Sambiya Lodge

In the heart of camp, the main lounge and bar is a high-ceilinged thatch-and-stone building, scattered with comfy armchairs and sturdy wooden tables scattered. Added touches are a fireplace to ward off the chill on wintery Ugandan evenings and swimming pool to do the opposite outside! Cold drinks are served all day from the bar and in the evening, floodlights at the river in front of camp allow for excellent night game watching.

Dotted around the pretty gardens and surrounded by blooming trees and grassy knolls, the rooms at Sambiya are shady, cool and quiet. There are 20 stone cottages in total and all are spaced far enough apart from their neighbours for maximum privacy – particularly useful when sitting outside on the quaint verandas. Inside, double beds and mozzie nets are the features of the bedrooms and the ensuites are practical and sensible with (very welcome!) solar-heated showers.

There’s definitely no shortage of activities at Sambiya! If you don’t do anything else, make time for a boat trip down the Nile and a hike to the top of the Falls – the view is fabulous. If hiking isn’t your thing, drives to the top are also available, with a spot wildlife-watching along the way. Traditional game drives in the park leave straight from the lodge twice a day, as do walking safaris. Chimpanzee treks are also a firm favourite and only a 45 minute drive away from the lodge in nearby Kaniyo Pabidi forest.