Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge: Lakeside Base for Rushaga and Mgahinga Gorillas

Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge is a mid range lakeside lodge of twelve cottages on Lake Mulehe in Mucha, about 10 km from Kisoro town, used as a base for Rushaga gorilla trekking in Bwindi and for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It sits outside both parks, roughly 20 to 25 km from the Rushaga gate. Travellers pick it for lake views, canoe trips and a central position between two gorilla parks.

The name trips people up. It is spelt Mulehe, not Muhele, and there is a second property on the same lake, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, which is a different business. Check which one your quote names.

Lake Mulehe Location and the Drive to Rushaga

The lodge stands in Mucha, on the hillside above Lake Mulehe, a small highland lake east of Kisoro town along the road that runs toward Rubuguri and the southern Bwindi sectors. It is a quiet, rural spot. Farms and eucalyptus run down to the water, and on clear mornings the Virunga volcanoes rise to the south.

For a Rushaga gorilla trekking safari, the drive matters. Published distances put the Rushaga gate at about 20 to 25 km, and estimates of the drive range from around forty minutes to an hour, with guests in recent reviews reporting closer to the hour. Most of it is on murram road that slows after rain. The briefing at the UWA post starts at around 7:30, so plan to leave by about 6:15 and ask for breakfast early.

That is the trade off. You give up a short walk to the trailhead in exchange for a lake setting, an easier link to Kisoro and a position that also works for Mgahinga, about 20 to 25 km in the other direction.

Cottages at Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge

The lodge has twelve cottages, each named after a gorilla from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Room types run from single, double and twin to triple and family cottages, so it handles small groups and families better than most lodges in the Rushaga area. One operator breakdown lists nine double or twin cottages, six of them on the shoreline, two triples and one cottage set up for wheelchair users.

Every cottage is en suite with a shower, and each has a private porch looking across the water. Listings mention bathrobes, slippers, a reading table and luggage racks. Guests often mention hot water bottles in the beds at night, which says something about how cold it gets at this altitude.

Stairs are the common complaint.

The cottages are spread down a slope toward the lake, and the furthest ones mean a real climb back to the restaurant. If you have bad knees, ask for an upper cottage or the accessible one, and say so when the safari company books. Shoreline cottages have the best water views but the longest walk up.

Food and Facilities at the Lodge

The restaurant serves Ugandan and international dishes, with an early breakfast and packed lunches on trekking days, and a bar with a lounge for the evenings. Food and staff are the two things guests praise most consistently. One recurring note: check whether the packed lunch is included in your meal plan, since some guests found it billed as an extra.

The lodge’s own website states that it has received a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award. We have not reproduced review scores here, but the themes in guest reviews are steady: warm staff, good food, the lake view from the porch, and the stairs.

Who Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge Suits

The lodge suits couples, families and small groups who want a comfortable mid range base for two gorilla parks rather than a room at a single trailhead. It works well on a longer southwestern Uganda safari where you trek in Rushaga one day, track golden monkeys in Mgahinga the next, and spend an afternoon on the lake in between.

Families do well here thanks to the triple and family cottages. Remember the minimum age for gorilla trekking is fifteen, so younger children stay at the lodge with an adult on trekking day, and the lake gives them something to do.

It is a weaker choice for travellers on the gorilla habituation experience who want the shortest possible drive at both ends of a very long day, and for anyone holding a Buhoma or Ruhija permit, which would mean a drive of many hours.

Gorilla Trekking Safari from Lake Mulehe

Three trekking options sit within reach. The main one is a Rushaga gorilla trekking permit, the southern sector with the most habituated families in Bwindi and the only place in Uganda running the four hour habituation experience. Our Rushaga gorilla trekking guide explains the families and terrain.

Nkuringo is also possible, about 30 km away, but the road climbs to the ridge and the start is earlier; our Nkuringo gorilla trekking page covers that steeper hike. Mgahinga, with its single habituated family, is the third option, and our comparison of Bwindi and Mgahinga trekking sets out the differences.

Whichever you choose, the day follows the same pattern. A briefing at around 7:30, a trek of anything from under an hour to most of the day, and one hour with the gorillas at the 10 metre distance UWA asks for. Hire a porter at the trailhead; it helps on muddy slopes and supports local families. Our gorilla trekking packing list covers the gloves, gaiters and rain jacket.

Lake Mulehe Canoe Trips, Golden Monkeys and Volcano Hikes

The lake is the lodge’s other draw. Canoe trips in local dugouts set out from the shore, and guests mention grey crowned cranes and, on lucky days, otters. The water is calm most mornings. Mountain bikes can be hired for rides along the village roads, and community walks visit farms, a traditional healer, and basket weaving and brewing households.

In Mgahinga, golden monkey trekking is the classic second activity, and fit hikers can climb Muhabura, Gahinga or Sabyinyo volcanoes on full day hikes. The Batwa trail in Mgahinga gives a guided look at the forest life of the Batwa people. Our Mgahinga Gorilla National Park guide covers each.

Getting to Lake Mulehe for Your Safari

By road from Kampala or Entebbe, allow eight to nine hours through Mbarara and Kabale to Kisoro, then about thirty minutes to the lodge. From Kigali, the Cyanika border is about 20 km from the lodge, and the whole drive takes around four to five hours, which makes Lake Mulehe a natural first stop for travellers flying into Rwanda.

Light aircraft fly from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip, about 13 km from the lodge. Our guide to getting to Bwindi covers all routes, and the best time to go gorilla trekking page explains how the rainy months affect the roads.

How Lake Mulehe Compares with Nearby Lodges

Lodges inside the Rushaga sector put you closer to the trailhead, which matters most on habituation days. Lake Mulehe wins on setting, family rooms and flexibility between Bwindi and Mgahinga. Lake Mutanda lodges offer a similar lakeside trade off a little further west.

If your permit is for Buhoma instead, the gate lodges there are the better choice: Bwindi Lodge at the top end, Buhoma Lodge in the mid range, and the Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budgets. Our Bwindi lodges by sector page has the full list.

Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge FAQ