Turaco Treetops – Article by Lotte van Vliet – All Images by: Turaco Treetops
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Welcome To The Eye Magazine Directory
Turaco Treetops – Article by Lotte van Vliet – All Images by: Turaco Treetops
Turaco Treetops opened its doors over 5 years ago and has since become a favourite among tourists and residents in Uganda. The lodge is well known for its location near the chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, service-oriented team, spacious accommodation with forest views, competitive prices, and commitment to nature conservation. Whether you have already visited Turaco Treetops, or are discovering it for the first time, read on to explore what makes this lodge a must-stay in the Pearl of Africa
Setting foot on the premises in 2017, the founders of the lodge were in awe with the dense tropical forest. A mix of majestic fig trees, streams, dancing butterflies, birdsong, buzzing insects, monkeys jumping trees, elephant footprints, and an occasional chimpanzee pant-hoot in the distance made it very easy to fall in love with this special piece of nature.
When building the lodge, nature served as the foundation for the design concept. In the main lodge, several fallen trees have been integrated into the structure. One of the most remarkable features is a strangler fig, carefully positioned before casting the concrete pole it now encircles. The first-floor lounge further enhances the experience, offering guests elevated views over Kibale National Park, all the way towards the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains on a clear morning. The viewing deck is also the perfect spot to enjoy a signature Turaco Sunshine cocktail during one of the stunning sunsets.
Turaco Treetops makes it a point to deliver hospitality, comfort and quality, while offering a memorable experience at a competitive price, with discounted rates for Ugandan residents. The Turaco team loves to host and serves delicious meals with plenty of vegetables and vegetarian options. And for those in need of refreshment, the lodge features a well-stocked bar and a 5×10 metre pool.
The lodge has 16 accommodations, all tucked away in the forest. The cottages and rooms are modern and spacious, with large windows that create a seamless view of the jungle. The 8 luxury cottages can sleep 4 adults, or a family of 5, and are all positioned at secluded locations on the lodge premises. All cottages have large balconies with comfortable couches and forest views, making it sometimes hard for guests to choose between reading a book, or spotting birds and monkeys.
The standard rooms – sleeping 3 adults, or a family of 4 – are positioned on two separate forest locations, with each two rooms having the option to open the partition door and connect to the balcony of the adjacent room. Ideal for groups of friends or families who wish to share their jungle experience. All cottages and rooms feature extra-long beds, en-suite bathrooms with hot showers, plenty of storage space, and charging stations. Not to miss: ask for coffee or tea served at your room in the morning and wake up with the forest sounds.
For most guests, embarking on a chimpanzee trekking is the highlight of their stay. The lodge is a convenient 10-15-minute drive away from the UWA starting point and serves early breakfast to start the chimpanzee adventure energized. Seeing these intelligent great apes in their natural habitat is a truly magical and humbling experience due to their active nature, social interactions, and expressive facial expressions that strikingly resemble those of humans. Back at the lodge, guests often hear their lodge primate-neighbors’ calls as night falls, and occasionally small groups roam around near the lodge premises.
Though the Kibale area is known for chimpanzees, the lodge is a great base for other activities too. Neighboring community organization KAFRED, for example, offers guided nature walks in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and cultural tours that invite guests to explore village activities, taste local meals, and hear stories about traditional life and practices. Both KAFRED experiences are just a 10-minute drive away from Turaco Treetops. For anyone with a bit more time to travel, the crater lakes and 360-degree “Top of the World” viewpoint are great additions. Or, make a day-trip to Fort Portal to visit the botanical gardens, Tooro Kingdom palace, or the Mpanga market.
Next to these excursions, there is much more to explore at Turaco Treetops. Birding enthusiasts can comfortably observe and photograph a variety of bird species – including Great Blue and Ross’s Turacos, Black and White Casqued Hornbills, and White Browed Coucals – from the newly built bird hide overlooking the forest edge and an elephant-made water pool. Lodge guests can also join a guided nature walk directly from the lodge.
Turaco Treetops has created a network of trails and boardwalks that take guests through the rain forest and the reforestation and agro-forestry zones of the Chris Roberts Forest Foundation.
During the walk, you can learn more about the flora and fauna around the lodge, spot birds and butterflies, encounter Redtail monkeys, Black and White and Red colobus, and walk in the footprints of elephants.
From the start, Turaco Treetops has been committed to protecting and preserving nature. Nearly all operations run on 24/7 solar power, the lodge practices waste management and upcycling, and minimizes single-use plastics by offering free drinking water. To encourage wildlife and forest conservation, Turaco Treetops initiated and actively supports the Chris Roberts Forest Foundation (CRFF – www.crff.earth). The foundation was named after Chris Roberts, one of the founders of Turaco Treetops, who tragically lost his life in a lightning accident shortly after completing the lodge constructions in 2019.
CRFF currently manages a total of 50 acres of degraded land, previously affected by mono-crop farming, tree cutting, and charcoal burning. The foundation protects and restores boundary-zone areas near the national park, plants indigenous trees, and works with nearby farmers to develop productive agro-forestry mixes that can benefit people and nature.
