Feel the true Pearl of Africa at Kikorongo Safari Lodge

By Richard Kintu
 
Life is a journey, so they say! While many may take this adage for its literal meaning, I was lucky to fully appreciate its implied meaning last weekend. Together with a group of friends that belong to the Camp George Sacco, I took a trip to the Kikorongo Safari Lodge, one of the emerging jewels in the Rwenzori region in terms of state-of-the-art tourist accommodation.
Although still a works in progress, Kikorongo Safari Lodge has already gained superlative rave reviews ahead of its December 1, 2019 launch. Locals and tourists to Mountain Rwenzori and Queen Elizabeth National Park are instantly wowed by its iconic view thanks to its unique 15 cottages whose architectural designs are inspired by ideas from the world’s best tourist destinations.  Siira Mutseke, the Kikorongo Safari Lodge Project Consultant says that their adventurous architectural adventure was informed by the need to offer the best in an industry that is so universal but reliant on first impressions that leave lasting effects.
Mutseke has thus traversed the world, reaching every nook and crevice of the world’s best tourism destinations just to get a firsthand feel of these ideas that he then amalgamates and condenses at Kikorongo Safari Lodge, albeit with a unique touch to offer the new facility the much-desired comparative advantage. “Tourism these days is a universal business and it is the only venture where you find for example China, America and Europe struggling for the same clients with what you may term as the poorest country in Africa. It is unlike other businesses with distinctive producers and their corresponding specific consumers. Here we sell stories with the hope that they will appeal to the clients although with realization that the potential is unlimited yet all players stand equal chance,” says Mutseke, while explaining the extensive research carried out for the project. This quest for the best experiences for Kikorongo clients has seen him visit Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malawi, South Africa and Kenya among other tourism-heavy countries.
Mutseke says that once he conceptualizes an idea, he relays its abstract to Jimmy Kaweesa, the project’s engineer and hotel consultant who then actualizes it in physical form.
The guiding principle however is that materials used must be as local as possible. “This not only gives our lodge the much needed comparative advantage but also helps us conserve the environment while giving an opportunity to the local community to contribute to the project and ultimately own it,” Mutseke observes.
As a result of this philosophy, Kikorongo Safari Lodge already boasts ‘exclusive rights’ to simple but intriguing ‘firsts’ that enhance any adventurous tourist’s experience. From the bush showers to the crazy campfire, Kikorongo has lined up a wide range of innovative ideas to cater for every single client’s needs.
 
Strategic
If there’s anything that makes Kikorongo rub shoulders with the world’s rated tourist accommodations, then it is its location. Kikorongo Safari Lodge is strategically located on the upper foot of the Rwenzori Mountains, thus letting off serenade views that allow a guest to get fully drenched into the true beauty of Kasese and the entire Queen Elizabeth conservation area.
Sitting just about only 300m away from the Equator line, Kikorongo Safari Lodge offers perfect views of Lake George, Lake Edward and the mystic Lake Kikorongo Crater Lake which was until two years ago ‘dead’ but coincidentally came back to life around the time construction of the safari lodge began. It was, therefore, only fair that the lodge got its name from this amazing lake. 
The Safari Lodge also lets one get beautiful glimpses of the mighty Rwenzori Mountains, Rwenzori National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and the famous Kazinga Channel. This makes the place the ultimate choice for any traveler who is looking for value for money. The enviable but undeniable fact is that contact with Kikorongo helps any tourist appreciate that Uganda is indeed the Pearl of Africa; blessed with a myriad of attractions within sight from the 360-degree vantage points of the lodge.
 Good enough there are no travel worries as the lodge is very accessible and the entire tarmac route from Kampala to Kasese is a chance for intercourse with nature’s wonders in Mubende, through the lush forests and cascading tea plantations of Tooro region. Moving from Kampala to Kikorongo Safari Lodge via Fort Portal takes one about six hours across 370km while the Kampala-Mbarara route through Rubiriizi and Kyambura takes you 7 hours to cover 422km. 
 
All inclusive
 
According to Eng. Kaweesa, Kikorongo Safari Lodge will have 15 uniquely designed and crafted cottages spread out on over 15 hectares of an incredibly steep landscape. The cottages have been designed to provide first class comfort, privacy and above all, safety to residents.
To maintain the local touch and make the cottages as environmentally friendly as possible, each unit is 80% wooded while the built up area is just 20% maximum. The project investor, George William Nyombi Thembo says up to 60% of the trees are harvested from his eucalyptus tree forest in Kassanda while the grass thatch is procured from Pakwach in northern Uganda and Mbarara in western Uganda.
The cottages are spread out on 6 hills and this is both for thematic and environmental considerations, he says.
“The hills represent the six peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains and because we are on the Rwenzori we want our guests to experience the ultimate mountain experience,” Nyombi Thembo explains.
He adds: “We also decided to construct the cottages atop the hills because we don’t want to dig up any landscape and tamper with its nature. Our core mission is to keep the environment as intact as possible.”
To circumvent the rugged landscape each cottage is supported by strong eucalyptus and mahogany poles up to the hilltop level onto which sit a strong platform that Eng. Kaweesa says is made of interlocked mahogany to ensure a durable but beautiful base/floor. This will be filed and smoothened to accentuate the beauty at finishing stage while the adhesive material applied is also a repellant for any reptiles or insect that may attempt to invade the tourist’s room.
To ensure safety of residents, each unit has an ample wind pathway towards the ceiling to avert resistance and subsequent collapse in case of any strong winds. Thembo reveals that the place is designed with both low earning and high-end clients at heart thus the cottages being affordable across the entire economic divide.
“We have three categories of cottages: the camping tents, the luxurious brick and mortar cottages and the super luxurious type. One of the luxury cottages is fitted with a ramp to allow access by clients with disabilities,” he says.
In terms of cost, the camping tents will go for a paltry US$25 a night while a heavenly experience in the luxury tents will cost a tourist between 300 and 600 dollars. The luxury tents come in two-in-one and three-in-one models, making them ideal for couples as well as families to stay together while also saving money.
Further, each cottage will have a private bathroom and Jacuzzi that are strategically positioned to give you breathtaking views of the lakes and refreshing Queen Elizabeth National Park sceneries as you cool off the day’s stress. The rooms that also boast spacious balconies will be fitted with exquisite furniture woven from local materials but with rare architectural designs to enhance client’s experience. For further privacy, each cottage is surrounded with a mini bamboo forest to help residents ‘get lost in their own world’ without minding threats of ‘voyeurs’ or prying eyes.
Project Manager Mutseke revealed that as the project advances, a 70m zip line as well as skywalk that is about 90 feet off the ground will be built across the Kikorongo Valley under which is a range of fruit trees have since been planted to enhance the place’s beauty.
“We are planning to build a very quiet and tranquil meditation center where one who has any material or book to write or think about can be alone and summon the last grains of his imagination abilities. We even intend that place to have no network such that not even phone call disturbances can be a hindrance,” Mutseke says.
 
Extras
The beauty of travelling to Kikorongo Safari Lodge is that it casts you at the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area. This means that you get spoilt for choice because a few hours away will be the Kibaale Game Park and Rwenzori National Park up in the Rwenzori Mountains. Within three hours you will be at the Virunga National Park or the Lake Mburo National Park in Mbarara while the Semiliki Game Park is two hours away. This is of course on top of the beautiful lakes like George, Katwe, Kasenyi and the Kyambura Gorge which boasts the world’s only underground forest.
The Kikorongo Safari Lodge campfire is another experience not worth missing for any tourist.