I admit it. I am a hotel snob. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve stayed in some dumps in my time. After visiting 158 countries, I’ve seen it all. But in my old age, I’ve done my best to stay at places that have that little something special. That make you remember the care you’ve received and the beauty of the place.

Clouds Lodge in Uganda is one of those places. African lodges can be a real mixed bag. Most are expensive due to the logistics involved in getting high end food, clean water and materials to remote locations. But Clouds is a step above them all.

How did I find it? On the web. When Kelly and I decided we wanted to see the gorillas in Uganda, I started searching for a nice place to stay. It didn’t take me long to find Clouds and see that it was at the top of my list.

From my first email to the Clouds representative, I received kind, patient and comprehensive answers to all my questions. Mackline (info@wildplacesafrica.com) and I must have exchanged forty emails. She answered every question, no matter how detailed. She arranged for our stay at Clouds, explained that we would need to fly from Nairobi to Entebbe and then on to Kisoro for the final drive up into the mountains. She booked our hotel in Entebbe and the flights to and from Kisoro. She even took care of getting the COVID testing in Entebbe so we could return to Kenya after our visit in Uganda. (A doctor came to our hotel to administer the test and it took a total of 10 minutes.)

Once we flew from Entebbe to Kisoro, we were met at the airport and driven to the lodge by a kind and caring young man. Rasheed took care of our luggage and loaded us into a late model 4-wheel drive SUV. Despite being stopped as we left town by an over-anxious policeman, Rasheed kept his cool. When there was no budging from the policeman over a supposedly missing tourist sticker on the car, Rasheed quickly transferred us to another vehicle that took us the rest of the 2-hour drive to the lodge. (Uganda was in lock-down due to COVID at the time and the only vehicles allowed to travel were those that carried tourists.)

When we arrived at Clouds, we were greeted enthusiastically by managers Des and Kim, a South African husband and wife who have managed properties all over the world. Des and Kim are authentic, genuine and kind and apologized for the delay and assured us they had spoken with the local mayor and all was well with the car.

Our butler, Edith, met us as we entered the lodge and gave us warm towels to freshen up and offered us a beverage. (Edith was in charge of serving our meals and helping with all logistics.) The lobby of the lodge is huge, tastefully furnished with over-stuffed furniture and anchored at one end with a cozy dining room and at the other with a well-stocked bar.  The entire property includes art by well-known Ugandan artists and is tastefully decorated and comfortable.

After a stop for refreshments, we were shown to our cottage, down a rather precarious flight of stone steps. The cottage included a generous-sized living room, with large comfy couch and chairs and a twin-bedded bedroom with adjoining bathroom. A two-sided fireplace opened on the bedroom and living room and huge glass windows gave us an unobstructed view to the nearby forest and mountains.

Edith showed us a menu for lunch and asked us what time we would like to eat. No mass seating for meals at Clouds. Every room could select their preferred eating time and the three-course lunch and dinner menus included several options for appetizer and entrée.

Kelly and I were seated outside for lunch, overlooking the beautiful view of the mountains. For dinner, we sat in front of the fireplace in the dining room.

That evening when we went to bed, there was a fire lit in our cottage and we found hot-water bottles nestled in our beds. What heaven!

The next morning was our gorilla trek. We rose early for a hearty breakfast – ordered the night before. Des and Kim were there to get us ready. Edith strapped gaiters onto our legs and Des gave us walking sticks for the trek. They all reminded us to take our time and enjoy the trek. They supplied us with a lunch and four jugs of water, which we stashed in Kelly’s backpack.

Rasheed walked us to the ranger station, since the lodge was located just on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the home of several gorilla families. (see my blog about the gorilla trek for details about the gorillas.)

When we returned from the trek, Rasheed was there with the SUV to drive us the short distance back to the lodge.

The next day, I decided to hang out at the lodge and take a “slug” day. Kelly opted for a tour of the local community. A guide accompanied her and she had a delightful tour which included the purchase of souvenirs and a demonstration of local dancing and singing.

Clouds was a delight from every aspect. The food was delicious and plentiful, the accommodations were top-rate and the staff was kind, considerate and helpful. A full-time gardener oversees a beautiful and bountiful vegetable garden, so our salads and vegetables were amazingly fresh and tasty.

If you want to see the gorillas, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is THE place to stay. We especially liked finding out that the lodge building is privately owned, but the land is owned by the community. Every night that a guest stays at the lodge, the community receives a fee that goes toward helping the community’s needs.

Why is it so expensive to travel to Africa?

When researching trips to Africa, you may be shocked at the cost of travel there. I know I was.

Here’s why it costs so much.

Most lodges are remote. That means transporting supplies to the lodge can be costly.

Safe water is not readily available. Most lodges must bring in safe drinking water or process it locally to be potable.

Lodges employ security staff, housekeepers, chefs and guides. Many lodges provide housing for staff as folks can’t easily commute to work from their homes.

All meals are generally included in your lodge stay. Also, laundry services are included.

Safari vehicles are expensive. You’ll travel out to see animals and visit remote locations in a vehicle that will transport 6-8 people, is four-wheel drive and has necessary amenities for off-road and touring activities.

You generally will fly by small planes to reach remote locations. Those planes are expensive, as they hold fewer passengers and may have to make lots of one-way trips to carry passengers.

Logistics can be complicated. Therefore, lodges must employ agents and representatives to arrange for flights, auto transfers and coordinating with international flights.