How one tourism investor merged architecture, nature 

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Kabale and Kisoro is one of the places in this country where nature is the most untamed. This wild ruggedness also happens to be one of the attractions that tourists come to experience.

For this reason, any clever tourism investor in this setting would create a tourist lodge that incoporates architecture and nature in order to tune up the guests’ experience while. Whereas it has been an established standard in the tourism industry globally to build tourist lodges in such a way that the elements safely merge with architecture, one lodge owner in Bwindi seems to have gone an extra mile. Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge incoporate not just all the classical elements (earth, water, air, fire) in its architecture, it also incorporates flora and fauna.

‘‘I wanted my guests to have an experience in the wild that was miles detarched from life in the city,’’ says Maruhe Katambira the investor.

Air

The ultra-wide doors and hallways ensure that the property enjoys unhindered air circulation at all times.

The wide, sliding glass walls and windows ensure that, if the guest so wishes, the thin air from the high altitude forest refreshes the guests while they rest indoors. Each cottage has a foyer whose walls are porous to allow airflow.

All across the property are outdoor sitting areas just incase one wants some air. It is refreshing to see how unhindered air is at this property. Fire Bwindi is a very cold, dark place. The temparatures average at 10 degrees Celcius and because of the thick rain forest and mist, the place has a dark aura about it. In fact the word ‘Bwindi’means darkeness in the local language.

Having said that, fire (and light) had to be considered seriously and incoporated in the lodge. To begin with, the roof and walls in the utility areas were build in such a way that natural light would permeate the interior.

Translooscent fibre glass sheets were used to keep away the rain but allow in light. So during the day, the place is a awash with natural light, and by night, the electric lights turn the main building into a beautiful, fiery architectural marvel. For warmth, every conceivable place in the property has a fire place.

The restaurant, the bar, the library, the foyer of the main building, the cottages, poolside, everywhere. This is on top of the designated fireplace where meeting are held before and after gorilla tracking. 

Water

The lodge is located on on top of Bugarama hill, far away from any national water lines. To ensure that the five-star hotel would never run out of water, the investor relied on smart, sustainable engineering with lots of clever investments.

He installed a complex web of apparatus designed to collect, filter and store every drop of rainwater from every single roof on the property. Luckily for him, it rains a lot in Bwindi. The water system is operated by a nifty set of automated water pumps, making sure that every cottage has enough running water to operate the hot baths provided.

Earth

Every floor in the property, even in the bathrooms, is finished with red clay floor tiles. This gives the property a clean ear then character that is so inviting especially if you live in a worl where ceramic and porcelain tiles rule. On top of being friendly to the eye, clay tiles are non-slippery and warm to the skin.

Fauna

The part of the park where Kiho Lodge is located is not only a home to three gorilla families but it also happened to be home to the elephants of Bwindi. Silverbacks can be heard grunting in the forest. Opening the glass walls means that you now find yourself on a platform in the middle of the forest, and if you are lucky, maybe you might see the gorilla family passing by. The same applies to elephants.

Flora

The hotel was designed in such a way that the visitors would fully soak in the forest. Because what is the point of taking a trip to the heart of nature and still feel like you are at home? Trails from the main building to the cottages go through high thickets full of insects and rodents. Wild berries are a constant at this property because the investor made sure they would be part of the experience.

The brain behind

Charles Katambila is a retired rail engineer that has a pure passion for tourism. He merged his engineering brain, his love for architecture and his passion for tourism in this one project. He has beed to many parts of the world, Africa particularly in his Man expedition truck and his KTM adventure motorcycle.

The ideas that birthed this special property come from his travels. He had been exposed to so many building styles that when he decided to build this tourist property, it was only inevitable that something special would come of it. He is the brain behind the special architectural marvel but his humility is disarming to say the least.

On top of traveling the world enough to know what tourists want, his long history in the world of real estate in Kampala is the trick that has made all this possible. If only we took a leaf from his ideas and made our homes as welcoming as this lodge.

THE QUITE

So how does one run Ruhija sector of Bwindi, in which the lodge in located, also happens to be the quietest part of the forest.

Probably because of being so high above everybody else and so far away from civilization. Each suite is separate from the other and once you enter it, the silence becomes so loud.

It is the kind of silence you never though possible until you experience it. If ever you were to hear the still small voice, this is the place to go.

Allowing yourself to stay in this bizarre stillness for any considerable amount of time is nothing short of a spiritual experience.

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