I cannot answer your question ca_vol, but my TA recommended Le Petit Village, Golf Course Hotel, or Protea. I haven't had a chance to look into them, so I'm also interested in responses you receive.

Thanks! Since I last posted, I read some reviews. The Mamba Point Guest House receives excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. Le Petit Village does not have any reviews, but a regular traveler to Uganda said it was really nice. I saw the Golf Course Hotel website and ruled it out. It looks like a cheesy small Nevada town resort.

So I think Mamba Point is a little cheaper than Le Petit and so if it's available, I'll go for that. Mamba also has one of Kampala's best restaurants (Italian), which is not a factor for me since we will only be there for one night, but after a long, long flight of airplane food, it just might hit the spot!

I would still like feedback though because it is not too late.

Oh, I just re-read. Best restaurant in Uganda 2004 and 2005. The whole country? I am thinking some major pasta!

I just read some reviews on Yahoo! travel, too. Excellent reviews there also.

Thanks ca_vol. My flight arrives in Entebbe at 9 pm, and we're off the next morning for Jinja to go white water rafting. Since we won't be anywhere very long I asked for something less expensive than the Serena. However, a cheesy Nevada resort town isn't quite what I had in mind. You've piqued my curiosity. I am going to do a google search now.

Here you go!


www.golfcoursehotel.com

www.mamba-point.com

I don't know. It kind of looks like Primm, Nevada to me (border town between CA and NV, in case you aren't familiar).

You seem kind of familiar with things over there and I see you just booked your trip. Do you know anything about these proposed places to stay from my agent? I feel okay with most of them, but am still unsure. Thanks.

**Kibale Forest Bandas-I am nervous about this one. Says it is updated and we would have a cottage.
Mweya Safari Lodge
Ishasha Wilderness Tented Camp
Buhoma Lodge
**Kinigi Guest House -This is the other one I am really nervous about.
Gorilla Hotel

The Golf Course hotel looks like Disney meets Vegas. The Protea looks like a decent business class hotel, although quite large. Le Petit Village looks right up my alley, with only 12 rooms. Mamba also looks great, but the restaurant closes at 10:30pm

Our posts are crossing. Thanks for all of the additional information.

I am not familiar with Uganda or at all, having never been. However, I have read every post I could get my hands on, and asked some questions as well while planning.

I was looking at both Mweya and Ishasha Tented Camp when I planned to include more of Uganda in my trip. I believe it was atravelynn that said Mweya was large and touristy, but that the location was excellent, which frankly is more important to me than accommodations, so if I went to QENP I'd probably stay there. I can't remember exactly what she wrote. I'll find the link for you in a minute. I don't recall where/what I read on Ishasha Tented Camp, but I don't recall anything negative. I don't know anything about the other accommodations. I recall someone posting a few months ago that they were going to try Buhoma Homestead. I'll see if I can find that link also.

Le Petit does look nice, but too expensive for me.

Thanks so much, Dana!

Here's the link to the thread I posted with Uganda and Rwanda questions on it.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=35117912

Here's a trip report from someone who stayed at Buhoma, although there isn't really anythign on the accomodations other than mentioning a great view. This is not the post I was looking for.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=35120608

These links got me thinking. I am going to post my itinerary for feedback. Thanks again!

Good idea. I see the thread, but I don't have anything to add. I'm sure others will. Have a great time.

I'm starting to worry safari (Mweya) isn't that good in Uganda. The game viewing in South Africa was amazing, and although I don't expect the viewing in Uganda to even compare, the more I read, the more I worry. I just read a thread that they saw one lion. That's it!

I originally thought of doing Murchison Falls, then QENP, Ishasha, Bwindi, and driving to PNV. Similar to what you're doing. However, I wanted to see the wildebeest migration during calving season, also wanted to go to Mahale, and new I would not be back any time soon, so I rearranged everything.

I do not think safari in Uganda is anything like safari in SA, Bots, Kenya, TZ, etc., and I thought I'd be dissappointed. Then a friend of mine said he'd join me, and I knew I could not do "safari-light" since he's seen all of my photos from prior trips. The pressure was on. If I wanted a permanent vacation buddy I had to make it a good trip. It is my friend's first trip to Africa, and he left all of the planning up to me. Therefore, I felt I had to do justice to game viewing activities. However, if I had time, I'd do it all. I'd go to MF, QENP, and Bwindi. The problem is, I did not have time. I'm already up to nearly 4 weeks. YIKES. In the end we're spending much more time in TZ than Uganda and Rwanda combined, although the original purpose of the trip (for me) was to go gorilla tracking.

I found the problem with Uganda was the driving and the time it took. If you drive, it makes sense to go to Kibale, QENP, Ishasha, and Bwindi. When I cut out Kibale (and replaced it with Mahale), I then eliminated QENP, which left me deciding whether or not I should fly to Bwindi. Mahale added a huge cost, and the charter to Bwindi was pretty expensive, so at that point I chucked Bwindi and decided to go white water rafting instead. We'll take a commercial flight from Entebbe to Kigali, then drive to PNV, and we'll do two treks there. It was cheaper, more convenient, and took less time.

It's a really hard decision. I must have had a few dozen potential itineraries. For me, I just knew that if I did not sleep in a tent in the Serengeti for several nights that I would be sorry. I love the wide open plains. I also realized, after Lynn and Leely responded to my initial post, that I needed to include the Crater since my friend had never seen it. The decisions were very difficult. If I could go to Africa twice a year, or even once a year, I'd spend two weeks in each country I visited. But, I can't do that.

I do feel like I'm not doing Uganda or Rwanda justice with the small amount of time spent there, but no matter how hard I tried I could not make myself limit the Tanzania portion of my trip. For me, it was hard to decide, but in the end I ended up very close to what my TA initially suggested, and I know he is right. He sent me a list of "priorities" based on the numerous, lengthy emails I sent him. And we was totally correct. He said "your priority # 1 is XYX, right?, # 2 is ABS, right?" etc., and he went from there.

Do you want really productive game drives, or do you want to see more of Uganda? If the former, maybe you should gorilla track in PNV, and then fly to Tanzania. If you want to see more of Uganda, then maybe you should forgo the drive to PNV, skip Rwanda, and add Murchison Falls.

I like the outdoor experience, the game viewing, staying at small camps, and getting to know the guides and other guests. Moving around alot (which I do) doesn't really afford me that opportunity unless I'm in a location with a small number of accommodations. That is my personal preference.

What do you want the most? Productive game drives or getting to know a country well? It's a hard call. I struggled for a while with the same dilema.

Who is your TA? Are they giving you advice? If so, what are they saying? My TA really laid out the plusses and minuses so that I could decide for myself. He had an excellent Bwindi-PNV trip planned for me, but I needed to cut back both on time and more importantly on cost, and he had great suggestions, based on what I told him I enjoyed the most from prior Africa trips. Tell your TA what you liked the most about SA, and see what they recommend. Then post that on the other thread. For example, I told my TA I did not like Ngorongoro Crater Lodge because it was too over the top for me. He suggested Lemale Camp, a tented camp on the Crater Rim. We don't all want the same things, but a good TA will match the accomodations and locations to what we want.

We really, really loved safari (game drives) but our main two reasons for coming to Uganda and Rwanda are the gorillas and chimps. We thought the game drives would be a little bonus. We knew it would not be like South Africa, but I thought we would see animals. One lion? That worries me.

Did you see this trip report and photos? Cat_lover had a fantastic time.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=35102688

I don't know if you've already seen these but here are some more trip reports that include Uganda:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34444009

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34760146

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34765002

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34909259

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34927443

Some more info comparing the various parks of Uganda http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4&tid=34737880

Thank you, everyone!

Unfortunately, all this newfound information makes me want more, which I don't think we can afford. I wanna go to Ngamba Island now.

If your primary goal is the gorillas and the chimps, with game drives an added bonus, then I think your plan is a good one. If you can fit Ngamba in, I'd do it. But, you do have Kibale in your itinerary.

When you said "one lion" I thought you meant that was the only wildlife someone saw, and I knew that couldn't be right. Few or no lions, but lots of other wildlife, could still make for very productive game drives.

Thanks again. I'm feeling better about it all now. I just have to get the price lower than it is!

Am a tour operator with offices in Kampala Uganda and Kigali Rwanda.

I read our post and thought that may be you could also need my input.I will try not to bias myself as a tour operator.

My advise,is that you will find Uganda very beautiful and so many of my past clients return and others confess that they never expected to have as much fun in Uganda as they have done elsewhere,

Uganda enjoys one of the best climates in the world. It is sunny and green all year around with two distinct rainy seasons stretching from March to May and September to November. However, rain can occur anytime. The temperature average 27C.The only African country with high altitude despite being right on Equator.

The question about golden monkeys, while tracking the chimps at ibale forest,you will encounter other primates including different species of monkeys but not golden monkeys.Golden monkeys in Uganda are only found in Mgahinga Gorilla park so the best advise is to look for then in Volcanoes national park of Rwanda.

Regarding Kampala accommodations,I think Le petie Village, Mamba point,cassia Lodge would make a good short list, www.hotelsinuganda.com can help you on checking out other hotels within that category.Ofcouse if you pleasure luxury Emin Pasha Hotel would top the list

Regarding safari lodges,in Kibale Forest,Ndali Lodge stands out with no close competetor,in Queen Elizabeth Mweya safari lodge and Jacana Safari Lodge are all great.If you treasure small intimate lodges then Jacana would stand out,In Ishasha,wildernerss camp is good, In Bwindi Forest, Gorilla Forest Camp stands out clearly.Other lodges here like Buhoma homestead,Gorilla resort are all nice,

For Rwanda Gorillas,Volcanoes lodge is the best but you pay through the nose,Gorilla nest is poorly run- here there is no value for money,rather go to Kinigi guest house wich is budget but better run.

I will return if you still need my advise