Elephant Plains Lodge

Elephant Plains Lodge sits on the Albertine Rift western escarpment in northern Queen Elizabeth National Park, positioned 941 m above sea level with panoramic savannah views down to Lake George. The 80-acre property runs right up to the equator line.

It’s part of the Uganda Lodges Brand portfolio — one of the more recently built luxury options in QENP — and is positioned for guests who want high-end accommodation with strong eco-credentials, plus easy access to Kasenyi big-cat country, the Kazinga Channel, and the Mweya Peninsula.

The lodge’s namesake comes from Lake Kikorongo, where elephant herds gather at the waterhole during sunset — visible directly from the cottages and main lodge.

Best for: Luxury travellers, families wanting premium lodging with eco-credentials, photographers drawn to the elevated panoramic position, and guests who want polished cottages with bathtubs rather than tented luxury.

Accommodation at Elephant Plains Lodge

The lodge has eight grass-thatched cottages spaced out along the hilltop for privacy.

Double/Twin Cottages (×6) En-suite cottages with large private verandas and full-height glass windows and doors that open to the panorama. Each has a large bathtub and walk-in shower.

Family Cottages (×2) Larger cottages with two separate en-suite bedrooms, sleeping up to five people. Designed for families who want privacy across separate sleeping spaces.

All cottages overlook Lake Kikorongo, where elephants and buffalo gather at the waterhole at sunset.

Amenities at a glance:

• En-suite bathrooms with large bathtubs
• Full-height glass windows and doors
• Private verandas
• Eco-friendly swimming pool
• Restaurant and bar with 270° outside dining deck
• Solar-powered electricity
• Wi-Fi available
• Mosquito nets
• Laundry service

Dining at Elephant Plains Lodge

The restaurant serves an international menu inspired by local flavours, with both indoor and outdoor seating. The outside dining deck offers a 270° view across the savannah and lake — meals are timed around the elephant herds gathering at Lake Kikorongo at dusk.

The main lounge has comfortable couches and intimate seating clusters — a Ugandan gin and tonic in the breeze rolling off Lake George is the unofficial signature aperitif.

Sustainability

Elephant Plains is built with deliberate ecological intent. The lodge runs on solar-powered electricity, and the buildings use local materials throughout — savannah grass thatching that absorbs heat as a natural cooling system (essential close to the equator), and black granite walkway stones sourced from the Mukubu River flowing off the Rwenzori Mountains.

Families and Children

The two family cottages are designed for family travel — separate en-suite bedrooms within a single cottage, sleeping up to five. The eco-friendly pool and on-site activities work well for younger guests, and the elevated, contained property is more practical for families than fully open camps. Children under 15 can’t trek chimpanzees in Kyambura.

Activities at Elephant Plains Lodge

The lodge’s north-park position gives access to the marquee QENP activities — Kasenyi big-cat game drives, Kazinga Channel boat safaris, and Kyambura chimp tracking.

Wildlife Game Drive — Kasenyi Plains A short drive from the lodge takes you onto the Kasenyi Plains — open grassland with the park’s most reliable lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and Uganda kob sightings, plus the kob breeding grounds that draw the big cats. Two nights minimum is recommended to fully cover the area.

Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel The Kazinga Channel runs between Lake Edward and Lake George — one of the densest hippo concentrations in Africa, with prolific elephant, buffalo, and birdlife on the banks. Scheduled launches and private boat charters both run from sites near the lodge. A reliable afternoon activity.

Chimpanzee Trekking — Kyambura Gorge Kyambura Gorge is QENP’s chimp tracking forest — a steep, dramatic forested gorge cut into the savannah. Sightings aren’t as reliable as Kibale, but the descent into the gorge itself is the experience. Other primates include red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, baboons, and vervet monkeys.

Bird Watching Queen Elizabeth has 600+ recorded bird species. Highlights include the African finfoot, blue-headed bee-eater, and various falcons. The escarpment setting also brings raptors close to the lodge.

Equator Visit The equator monument is visible from anywhere around the lodge — a quick photo stop on the way to or from game drives.

How to Get There

• By road from Kampala — around 6–7 hours via Mbarara to the northern park sectors.
• By road from Bwindi (Kihihi) — around 5 hours through the southern Ishasha sector and up.
• By air from Entebbe to Kasese — 1-hour flight plus a 2-hour drive to the lodge.
• By air from Bwindi (Kihihi airstrip) — 15-minute flight to Mweya or Kasese, plus a short drive.

How to Book Elephant Plains Lodge

Nkuringo Safaris partners with Elephant Plains Lodge and can usually secure better rates as part of a wider Uganda safari itinerary.

We can help you:

• Bundle Elephant Plains into a tailored Uganda safari, including gorilla trekking in Bwindi and chimp tracking in Kibale
• Combine the lodge with other Queen Elizabeth properties or onward stops in Bwindi or Kibale
• Arrange road transfers from Kampala, Bwindi, or Kibale, or fly-in transfers via Kasese or Kihihi

Email hello@nkuringosafaris.com or use our online enquiry form and a local expert will reply quickly.

 Price Information

Price From: Rates not published on the source page — confirm with operator before publishing. Price Range: 3 (Luxury)

The source page does not include published rates. Once confirmed, this section should detail:

• Double/Twin Cottage — single, double rates
• Family Cottage — full-cottage and per-person rates, child rates
• Meal plan (B&B / HB / FB) inclusions