Karibu Entebbe

Uganda, Entebbe

This boutique hotel is nestled in the lush green hillside of Entebbe and was once a presidential residence. Situated a mere 10-minute drive from Entebbe Airport, Karibu – which means ‘welcome' in Swahili – is an ideal retreat before or after a life-changing gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.

Karibu Entebbe is renowned for its second-to-none personalised service and friendly staff. Rooms look onto the estate's bird-filled gardens or boast superb sunset views over Lake Victoria. Avid birders have recorded more than 30 different species around Karibu's ‘Garden of Eden' including Ross's turaco, African grey parrot, and resident palm nut vultures and black-and-white-casqued hornbills.

Entebbe is located on a small peninsula in Lake Victoria, the world's biggest tropical lake. The bustling town offers its visitors activities like seeing over 300 varieties of exotic plants, and admiring black-and-white colobus monkeys in the beautiful Entebbe Botanical Gardens (look out for their furry tails as they dart expertly from tree to tree). The rainforest zone of these gardens was the location used during the filming of the original 1940 Hollywood classic, Tarzan. Other activities include visiting the Jane Goodall Institute's Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, sunset boat cruises on the lake, or exploring the Mbamba Swamp in search of the fascinating and rare shoebill stork. Entebbe also has a well-maintained golf course embraced by exotic trees, and anglers can go on boat trips to fish for the legendary Nile perch.