(Posted 09th April 2025)
AFAR magazine has named Kibale Lodge one of the best new hotels in the world in 2025.
in 1997, when Volcanoes Safaris started building the Mount Gahinga Camp on the border of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, the Great Lakes region was beginning to stabilise. Building an international level hotel back then seemed a distant dream.
Today all Volcanoes lodges in Uganda and Rwanda are amongst the award-winning leading luxury lodges of the region. Kibale Lodge embodies the Volcanoes’ vision of small, bespoke lodges, of simplicity and sophistication, rooted in the rich landscapes, cultures and traditions of the peoples of the Great Lakes.
Central to the vision of Volcanoes founder Praveen Moman is empowering local artisans to drive the design, building and decoration of their lodges.
The AFAR award is a tribute to the aesthetic accomplishments, passion and dedication of the Kibale design team. Kibale Lodge’s hospitality embodies the deep traditions of the local Batoro people, based on values and respect for family and elders.
Each guest has a personal butler and is given a pet name, an empaako, during their stay, a mark of respect.
The lodge menu includes locally inspired dishes, such as firinda, a delicacy served at marriage ceremonies.
Kibale Lodge is the perfect base for trekking chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, the ‘Primate Capital of the World’. Meet experts from our conservation partners: Kibale Chimpanzee Project and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Volcanoes Safaris’ newly-launched, curated 7-night chimpanzee safari takes you to the iconic sites of Kibale and Kyambura Gorge.
