Fodor's Expert Review Kyaninga Lodge

Overlooking a cobalt-blue crater lake, the design of this fairy-tale property provides serious wow factor: Kyaninga took 130 men, six years, and more than 1,000 hand-carved logs to build this masterpiece. Nine spacious chalet-like cottages perch high on the crater rim; intricate wooden walkways connect each building, while landscaped gardens and orchards (the source of delicious homemade breakfast preserves) fan out across the valley below. The sundowner terrace and massage room below the lodge’s swimming pool are perfect for taking in the stunning Rwenzori Mountains backdrop. Food is famously good and Kibale is less than an hour’s drive away, but a variety of activities will keep guests happy for days: crater hikes, wild swimming in Lake Kyaninga, sauna and massage in the lodge spa, birding in the forest, trekking to the edge of the Albertine Rift, and even a round of golf at Toro Golf Club with a top Uganda player (sponsored by Kyaninga). The lodge has a calendar of sporting events (marathon/triathlon/Ride the Rift bike race) that raise money for not-for-profit Kyaninga Childcare Development Centre, a charity that supports children with disabilities and their families. This is luxury hospitality with a strong track record of developing local communities and environmental investment.