Ride 4 a Woman Lodge in Bwindi
Ride 4 a Woman Lodge is an accommodation facility which is situated in southwestern Uganda in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It is within the Buhoma sector situated in the community which is a sector to see the habituated gorillas. Buhoma is one of the oldest sectors of the park where gorilla trekking started in 1992. It has several gorilla families that travelers can encounter during their gorilla trekking safaris.
Ride 4 a Woman Lodge was established in 2009 by Evelyn Habasa and her husband Denis Rubalema who lived in that community. Evelyn grew up within the community. It started by renting bicycles to travelers as a form of collecting funds to support the women in the community who are associated with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Later on, the facility started offering accommodation for travelers as a form of getting funds to support the local communities.
As time went by I met Patricia from Austria in 2011 who was a traveler from her gorilla trekking safaris. Patricia wanted to purchase the fabrics made from Uganda and when Patricia took the fabrics home gave an idea to Evelyn to start sewing. This sewing gives a raise to the community for Ride 4 a Woman and up-to-date sewing is among the popular activities that travelers can engage in. This facility has been impacted a lot by the community.
What to do while at Ride for 4 a Woman Lodge
While in this accommodation facility that is located within the Buhoma sector of the Bwindi impenetrable national park, there are several activities that travelers engage in and they include;
gorilla trekking
This is one of the key activities that travelers on their safaris engage in during their safaris and stay at the raid for a woman. It is carried out within the park since there are several habituated gorilla families that travelers can track.
The gorilla trekking starts early in the morning with the briefing where travelers are highlighted the dos and don’ts of the activity. Travelers go ahead with the activity which takes about 2 to 7 hours of the day. Upon meeting the gorillas, travelers have one hour to view the gorillas. To see the gorillas, travelers are supposed to have acquired the gorilla trekking permit. The cost of the gorilla trekking is 800 USD for the foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for the foreign residents, 500 USD for the rest of the African residents, and 300000 UGX for the East African residents.
Cycling
In Ride 4 Woman, there are several bicycle rentals for travelers interested in cycling which takes around the Buhoma community. This sustainable activity takes around several communities like the Batwa community, and local farms and also offers interactions with the locals. It takes about 2 to 4 hours of the day when travelers are planning to do the cycling.
Community engagement
This is another activity that travelers in the guest house usually engage in where they have interactions with the locals surrounding the lodge. In this engagement travelers visit the showcasing platforms of the guest house which displays several items that made the community members. The support made in purchasing these items offers support to the community economically.
Batwa cultural experience
The Batwa cultural experience is one of the activities that travelers engage in to have a close encounter with the indigenous people who used to live with the mountain gorillas in the Bwindi impenetrable national park. Travelers encounter these people to learn more about their lifestyles through cultural dances, storytelling, and many others.
Nature walks
nature walks are done within the Bwindi impenetrable national park that is near the guest house. It is done on foot with the guidance of the ranger guide who ensures your safety during the safari. During the nature walk several wildlife are encountered like the gorillas, colobus monkeys, white and black monkeys, bird species, and many others.
How to get to Ride 4 a Woman Lodge in Bwindi?
Ride 4 a woman can be accessed by both road and air transport. While using road transport, travelers from Entebbe International Airport take about 8 to 9 hours to reach the guest house through the Kampala -Masaka -Kabale road. By road, the guest house can be accessed through Kigali where travelers take about 6 to 7 hours of the day to reach the lodge through the Katuna or Cyanika border. When using air transport, travelers can use the scheduled chartered flights from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip which are about a few kilometers away from the lodge.
To stay in the Raid 4 a Woman Lodge, travelers are supposed to use reliable tour operators to book to ensure availability during the safari.
What is the best time to stay at Ride 4 a Woman Lodge?
Ride 4 a Woman Lodge is open for travelers throughout the year. The best time is usually the dry season June to September and December to February when the area is dry and clear. In this dry season, the guest house is usually in high demand and travelers are supposed to book in time to ensure availability.
