Email us: ruboni.communitytourism@gmail.com | WhatsApp|Call Us: +256752503445
Email us: ruboni.communitytourism@gmail.com | WhatsApp|Call Us: +256752503445
This lodge is located in the Rwenzori foothills, giving an opportunity to live a purely natural moment in life while you stay here. The location offers one of the best Mountain views in the area. You will be emotionally energized in nature full of color, silence, scenery and surrounded with wildlife sounds. From the balcony overlooking the Mountains, you will be sure to have the best moment as you sip your cup of locally grown herbal tea or coffee. Being in this location is the best moment to reach out for the book you have always wanted to complete.
Local guided tours
At Ruboni Community Camp, you will be introduced to the local guides who offer to take you around the village. The staff and guides provide timely and accurate information through the entire period from the first contact. The rural household members show you the local way of life as it is lived in the Rwenzori Mountains. The walks through the local villages give you a true feeling of being like one of the community members yourself. The community has created its own nature reserve in the border of Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Walking in this forest feels like walking in the National Park itself.
In the community forest, you will be looking to spot the elusive three-horned chameleons, looking for the primates and birds or the waterfalls in the jungle. All this is seen outside the park without paying any park entry fees.
When you visit the local farmer, the traditional storyteller, the blacksmith or the basket weaver, you have opportunities of participating in their work as much as you may wish. This experience is an opportunity to connect to what you may have always dreamt about, being in Africa. Other thrilling experiences include; the hill climb walk, the traditional dance performance, the coffee farming tour and the social life or the evening cultural festivals. Using her same experienced local guides, Ruboni community camp is also able to take you on longer experiences of trekking Rwenzori Mountains.
Other local benefit
It is also such an inspiring initiative that will leave you impressed by how a rural community has put up such an amazing project. Besides, the camp is an ideal venue for small conferences, retreats, family outings and study visits with other rural communities wanting to sustainably change their livelihoods.
Generally, the project is greatly contributing to conservation and community development to transform lives in this remote area. Staying at Ruboni community camp or doing one of their activities, directly contributes to their conservation and community development effort. As the tagline states; “All profits going back to the local community”.
Have you ever heard about the Rwenzori Mountains? If not, you’re probably still missing on Uganda’s most unique travel destination. Located in western Uganda, on the boarder with democratic republic of Congo, Rwenzori Mountains is the highest mountain Range in Africa. It is also the highest point in Uganda at 15109m above sea level. Until now, a very small number of people visit the Rwenzori Mountains. This is why this, extremely beautiful landscape is still off the touristy path.
Ruboni community Camp is uniquely located in the foot of Rwenzori Mountains. The lodge accommodates both mountain trekkers and the lowland travelers, on their safari between Queen Elizabeth and Kibale National National Parks. Ruboni community camp is the place to be, if you want to Trek the Rwenzori Mountains or add an interesting highlight to your wildlife safari in western Uganda.
From this lodge you will be able to explore the outskirts of Uganda like never before. Whether you’re new to Uganda or on your repeat trip, you will be sure to find a new experience every time you visit. A journey destined this lodge is a mix of holiday opportunities including; nature walks, mountain trekking and or living like a local in a unique mountain setting.
It is easy to book your stay. You can also follow our FaceBook page to learn about the many opportunities and offers that there is to make this beautiful destination to be yours for one moment.
When it comes to payment in the new normal, cashless payments are the first priority. Since we know the pleasure of choosing the most secure, reliable and affordable means of payment, we now provide a variety to select from. Up to four options of payment are now available at Ruboni Community Camp. These include,
We have made payment much easier and safer. Now guests can pay by credit card on site through Pesapal POS machine. The cards accepted are visa, master card and American Express through online link option.
We are working around the clock to ensure every guest is catered for in the areas of payment while ensuring safety for all. Very soon TAB will be on board to unlock the easier, cheaper and faster deposit payments before arrival. If TAB is your preferred payment system, please contact us to find out how far we have gone on this.
Besides the camp service and facility upgrade, our prices have not changed. We are still selling our services on the same old prices. The current prices can be shared with any guest on request or can be found with tour operators, online price-lists and at our sales points in Rwenzori and Kampala.
As a welcome gesture from corona pandemic lockdown we have offered an over 50% discount on our accommodation packages, lasting until the end of November 2020. This offer can also be found along the other products at our sales points.
Please follow our Facebook , Instagram and twitter accounts for current updates.
Tucked in the Rwenzori foothills, Ruboni Community is probably the safest and most Hidden nature and culture hub in Uganda. We have not been reluctant about ensuring a safe and secure residence for our guest in the new normal, during and after the pandemic.
All areas have been prepared to safely receive and host guests while preventing the spread of the deadly corona virus. The following has been done to ensure a save stay for our guest;
Entebbe international airport reopening for tourists on 1st October 2020, is good timing for Ruboni community Camp. We have done all that is required to be compliant for post covid-19 operation. We have fulfilled the standard operating procedures and requirements of the Uganda ministry of Health.
It is important to note that, our area and location has not had any case of corona virus. With the strict following of the SOPs, we highly believe that Ruboni Community will continue to be the safest for our guests and community, making it an ideal stopover on every travel around Uganda.
We saw the travel trends changing and realized that our guests deserved more and better, thus we have had to uplift the services and facilities to suite traveler expectations. If you haven’t heard about our new improvements, especially since there has not been much travel during the global lock-down, you can read our previous news here.
All recent improvements at the camp are influenced by our previous guest feedback, tour operator suggestions, community interests and consideration of sustainability requirements. All areas have been touched and we are still collecting feedback to make it better every time we have an opportunity.
We want to make sure that, our guests, partners and community members continues to get the be pleasure of being part of the success story of Ruboni community camp. Besides offering the best location, service and hospitality to Rwenzori trekkers and other visitors to the Rwenzori foothills, the camp has influenced positive change in the local economy, among community households and on the local environment.
The camp is placed to demonstrate how, tourism and travel facilitates the sustainability process. Through the this effort, we have seen degraded landscapes being brought back to their natural status and local livelihoods being improved. This contribution from our guests needs to be sustained by keeping up to standard as we provide the best to our guests.
Communities and the environment need more from tourism, especially during and after this critical time of COVID-19 when the households incomes have gone down to zero and natural resource depletion has more than doubled in our area.
At this moment, we need our visitors more than ever before. However, we understand that Covid-19 pandemic, the new normal, has influenced changes of travel needs and trends, making safety and Hygiene for the traveler and their communities, more critical. It is therefore necessary that our guests travel and stay safe at Ruboni community camp. This has been made possible by Keeping safety and hygiene top on our service list.
We are making sure that, your next stay makes successful and positive travel experience more likely. We hope to welcome you to Ruboni Community Camp again, Soon! please contact us any time.
We welcome you back to nature for a moment, at Ruboni Community Camp. The camp is located in a natural setting, allowing every visitor to explore nature and culture of Rwenzori Mountains. Post covid19 pandemic lock-down is a whole new chapter on the journey of service at Ruboni, the Rwenzori basecamp. The camp facilities have been improved in a new style to make sure the camp matches with your travel needs of the time. Never the less, we continue to offer the same best services in a scenic and quiet environment.
Considering the cozy restaurant, the safe pathways, full time power supply, improved beds and netting, re-tiled sparkling clean bathrooms, the camp is a perfect holiday destination than ever before, for all travelers choosing Rwenzori destination.
If you have stayed here before, your next visit will be like a new first visit to this camp. Guests who have never been here before will also be impressed by the level of service in this serene and scenic facility located in the heart of nature.
With our guest interests in mind, everything has been touched. We have improved the safety on the walks by building environmentally friendly and safe pathways. The cold weather is now history. We got several natural heat options set. They have been tried and proved to work well. With full time power supply, all guests can charge their gadgets in the restaurant or guestrooms as they wish. The lighting systems are being improved and input is still welcome. We want to ensure that the camp is lit in the most liked way that equally caters for people and the environment.
The service levels have definitely gone high, meals are being prepared in a standard and reliable kitchen. We are using 90% local ingredients in our kitchen, some of which are grown on the site. Our private packing area is lit and attended all the night. To ensure there is low interference with the ecosystem, the board walks and walk ways are constructed using improved natural materials to protect the ground.
We have improved our guest rooms too. Bedding with new mattresses, mosquito netting, bathroom tiling and finishing. With provision of double beds option, couples now find the camp more accommodating than in the past when the camp has had only twin beds. Now guests can request for either a twin, single or double room.
Ruboni community camp is situated in the Rwenzori foothills. It is a lodge in the outskirts of Uganda, at the end of the world. It is here that the road ends with the rest being mountains and jungles. This village is next to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. If you stay here, you will witness the Mountains and forest next to the Ruboni community camp property or next to the park. Being at the hillside of Mihunga village, the camp offers a scenic display of the lined foothills in the north and the portal peaks in the west. Sometimes at given points, the Portal Peaks will give way to the high snow peaks of Rwenzori Mountains.
wooden cabins
Is it because of time, fitness or budget that you can’t trek these gorgeous Mountains? We have good news for you! It has now been made easy with Ruboni Community Camp. Mountain lovers don’t necessarily need the seven days to climb to the high peaks in order to experience the Rwenzori. One day and night will be enough to explore these Mountains from the base to the highest peak. On clear days, the treks to the local hills give opportunities of taking the views of the mountains as well as the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake George. During the community treks, you realize that the local hills are as beautiful. Looking at the local settlement patterns is mind blowing. You will be inspired by the traditional architectural skills as you enjoy the beauty of the local homes patched in the hilly villages. Some times these homesteads are set along the roads and riversides in the Mubuku valley, giving memorable views during the hill walks.
The camp offers local village tours that give you an opportunity to explore the surrounding area and cultural encounters of the Bakonzo people’s life. These include the hill trek or overnight hill camping. With local guides, guests trek from 1600 to 2400m above sea /level, on one of the highest hills in the village. In the valleys, you will find pocket forests, cliffs and rivers that form magical water falls and rapids. These make memorable moments of the holiday. On top of this hill, you will find the campground that gives you an opportunity to look over the Portal Peaks and take memorable sceneries of Margherita and other high peaks of Rwenzori. Margherita is the highest peak standing at 5109 meters above sea level. It is also the highest point in Uganda and the third highest in Africa.
View from hill top walk
As travelers are increasingly concerned about stage-managed experiences only designed for visitors, at Ruboni Community, visitors have a chance to participate in the real life as it has been lived for hundreds of years. The activities are so easy to arrange on arrival and their prices are affordable. To participate in them, you just need to mention as you arrive at the camp. One of the staff will be available to give you an orientation that will help you to select a tour of your choice. The tours go to the local community residential areas, farmlands, markets and forests, both in and outside the park.
The panoramic view of the Mubuku valley is a key highlight. You will enjoy the scenery of banana gardens, meandering roads and homesteads lined along the landscape. This community is also a perfect gateway for the Mountain trekkers who want to climb the high peaks. Mubuku valley is one of the longest and deep rooted valleys on the Rwenzori. It is located in the central point of Rwenzori mountains. It is through this valley that trekkers access the Rwenzori snow peaks at the shortest and easiest trek through the 6-7 days Ibanda/ Nyakalengijo central circuit trail.
Rwenzori park gate
For those who have ever dreamt of reaching Congo but don’t find it easy, the trek to Margherita is also a chance to get a glimpse of Congo. Margherita peak is dissected by the boarder of Uganda and Congo. The trek to Rwenzori Mountains is probably the safest way you can get to Congo without a visa or security concerns. At certain times of this trek, your porters and guides will introduce you to the views of Congo. If you’re interested in this trek over the mountains, you will need seven days of trekking. This time will allow you to reach Margherita peak and return back to Ruboni community after a successful ascend.
If you’re a wildlife lover, you will love the location of Ruboni Community Camp as you’re likely to find plenty of unique wildlife in this mountainous valley. Ruboni community is home to 7 chameleon species, two of which are not found anywhere else on the earth. You will also find a large variety of birds and an assortment of plant life. Over thirty birds can be spotted from the veranda of the camp. Plants and wildlife here is mainly unique to Rwenzori and may not be easily found anywhere else in the region. The way plants are relevant to the local people is another insight. The local guide will interpret every plant showing you how they either provide food, medicine or other household values to the local families.
Whether you have or haven’t taken a holiday in the rural villages of Uganda, you will find Ruboni community an ideal place to relax from the routine while exploring the nature and culture in the outskirts of Uganda. Most probably staying at the camp will give you an appreciation of this way of living other than the rush and go life at home
After a days work, touring experience, return from the Rwenzori Mountains or stay at the lodge, community member always need an active and entertaining moment. This is the birth of the community traditional dance festival that happens every evening in Ruboni community. This comes in a pack of traditional music and other cultural functions performed by the locals themselves. The performance is well placed in the African village within the Rwenzori Mountains and foothills, giving the visitors a feeling of being in the home of one of the ancient African tribes. it o=also helps to pass on the cultural knowledge to the young generations as a way to uphold the Bakonzo and Rwenzori traditions.
Join this community festive, grab a cold beer, local banana wine or any of the other local drinks and seat with the rest of the locals to enjoy the energy that comes with the rhythm and folklore in the Bakonzo traditional music. The event is organized on specific days every week. On request, this dance can also be organized on any day of ones choice. This arrangement needs to be made in advance.
Traditional dance
What to expect at the performance?
During this dance session, you will be witnessing the dance of the Bakonzo people as it has been performed hundred of years in history. With varied kinds of ancient music instruments, the energetic and taut Bakonzo men and women will use their music to showcase how different life processes ware celebrated. This tribe was originally a forest tribe. All their life depends on the forests including most of the music instruments. You will enjoy both the sounds and the art impeded in the music implements such as the flutes, xylophone, drums, and others that come from forest wood and plant based products.
Duration of the performance:
During the 30 -60 minutes performance, a few songs will be sang, each with a different style of dancing depicting a unique moment in the local traditional life. After each song, a moderator will translate the meaning of the song and when it was sang in the traditional society. Even without interpretation from the moderator, the body language, dialect and sounds will already show.
At intervals, guests are invited to participate. This is an opportunity to share your culture and style with this tribe. You will be inspired to dance, play the drums or explore the Rwenzori though sounds and rhythm of the mountains. During this celebratory function, every moment is a picture moment. You may ask to dress with the traditional dancing costumes and live just like the locals for a moment.
When do the performances take place?
These traditional dance performances are prior scheduled every month. When you reach your lodge near the Ruboni community, at the foot of Rwenzori Mountains, asks for the next time the traditional dance will be happening.
A payment fee will be required per person attending. Payments are done Ruboni community camp or any other hotel to avoid involving money in the cultural function that is intended for social happiness and interaction. The payment made at the hotel is fully passed to the performing group to support their work through payments to individual or in a number of development initiatives of community interest. You’re required to just come with some cash to buy your own extra drinks and gifts during the function
How you can arrange to attend this festival:
The function happens during the evenings, between 6:00 and 7:00pm at Nyakalengijo. Guests are expected to arrive by 5:45pm. The price for attending is 10$ per guest joining this evening function. The payment includes one drink served during the dance performance. More drinks are available for sale on requests. Attendance is easy to arrange. Talk with your lodge staff to direct you to the the venue of the traditional dance. You can contact us to find out the days for the event before arrival or as you plan your visit.
Where to stay and other activities you can do.
For those who want to explore the area more, you have options of other experiences in the area. A long list of lodges is available in the area. If you spend a night at Ruboni community camp or and other lodge around, you will be able to participate in a list of other activities organised by the community. These activities include;
How to get to the dance venue
From Kasese town, you will be heading to Nyakalengijo in Ibanda kyanya town council. Drive 9km on fort portal road and turn left at Kisanyarazi Nkenda electrical terminal. From the terminal, you will drive 16km passing by Bugoye and Ibanda trading centers. The traditional dance venue is located at Nyakalengijo. At an added cost, a bodaboda or cab can be arranged to pick you from any lodge in Kasese, Ibanda or Nyakanlengijo basecamp. Please contact us in advance if you want us to arrange your transfer, attendance or if you want to arrange a private dance session.
The impact of the global lock-down:
Convid-19 will definitely change the way to travel. At Ruboni community camp, we have had enough of the bad side of this lock-down. We have temporarily closed based on the global and local government health regulations. We will be open as soon as this convid-19 situation ends.
During this time of lock-down, we are working hard on all good changes. We are sure the travelers who will choose to visit Rwenzori Mountains, when travel resumes, will be highly impressed by the changes that at the camp.
The good news is that, Uganda is still proving to be a safe travel destination. Based of the high level experience of managing epidemic and disease outbreak in cases of Ebola, marlburg, polio and others, Uganda has done it again with Convid19. You can look at up to date information and guidelines about the Convid19 in Uganda on the Minstry of health website. Until now, the Rwenzori region where Ruboni community camp is located has not yet registered any case and above all, Uganda has not had any fatality case. With the much effort the government and citizens have put in, we trust Uganda will remain one of the safest destinations in the region.
Looking forward to the next time of travel:
As you stay at home this season, we definitely miss welcoming you to Ruboni community camp. We understand that our guests will travel again soon, because we believe that this is not the end. We also appreciate that our guests will come with much zeal and love for unique and quality services. When that travel time comes, we will be set to offer the highest value for money to our guest, than ever before.
We have upgraded Ruboni community camp:
During this convid-19 lock-down, we have taken an opportunity to complete the upgrades of Ruboni community camp that started by the end of 2019, when we worked with an expert from PUM Neatherlands. We are sure that, when our guests come at the end of this pandemic, they will find an all-new accommodation and tour experience that will be offered by Ruboni community camp, in the Rwenzori foothills.
The time spent at home has probably gotten our guests even more ready for this new memorable experience in the rustic foothills. Being the oldest camp in the Rwenzori that was constructed in 2005, the design facilities and finishing were getting obsolete. We have redone the furnishings and fittings to make the camp cozy and up to date, based on today’s traveler demands. The summary of the improved areas include, lighting, landscaping, guest rooms, bedding, restaurant, kitchen, bathrooms and toilets, parking area, signposting and community tours enrichment.
Extra Online appearance:
We have also improved the website usability. You will find more information when you visit it at www.rubonicamp.com. From the same website you will be able to send inquiries, read our latest news and or place your booking. you can also find us on other popular Online travel directories and platforms of choice.
Easier and flexible payment systems:
Our payment is now easier as you have options of paying cash on arrival, wire transfer before arrival or credit card. Our two online payment service provider are PesaPal and TAB. These two allow you to pay either on or before arrival.
We made it easier to explore Rwenzori:
With a new option of guests exploring the Rwenzori in the shortest time, it is now possible to go for day forest walks, village cultural tours or overnight treks without entering the national park and come with memorable experience of Rwenzori mountains.
Affordable price and value for money:
The price of our services is pocket friendly. Guests can choose to buy each item separately or to select from the packages that are developed basing on the differences in time of travel, budget and other travel factors.
We eagerly wait to unveil this upgraded facility to you during your next visit.
If you will be visiting Queen Elizabeth, Kibale forest and or Rwenzori Mountain National Parks, Ruboni community cultural experience is worth adding on your activity list. In 2-3 hours, this community trail will show you the full life of the Bakonzo tribe.
The Bakonzo people belong to an indigenous tribe that lives in the Rwenzori foothills. It is one of the smallest tribes in Uganda with majority of them living in Congo, on the other side of the Rwenzori Mountains. It is one of the most gifted and talented making them able to tame the steep hills and turn them into homes.
Due to modernity, their culture seems to be fading away. However, this community trail takes you to the unique locations within the rustic villages where you will discover the local life as it has been lived hundreds of years ago.
Parts of the tour
The tour is on foot through a rural setting. During the walk, you will be observing the culture, livelihoods and lifestyles. Along the three hours journey you will visit five selected homesteads in Ruboni village that will give you an opportunity to participate in the true culture of this tribe. Each of the homes welcomes you to share their local life story when you see how they live. You will also have plenty of opportunities to participate in these activities like any of the other family members. The homesteads visited on this trail include;
The traditional story tellers’ home:
At the home on the edges of Mubuku valley, you will meet Mr. Mateke and share some of the key traditional stories of Bakonzo life. The home is parched on the hillside giving an opportunity to take some good views of the valley. Listening to this story is an opportunity to learn beyond what you see in the village. You will learn how the traditional knowledge, skills and power were passed on the younger generations in the Bakonzo family. The stories include marriage moments, child naming moments, crop farming and harvesting processes, food preparation processes or a whole lot of them. Oral history is still treasured among the Bakonzo culture. The elders seat with the young generation to share these stories as a tool of education and empowerment.
The black smith making local tools:
After crossing river Mubuku, you will reach a beautiful setting by the riverside with the black smith spot where he shapes the useful household tools out of old sheets of metals. You will see how this is done using a handful of local tools. While here, you will enjoy a beautiful rocky natural background with water rapids and the cold breeze. Under a shade made of banana leaves you will see a sleek fire being blown by this small but efficient traditional fire blowing tool made out of special wood, animal skin and two hand sticks. This apparatus is operated by pushing two parallel sticks tied to the skin over the wooden fire tool with a hole leading the air to the fire through one end.
The local families’ would hardly afford a knife in their kitchen if this man gave up his job. This small tool workshop is so important to the local families for the provision of knives, pangars, slashers, hammers, traditional music bells crafts making tools, spears and others. The local guide will translate to English the presentation of the black smith made in the local dialect. You will then be invited to participate in all the work of making tools, after which you will be able to buy some tools from a display.
The traditional healers’ home:
In this village, modern medicine has not completely wiped out the use of culture to heal sicknesses. You will be impressed by learning the healing tricks and remedies of this local tribe. Dressed in skins, the traditional healer will show you how he treats local sicknesses to earn his living. The two pieces of sticks, a traditional stool and his pair of hands are all he uses to communicate the fate of his patients. The traditional healer will show you how he addresses home conflicts, witchcraft, misfortunes and other simple emotion related sicknesses using his healing power and concoctions. At the end of every treatment process patients are given concoctions that they use to regain their normal desired state of health. During the visit, you will view and see how the traditional healer works his trades through his life. If you’re brave and willing, the traditional healer may give you a tip of your fate on demand
The basket weavers’ home:
During the visit to this home, you will be taken through the process of making certain handicrafts using local materials from the grasses, crop residues or recycled items. Spend a few minutes observing how the crafts are made. Take an opportunity to make your own or contribute to the already started piece of craft. Besides, the activity is done in the local home setting, giving you a feeling of living like a local in this African village.
Craft production is an ancient skill in this rural mountain culture. After the farm work, family members stay at home together. During this time, every member, especially the women are producing a series of different handicrafts while teaching the young children how to do this trade. At present, women still produce handicrafts for domestic use to save on the money spent to buy modern utensils but also to generate some income when they sale surplus crafts in the market and to the tourists.
The local farmer and coffee roasting experience:
On arrival at this home, you will be taken on the tour through the farm, to learn the processes of how everything is grown. You will then explore the coffee farming and production. The coffee tour will cover the process of planting, tending, and harvesting, processing and roasting. You will be participating in all the stages of coffee farming until you make your own coffee powder. Sitting in the local kitchen with the household gives you an opportunity of understanding the real life in rural Africa. At will, you will be able to take some of the coffee that you have made with your own hands, since the family is willing to pack this coffee for you at an affordable price.
It is a local family with a home located on the farm; the crops grown include vanilla, bananas, coffee, serials and other vegetables. The wealth of fertile soil on this farm will almost grow everything put in the ground. The household collects most of their food needs from the garden and the surplus is sold for income.
The the village trail is culminated by going to the crafts shop to buy some of the local crafts souvenirs This is a moment to support the local community buy buying some of the crafts produced by the local families. You may also choose to attend the traditional festival in the late afternoon.
