Buhoma Community Haven Lodge: Midrange Community Cottages Above Buhoma

Buhoma Community Haven Lodge is a midrange, community owned lodge of self contained cottages on a hillside above Buhoma village, a short drive from the park office where every Buhoma gorilla trek begins. Most travellers book it through a tour operator as part of a Bwindi gorilla safari. It belongs to the Buhoma Mukono Community Development Association, opened in December 2014, and channels its income into village projects.

One point causes endless confusion online. Haven Lodge is not the Buhoma Community Rest Camp. The association owns both, but the rest camp is the budget option right at the gate, while Haven Lodge is the more comfortable sister property up the hill. Plenty of operator pages blur the two, so check which one appears on your itinerary.

Where Haven Lodge Sits for Buhoma Gorilla Trekking

The lodge occupies a spacious site on higher ground above Buhoma village, reached by a short climb off the main road that runs through the trading centre towards the park gate. That elevation is the point. From the cottage verandas you look out over the village roofs to the forested ridges of Bwindi, which is a view the lodges down at the gate do not get.

The trade off is distance. Lodges such as Bwindi Lodge and the rest camp sit within walking range of the briefing point, whereas from Haven Lodge you will normally be driven down on trek morning. Operators put that transfer at around five minutes. Short, yes. But it means your driver needs to be ready early, and on a wet morning the last stretch of murram can be slippery.

Buhoma is the original trekking sector of the park and the one closest to Kihihi airstrip and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our Buhoma gorilla trekking guide explains the sector in full.

Cottages and Rooms at the Community Safari Lodge

Haven Lodge is built as a cluster of separate cottages rather than a block of rooms. They use local timber and thatch, sit slightly raised off the ground, and each has a wooden veranda facing the forest. Inside you get either one double bed or two singles, mosquito nets, and a private bathroom with flush toilet, basin and shower. Hot water comes from solar heating, so it runs warmest in the afternoon and evening after a sunny day.

The numbers are where sources disagree. The community’s own listing describes six twin or double cottages and one family cottage; several operators list eight cottages plus the family unit, and a few older pages give different counts again. Units have been added over the years, which probably explains it. Ask for the current layout when you book, especially if you need several rooms for a group.

Meals, Bar and Shared Spaces on a Haven Lodge Safari

A two storey wooden main building holds the restaurant, a bar and a lounge with a fireplace, which earns its keep on cold Buhoma evenings at roughly 1,500 metres above sea level. There is also a small gift shop selling crafts made in the surrounding villages, and operators mention a massage room for tired legs after a trek.

Food mixes Ugandan and Western cooking, with much of the fresh produce bought from farmers in the parish. Dinner is a set menu of several courses served together in the main building, so it suits travellers happy to eat at a fixed time. Breakfast covers fruit, cereal, toast, eggs made to order, tea and coffee. On trek day the kitchen packs a lunch box, and it is worth taking, since a Buhoma trek can finish within two hours or run well into the afternoon.

Most stays are sold on a full board basis, so meals are covered. Drinks, laundry and massages are usually extra. Ask your operator what the package includes before you pay.

Solar Electricity, Wi Fi and Practical Details for Your Stay

The lodge runs on solar electricity with battery storage. Cottages have sockets for phones and camera batteries, though high draw appliances such as hair dryers are discouraged to protect the system, and charging is also possible at the bar. Bring a head torch for the paths between cottages after dark.

Free Wi Fi is offered in the main building. Do not count on it in the cottages, and expect it to slow down when several guests are uploading photos at once. MTN and Airtel mobile data usually work in Buhoma.

Water comes partly from a rainwater harvesting system, and guests are given refillable bottles rather than a stream of plastic ones. Laundry is available, which helps after a muddy trek.

On access: the site is on a slope with steps and uneven paths between buildings, so travellers with limited mobility should ask which cottage is closest to the main building and whether a vehicle can reach it. Children are welcome; the family cottage exists for them. Under 15s cannot trek gorillas under UWA rules, and operators note that the lodge can arrange activities with a babysitter while parents are in the forest.

Gorilla Trekking Days from Haven Lodge

Gorilla trekking from Haven Lodge follows the same routine as from any Buhoma lodge. You eat an early breakfast, collect your packed lunch, and drive down to the UWA office for the briefing at about eight. Rangers split trekkers into groups of no more than eight and assign each group a habituated family. Buhoma’s families include Mubare, the first group ever opened to tourists, Habinyanja and Rushegura, among others.

Permits are tied to a sector. Your permit must say Buhoma, since the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo are several hours away by road and you cannot switch on the day. The gorilla permit guide covers how booking works and why you should secure the permit before the lodge.

Once your group finds the gorillas you get one hour with them, keeping at least 10 metres away as UWA requires. Sightings are very likely in Buhoma but never guaranteed. Hire a porter at the trailhead: they carry your bag, give you a hand on steep mud, and the fee goes to a local family. Gardening gloves for nettles, long sleeves, gaiters and a rain jacket all earn their place, and our gorilla trekking packing list has the rest.

Village Walks, Birding and Other Buhoma Tours

A spare afternoon is easy to fill. The Buhoma community walk visits farms, a traditional healer, banana beer brewing and local musicians, led by guides from the village. A Batwa cultural visit introduces the forest people who lived in Bwindi before it became a national park.

Inside the park, the Munyaga waterfall walk is a gentle guided hike with a UWA ranger, good for monkeys, butterflies and forest birds. Buhoma is also one of the best bases for birding in Bwindi, with Albertine Rift endemics along the forest edge. Mountain biking trips to the Ivi River can be arranged locally, and trekkers with a bigger budget sometimes add the gorilla habituation experience, which is run in Rushaga in the south of the park.

Who Haven Lodge Suits on a Uganda Gorilla Trip

Haven Lodge fits travellers who want a proper room with a view and a hot shower without paying luxury lodge rates, and who like knowing their money stays in the village. Couples, small groups and families do well here; the family cottage is rarer than it should be in Buhoma.

It suits people who travel with a driver. Without a vehicle, the hill and the morning transfer become a nuisance, and the rest camp at the gate makes more sense.

Who should look elsewhere? Anyone wanting a spa, butler service or a private plunge pool. Those lodges exist in Buhoma, at several times the price.

Haven Lodge, the Rest Camp and Other Buhoma Lodges

The closest comparison is its sister property. The Buhoma Community Rest Camp trades comfort for location: bandas, tents and a campsite a couple of minutes on foot from the briefing. Haven Lodge trades the other way. Both send their profits to the same association.

Among other midrange choices, Engagi Lodge is closer to the gate and has a more polished feel. The CTPH Gorilla Conservation Camp is a budget option that funds gorilla health work. If you can stretch further, Buhoma Lodge and Bwindi Lodge sit on the forest edge by the gate. The Bwindi Community Hospital also runs its own guest houses in Buhoma, a separate operation from Haven Lodge. Our guide to Bwindi lodges by sector lists every option.

Getting to Haven Lodge for Your Bwindi Safari

By road, Buhoma is around eight to ten hours from Kampala or Entebbe, with the final stretch on unpaved roads through Kihihi or Butogota. Many itineraries break the drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park, four to five hours away depending on where you stay, which also gives you a game drive on the way.

Flying is quicker. Scheduled and charter flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi land at Kihihi airstrip in about an hour, and the transfer to Buhoma takes roughly one and a half hours through tea estates and villages. Full routes, border notes and drive times are in our guide on how to get to Bwindi. For timing, the drier months of June to September and December to February bring firmer trails and fuller lodges; see the best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Buhoma Community Haven Lodge FAQ