Hot List Hotels 2009
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Clouds is the first luxury retreat for visitors to this national park—a more ancient and biodiverse ecosystem than the Virunga Mountains, inhabited by Rwanda and Congo's gorilla population. Ten stone cottages have loftlike interiors with high-beamed ceilings and African-themed art; a private butler and housekeeper provide hot-water bottles and keep the fireplace lit on chilly mountain evenings. All guest rooms and the sprawling main lodge offer stupendous views of crop-terraced slopes leading toward the silhouette of seven volcanoes. Clouds sits at the trailhead for tracking the Nkuringo gorilla family, the largest and friendliest of Bwindi's five human-habituated troops; these endangered animals include a set of gorilla twins born last November. Guests also go on forest walks with Batwa pygmy guides and visit lodge-managed community projects designed to help local subsistence farmers. The extraordinary combination of creature comforts, nature, and helping others makes Clouds worth the effort and expense of getting there: Figure on a private charter flight or two-day road trip from Entebbe and at least $500 per gorilla-trek permit.
When to go: Trekking is most arduous from August to early November, when gorillas forage high up mountain slopes. Avoid the March through April rains.
Which room to book: Cottages 3 and 4 have the best views of the volcanoes.
Information may have changed since date of publication. Please confirm details with individual establishments before planning your trip.
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