Ndali Lodge
Ndali Lodge sits on the equator – a colonial-style mansion at the center of a farm. It stands on a narrow ridge 5,000 feet (1,524 m) above sea level, at the rim of an extinct volcano that has become a deep circular lake in Uganda. It offers 360-degree views of the ancient volcanic landscape and the Rwenzori Mountains, known by explorers as the Mountains of the Moon. Photo by: Martha de Jong-Lantink
The main lodge holds the reception area, sitting room, and restaurant. Guests stay in eight individual stone-built thatched cottages. Ndali feels luxurious, but in a very traditional way. Evenings are spent by candlelight, and all the lodge’s water comes from lake, pumped by hydraulic technology invented in the 1770s. The lodge has been owned by the same family since 1920 and is still staffed by local villagers. Photo by: jnissa
Ndali provides guides for walks to the Mahoma waterfall, around the crater, as well as a boat for discovering the birds, butterflies, and primates. There are many local walks you can take your own, a swimming pool, and a sturdy jetty on the lake where guests can swim and lounge in the sun, spotting five different types of kingfishers. Photo by: robscoff
Ndali is a perfect Ugandan base, situated between three national parks. It is just forty-five minutes to Kibale Forest National Park, home of the largest concentration of chimpanzees in Africa. Location: Fort Portal, Uganda. Photo by: Mike Gadd
