombie & Kent<\/p>\n

The decision also goes hand in hand with changing traveler preferences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, Uganda primarily attracted intrepid travelers, but we\u2019re now seeing a more diverse audience: multigenerational families, honeymooners and repeat Africa travelers who want something beyond the traditional safari,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cUganda now appeals to clients who value both the adventure and the refinement of a luxury safari.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of that draw is also down to Uganda\u2019s natural diversity. While certainly the headliners, gorillas are not all Uganda offers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There has been increasing international recognition that Uganda has a variety of unique landscapes and experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been increasing international recognition that Uganda has a variety of unique landscapes and experiences,\u201d said Volcanoes Safaris\u2019 Moman, who cites as examples the country\u2019s savannah parks, Lake Victoria (the source of the Nile), the ground-shaking Murchison Falls, the cloud-skimming Rwenzori Mountains and the newly relaunched Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: The Top Things to Do in Rwanda<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moman recently opened Volcanoes Safaris\u2019 fifth lodge, the afro-chic Kibale Lodge<\/a>, which offers eight luxury bandas (cottages), a pool and a spa, and encourages guests to go beyond Bwindi.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"KibaleKibale Lodge offers eight luxury cottages.
Credit: 2025 Nicole Trilivas<\/p>\n

\u201cKibale Forest, often called the \u2018Primate Capital of the World,\u2019 is one of the best parks to view chimpanzees in Africa, with a community of around 1,500 chimps, plus 12 other species of primates,\u201d Moman said.<\/p>\n

The result of all this luxury tourism upgrade? Conservation and community success. Gorilla populations have increased, and so have opportunities for locals: All Volcanoes Safaris lodges have extensive community and conservation programs, for example, such as the Bwindi Bar<\/a>, which serves as a hospitality training school for local youth. A&K does, as well; one example is the Buhoma Village bead workshop<\/a>, where women create and sell paper beads from recycled magazines.<\/p>\n

\u201cA&K founder Geoffrey Kent pioneered this community-first approach to conservation more than 60 years ago,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cAnd we continue to believe the best way to protect wilderness is to invest in the communities who live alongside it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If clients want to check gorilla trekking off their bucket list, only two places come to mind: Rwanda…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5213,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[4011,4008,63,4007,1973,4014,4009,4012,4015,4010,4013,2433,153],"class_list":{"0":"post-5212","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uganda","8":"tag-abercrombie-u0026-kent","9":"tag-adventure-travel","10":"tag-africa","11":"tag-africame","12":"tag-features","13":"tag-home-top-carousel","14":"tag-hotels","15":"tag-hotels-and-resorts","16":"tag-landing-top-carousel","17":"tag-luxury","18":"tag-luxury-travel","19":"tag-social-media","20":"tag-uganda"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}