“Don’t move.” The ranger guiding my foray into Uganda’s Kibale National Park doesn’t have to tell me twice. I stand, frozen, on the open pathway just as Bahoire, a male chimp known for his sour temper, cannonballs past me, hooting and swinging his arms in a display of dominance. The night before, the country’s preeminent primatologist Dr. Emily Otali had briefed me on what to expect during my trek into the jungle, while staying at Kibale Lodge—the newest property in Volcanoes Safaris’s portfolio and the first true luxury resort with easy access to the forest’s 1,500 chimps. It’s easy to read the emotions of our closest living cousins, who share an incredible 98.8 percent of our DNA after a crash course. I’ve seen Bahoire’s type before on the evening news.
Often described as the primate capital of the planet, there are 13 different primate species in Kibale (four of which are endangered). But my week touring the Pearl of Africa also brought me to Kyambura Gorge, an otherworldly 7.5-mile long sunken rainforest where a group of 30 “lost” chimps live in isolation, as well as face-to-face with mountain gorillas in Mount Gahinga—a corner of the network of protected areas on the Virunga Massif that’s shared with Rwanda and the DRC—and the primeval Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to roughly half the world’s population of these gentle giants.
Uganda remains on of Africa’s richest yet least explored frontiers.
Courtesy of Volcanoes Safaris
I’m not alone in my enduring desire to lace up my hiking boots and follow in the muddy footsteps of legendary primatologists like Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. The popularity of gorilla and chimp ecotourism is growing quickly. According to Liesel van Zyl, head of positive impact at African travel agency Go2Africa, these types of great-ape expeditions appeal to “seasoned, active travelers” who have already experienced the more laidback thrill of a traditional Big Five safari. It’s also easier to access, with companies like Volcanoes that link the most iconic primate-trekking sites in Uganda and Rwanda.
While both Rwanda and Uganda offer soul-stirring encounters with gorillas and chimps, Rwanda has earned the most attention—and tourism dollars—to date. The Napa to Uganda’s Sonoma, it’s smaller, more expensive, and caters to a glitzier crowd. In 2017, rocketing demand enabled the Rwanda Development Board to double the price of their daily gorilla-tracking permit to a hefty $1,500 to generate more revenue for conservation. A spate of elite properties soon followed, starting with Wilderness Bisate Lodge just one month later. One&Only Gorilla’s Nest and Singita Kwitonda raised the bar even further with butlers, plunge pools, and pre-trek briefings with legendary conservationist Charles Nsabimana.
By comparison, Uganda seems like a bargain. There, tracking permits currently cost just $800 a pop and require less planning. Meanwhile, across the Rwandan border, it’s advised to book up to a year in advance during peak season rather than risk being disappointed by sold-out dates. Uganda also has a much larger population of chimpanzees than Rwanda, with multiple trekking sites including Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest.
Virunga Lodge offers views of Uganda’s rugged mountain terrain.
Courtesy of Volcanoes Safaris
“Chimp trekking is something that is just starting to rise in popularity, as people want to know what else they can do when visiting Rwanda and Uganda,” says van Zyl. “Chimps are very active and offer an exciting and engaging experience for visitors at a fraction of the cost of the gorillas.”
Now, as Uganda welcomes more accessible flights and curated safari itineraries, the country is catching up with its flashy neighbor. In 2023, visitor numbers to its 10 national parks surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 20 percent.
However, it’s the arrival of luxury camps that seems to be having the biggest impact. Interest in Uganda as a destination has been brewing for a while, says Teresa Sullivan, cofounder of Mango African Safaris, but the influx of noteworthy properties is finally tempting her high-net-worth clients to venture off-the-beaten path. Van Zyl has also seen an increase in inquiries due to Asilia Africa’s upcoming expansion into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Erebero Hills, as well as the recent opening of Volcanoes Kibale Lodge.
They’re far from the only brands investing in Uganda. A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in the heart of Bwindi is currently undergoing an extensive rebuild until May 2025, just as the nearby Marasa Africa Silverback Lodge is being freshly conceived as 12 elegant “nests” by award-winning Hesse Kleinloog, the same design studio responsible for Rwanda’s stunning Singita Kwitonda. Travelers in search of mischievous chimps will soon be able to stay at River Station, an eco-chic camp built by Wildplaces Africa near Kyambura, while Great Lakes Safaris is constructing Padibi Lodge on the site of a former Jane Goodall research center in Budongo.
Luxury retreats like Kibale Lodge are now competing with Rwanda.
Courtesy of Volcanoes Safaris
Although accommodations in Uganda are rapidly upgrading, most remain more down-to-earth than the ultra-over-the-top lodges Rwanda has become known for, prioritizing local craftsmanship and eco-friendly materials over urban comforts and imported goods.
“Our lodges have evolved from simple camps in 1997 to luxury lodges today,” says Praveen Moman, founder of Volcanoes Safaris. “The issue of sustainability has become more topical. In our opinion, it is important to balance guests’ expectations, the context of the remote places they visit, and the responsible use of resources.”
According to Sullivan, that ethos is exactly why many travelers are heading to Uganda right now: “I think part of what makes Uganda so interesting as a destination is that there are a lot of Ugandan-owned and -operated passion projects that provide a real sense of place and hospitality. It doesn’t feel overrun. That speaks to a lot of people.”
The rest of Uganda’s tourism infrastructure has a way to go. Roughly nine times larger than Rwanda, the rocky, unmaintained roads tend to be a metaphorical and literal pain in the neck. But along the way, you’ll discover more than apes—such as dinosaur-like shoebills in the swamps off Lake Victoria, tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the mist-shrouded Rwenzori Mountains.
“Uganda’s geography works in its favor and against it at the same time,” says Sullivan. “It has so much more to offer than Rwanda in terms of the diversity of experiences that you can have there. It is worth an entire trip in and of itself.”
Glimpsing wild chimps is like looking in the mirror.
Courtesy of Volcanoes Safaris
Fortunately, just as Uganda Airlines’s new direct international flights are making it easier to get to Entebbe, lodges are taking on more responsibility as safari outfitters to make domestic travel more enjoyable and seamless for their guests, securing trekking permits and coordinating transfers and connections.
Volcanoes Safaris recently launched several new curated itineraries, including their 10-Day Primates of the Great Rift Valley Safari in Kibale, Kyambura, and Gahinga, which incorporates on-and-off-property activities, such as cocktails with a primatologist from the Kibale Chimpanzee Project and a boat cruise on the lush Kazinga Channel, a magnet for wildlife like elephants and cape buffalo. While most of their guests travel by a combination of charter plane and car, the Volcanoes team can arrange a helicopter from Entebbe and between any of its Uganda lodges. Privacy may come at an additional cost, but you’ll be one of the first on the ground in a region that many advisors say remains under-explored and valued.
“It’s amazing to go into the national parks and not have a ton of other safari vehicles nearby—it feels very exclusive,” says van Zyl. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if in 10 years—as the country develops further, more lodges open, and chimp trekking becomes more popular—that Uganda will be the next ‘it’ destination.”
