Uganda’s safari accommodation landscape is changing quickly. Over the past few years, a handful of genuinely interesting new lodges have opened across the country — and several more are on their way in 2026. Here’s what’s new, what’s coming, and what makes each property worth knowing about.
Murchison Falls National Park
Papa’s Camp
Open since late 2023 · 5 tents · Full Board
Named after Ernest Hemingway, who famously survived two plane crashes near this stretch of the Nile in 1954, Papa’s Camp is a small, characterful bush camp on the southern bank of the river inside Murchison Falls National Park. Five en-suite tents with safari-style outdoor showers, a comfortable mess tent, and access to a remote part of the park that most visitors never see. It’s operated by WildPlaces Africa, a family-run safari company with over 30 years of experience in Uganda.
- Capacity: 5 tents
- Meal plan: Full Board
- Access: 1-hour flight from Entebbe to Pakuba airstrip, or 5-hour road from Kampala
Kulu Ora Lodge
Opening soon (2026) · 10 rooms · Full Board
The most talked-about lodge opening in Uganda right now. Kulu Ora sits in a newly designated 75,000-hectare low-impact zone inside Murchison Falls National Park — a stretch of wilderness shared only with Papa’s Camp. The founding story is striking: the WildPlaces Africa team had to machete through kilometres of bush to reach the site, and on the way encountered a pride of lions that had never seen humans before.
Ten canvas-walled rooms, each with private outdoor copper bathtubs overlooking the Nile and a private plunge pool. Fully solar-powered, built with removable structures, and including a $25 per bed-night conservation levy. A spa perched above the river, a curated library, and an on-site walled garden supplying the kitchen. Kulu Ora (meaning ‘river’ in two local languages) is shaping up to be one of Uganda’s most ambitious luxury lodge openings in years.
- Capacity: 10 rooms (including 1 family unit)
- Meal plan: Full Board
- Status: Opening soon — watch this space
- Access: 1-hour flight from Entebbe to Pakuba airstrip, plus 2-hour road transfer
Pabidi Lodge
Opening soon (2026) · 9 rooms · Full Board
Pabidi is set near the Budongo Forest Reserve, one of Uganda’s most important chimpanzee habitats and a significant birding destination on the edge of the Murchison Falls ecosystem. Nine self-contained rooms (singles and doubles). Further details to follow as the opening date is confirmed.
- Capacity: 9 rooms
- Meal plan: Full Board
- Status: Coming soon
Queen Elizabeth National Park Area
The River Station Lodge
Open since 2024 · 10 rooms with plunge pools · Full Board
A WildPlaces Africa property on the Kazinga Channel in the Kyambura Game Reserve, adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lodge sits on a bluff above the channel in a low-impact private concession — one of only two accommodations in the entire reserve. Ten rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private plunge pools. The main lodge is decorated in soft blues and greens echoing the water below. Elephants are regularly seen from the breakfast table; guests can arrive by boat and travel by river taxi to game drive vehicles.
The Kyambura Gorge is the main draw: a dramatic rift valley forest home to chimpanzees, hyenas, crater lakes, and outstanding birdlife. The River Station’s resident guides specialise in this landscape.
- Capacity: 10 rooms
- Meal plan: Full Board
- Access: 1-hour drive from Kasese airstrip, or road from Kampala via Fort Portal
Mirima Lodge
Opening June 2026 · 10 cottages · Full Board (drinks included)
Scheduled to open in June 2026 with 10 luxurious self-contained cottages — singles, doubles, and triples — on a full board meal plan that includes drinks. It will be one of the few lodges in the region to include drinks in the rate. Worth watching for travelers planning the second half of 2026.
- Capacity: 10 cottages
- Meal plan: Full Board including drinks
- Status: Opening June 2026
Kibale Forest
Kibale Lodge
Open since July 2024 · 8 bandas · Full Board (drinks included)
Volcanoes Safaris’ fifth property, and the one that completes their great ape circuit across Rwanda and Uganda. Kibale Lodge sits on a 150-acre ridge with views of the Rwenzori Mountains to the west and Queen Elizabeth plains to the south. It was hand-built by an in-house team of over 400 African artisans, with 200,000+ indigenous plant seedlings established across the grounds.
Eight bandas (4 standard, 4 deluxe), plus a spa, sauna and pool. The rate includes all meals, soft and alcoholic drinks (except French champagne), and a $50 per person per night community fee supporting the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust — including new work with the Jane Goodall Institute in Kibale Forest. Guests can participate in conservation activities during their stay. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest is 30 minutes away.
- Capacity: 8 rooms (4 standard, 4 deluxe)
- Meal plan: Full Board including drinks
- Access: 1 hour from Kasese airstrip, 30 minutes from the Kibale Forest chimpanzee tracking base
Erebero Hills and Chimpanzee Nest Safari Lodge
Opening June 2026 · Details to follow
Scheduled to open in June 2026 in the Kibale area. Further details on capacity and room types to be confirmed closer to opening. A property to watch for travelers planning a Kibale visit in the second half of 2026.
- Status: Opening June 2026 · Details TBC
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Wilderness Lodge
Open since 2025 · 16 chalets · Full or Half Board
A family-owned eco-lodge 500 metres from the Kalokudo Gate of Kidepo Valley National Park — Uganda’s most remote and, many would argue, most spectacular park. Sixteen self-contained chalets with private verandahs and panoramic savannah views, a pool, and a restaurant using locally sourced ingredients.
The lodge offers game drives in open-roof Land Cruisers, guided walks in the Lamoj Mountains and Kidepo River valley, cultural visits to Karamojong communities, and birding across the park’s 460+ species. Kidepo is the only park in Uganda where cheetah, zebra, and giraffe are all found together — a genuinely distinct safari experience from anywhere else in the country.
- Capacity: 16 chalets
- Meal plan: Full Board or Half Board
- Access: Fly-in from Entebbe (recommended), or 4-hour road from Gulu
Planning a trip to Uganda in 2026?
We’re happy to advise on which of these properties might suit your itinerary, travel style, and budget. Get in touch with the Kikooko team and we’ll help you put something together that makes the most of what’s new in Uganda right now.
