At Mirima Kibale Lodge, the welcome begins long before guests reach the reception. Drums and traditional folk songs announce their arrival, followed by a glass of fresh organic juice, a plate of fruit and warm smiles from the staff. Inside, the reception offers a quiet sense of luxury, with carefully selected wood and papyrus, all sourced from the surrounding communities, bringing a distinctly local character to the space.
Opened in June, the lodge sits on a ridge overlooking Lake Nyamirima, one of the picturesque crater lakes that define Fort Portal’s landscape. The views are difficult to miss. From the restaurant and swimming pool, the eye is drawn towards the expansive waters of Lake Nyamirima, while Lakes Nyinabulitwa and Nyinabikere complete the panorama to the left. Behind the property, the landscape rolls into tea and banana plantations, before giving way to the distant, mist-covered outline of Kibale Forest.
The scenery is complemented by equally thoughtful landscaping. Mature trees provide shade and keep the grounds cool, while carefully maintained flower beds, bamboo-lined lawns and landscaped walkways create a tranquil atmosphere around the cottages. The infinity pool, positioned to overlook the crater-lake valley, offers another vantage point from which guests can take in the surrounding landscape.
“Mirima means ‘Mother of Darkness’,” the lodge’s manager Isabell Kosgey explains. “It’s a deep lake.” Although its exact depth has not been officially established, the lake contains considerable mud, making swimming inadvisable. The lodge therefore provides a swimming pool where guests can enjoy the water while taking in the views.
Despite its expansive surroundings, Mirima maintains an intimate feel. The property has ten cottages comprising 12 rooms: eight luxury suites and two family villas. Each room carries a name drawn from local pet names, with its own meaning. The rooms are designed to combine comfort with the surrounding natural beauty, featuring private balconies overlooking the lakes and fireplaces for the cool, misty evenings characteristic of the area.
Dining and relaxation are equally considered. Ziwa Restaurant offers open views of the lake, making meals an experience in themselves, while Kyanda Bar provides a setting for sunset cocktails and leisurely evenings. The Mist Spa, tucked into a bamboo garden, offers treatments using locally sourced botanicals. The lodge operates on an all-inclusive basis, with guests encouraged to communicate any dietary requirements or allergies to the kitchen in advance.
Beyond the comfort, the property’s location makes it an ideal base for exploring the region. Kibale National Park’s Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, where chimpanzee tracking begins, is approximately 20 minutes away, while Fort Portal is about 30 minutes away.
“For any guest who wants to see chimpanzees and is staying with us, it’s an ideal location,” Kosgey explains.
However, the lodge’s appeal extends beyond its accommodation and proximity to the forest. Its approach to hospitality places considerable emphasis on the communities surrounding it, particularly through skills development and local employment.
One clear example is its tailoring project. Visitors from Canada helped train community trainers, who then passed on their skills to other community members. The initiative focuses on women, whose work the lodge purchases for use in its rooms and dining spaces. Their products include napkins, bed runners and cushion covers. The lodge has also employed many of the women it has trained in different departments.
“Community is at the heart of our operations,” she says.
The initiative is supported through the Gorilla Junction Foundation, which is linked to the lodge’s parent group, Nkuringo Eco Collection. Among its programmes is the Keep a Girl Child in School initiative, which is already being implemented in Bwindi and its surrounding communities. For Kabarole District, the group plans to launch the programme in January 2027.
Local participation is also reflected in the lodge’s workforce. Of its 45 employees, 32 are from the surrounding communities, with the largest number coming from Kabarole District and a few from Kasese. Many joined the project during its construction and were subsequently trained to take up different responsibilities across the lodge.
Beyond their day-to-day duties, the staff also perform traditional cultural dances for guests, an experience the lodge considers part of its contribution to promoting Tooro culture.
The local touch is equally evident in the property’s furnishings and finishing. Papyrus, baskets, carpets and wooden stools used across the buildings were sourced from local suppliers and carpenters. Only the sofas were brought in from Kampala.
This commitment to local creativity continues at Rafiki Crafts, the lodge’s art centre, which provides a platform for local artists to display and sell their work. Guests can purchase locally made crafts and artworks as souvenirs. Before departing, each guest receives a small carved chimpanzee made by one of the artists employed by the lodge.
“We wanted to create a space for local artists to be part of the staff,” the manager says. “There are many young men with the talent, but they have to earn a living, something sustainable.”
Environmental responsibility is another consideration running through the lodge’s operations. As an eco-lodge, it seeks to minimise its environmental footprint, particularly by reducing reliance on single-use plastics.
“We are an eco-lodge, so we try as much as possible to reduce single-use plastic,” Kosgey says.
Instead of disposable plastic bottles, rooms and the dining area are supplied with refillable glass bottles containing filtered drinking water. Solar energy powers the rooms and heats the water, with a generator available as backup.
“The weather in Kibale is conducive, so solar is very effective,” she adds.
The lodge has also introduced a tree-planting initiative that invites every guest to contribute to the property’s green legacy. Each visitor is encouraged to plant a tree, which is tagged with their name. The lodge subsequently sends monthly updates to guests, keeping them informed about the tree’s growth and progress.
Nearby, a pocket forest provides shelter for monkeys and birds, adding to the property’s natural appeal. Protecting this small ecosystem is also part of the lodge’s environmental commitment.
For the management, the intention is to make Mirima accessible to more than just international visitors. The growing interest in responsible travel, they believe, presents an opportunity for both domestic and international tourists to appreciate the region while supporting sustainable tourism.
“Tourism is evolving, and everyone is moving towards sustainable travel,” the manager says. “We are open to everyone.”
By the time guests check out, they leave with more than memories of the crater lakes and the cool Kibale highlands. They also leave behind a growing tree bearing their name, a small but meaningful connection to a place seeking to make tourism beneficial to both its visitors and the people who call it home.