Discover Nkima Forest Lodge- “A Haven in Mabamba Wetland”
Discover Nkima Forest Lodge: Nkima Forest Lodge is situated on 40 acres of indigenous forest on Nansubuga Hill, overlooking the Mabamba Wetlands. The lodge is built with minimal disturbance to the surrounding forest and grassland. The area is a birding hot spot in Uganda, with boat trips arranged to view the shoebill stork and other birdlife.
The primate forest houses several wildlife species, such as monkeys, birds, insects, butterflies, and tiny mammals such as mongooses, duikers, squirrels, and bush babies, which are mainly seen during nighttime.
This small forest is within a stone’s throw from Entebbe town, offering a unique hideaway that is filled with tranquillity, comfort, and fresh air, and an escape to a natural beauty.
The main lodge features a dining area, bar, and lounge with comfortable seating, offering views of the forest and grassy glade. A high deck near the lounge offers stunning views of the Mabamba wetlands.
An outdoor fire pit with sunset views is located nearby. A small patch of forest behind the fire pit offers a swimming pool with a shallow area for children and a deck with chairs and loungers. The lodge is hidden from the main lodge, providing a peaceful and relaxing environment.
The lodge, located in a 40-acre indigenous hilltop forest, offers freshly cooked food with a changing menu that caters to all dietary requirements. This facility opened officially in June 2018, and it’s the best first-stop facility for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts in the Entebbe environs within Mabamba.
It features a stone swimming pool, a brightly decorated common area, and a variety of wildlife, including red-tailed and vervet monkeys, African grey parrots, robin chats, and white-spotted flufftails.
The lodge gets its name from the Luganda language from Uganda, located in the country’s central district of Wakiso, named after too many monkeys in the area, especially vervet and red-tailed monkeys. This name is of great importance in the Buganda kingdom. The Baganda ethnic group, which is divided into 56 clans, is led by the Kabaka.
Each clan has a sacred totem, and the Mamba clan’s totem is a lungfish. This totem is protected and not hunted, possibly due to shoebill storks eating lungfish. To prevent incest, each clan uses specific names, with Nansubuga being a favorite Mamba clan girl’s name.
Wildlife
Discover Nkima Forest Lodge: Nkima Forest Lodge was created to protect a semi-evergreen Guineo-Congolian rainforest. This area, located at the edge of a large vegetation zone, has many West African tree species. Although most big trees were cut down around 30 years ago, many have regrown, leading to a diverse secondary forest with over 20 species. There is always at least one fruiting tree, which is important for the red-tailed monkeys, known as Nkima. The thick foliage supports various insects, benefiting birds, frogs, and lizards in the forest. Lake flies appear in large numbers at certain moon phases.
Shoebill Boat Trip
The community has tirelessly worked hard for a couple of years to protect and restore the swamp in line with environmental conservation. In other words, many boats travel to Bussi Island and also provide guided tours to see the elusive shoebill, which attracts visitors worldwide. As a way of promoting responsible tourism, the local boats and members of the community came up with an initiative of supplying life jackets for all categories of people who sail on boats.
Eco-Friendly
Nkima Forest runs entirely on solar power, providing electricity for charging phones and laptops. Hot water is heated by solar energy and is usually warm enough even on cloudy days, thanks to a large insulated storage tank. The water comes from a deep borehole, is safe to drink, and is better than using plastic bottled water. Solar pumps are used for water and the swimming pool, while laundry is done by hand and air-dried. Enjoying modern life can be eco-friendly.
