VIRUNGA HEARTLAND, UGANDA, as reported in The Independent—On January 16, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge was announced as a first runner-up in an annual investor award program in which the Uganda Investment Authority recognizes top investors over the past year.

The investors were recognized not just for Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, the high-end facility that they built near the home of the Nkuringo mountain gorillas, but more especially for their involvement with the local community.

Clouds Lodge was built as a partnership between The Uganda Safari Company and the African Wildlife Foundation through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme. The ultimate goal of the project is to protect the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla and also directly benefit the community of Nkuringo. Today, the nearby communities of Nteko and Rubugiri are running income-generating projects with support from this gorilla eco-tourism lodge.

The communities of Nteko and Rubugiri, with support, formed a company known as Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation (NCDF). NCDF secured a partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to have a concession for gorilla tracking permits in Nkuringo gorillas group. With support from the International Gorilla Conservation Programme and African Wildlife Foundation, funds to set up the lodge were raised. NCDF advertised for a private partner to co-fund construction and manage the lodge on their behalf. Through a competitive process, Uganda Safaris Company Limited (USCL) won the award to develop and manage the eco-lodge.

Clouds Lodge, which opened this past August, is outstanding for its privacy, stone cottages and fireplaces. There is a lush botanical garden, a cozy library, and great views of the Virungas in Rwanda and on clear nights, the glow of Nyiragongo Volcano" target="blank" in Congo.

Besides gorilla tracking and the raw beauty of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, guests can go mountain biking along the ridge, take forest walks and meet the forests guardians—the Batwa.

To read the full story in The Independent, click here.

To learn more about AWF’s work to protect the mountain gorilla, click here.