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#1 of 2 lodges in Kangulumira
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
WILD WATERS LODGE is nestled in a luxuriant rainforest on it's own private island, mid-stream in the mighty Nile and is breathtakingly beautiful. The expansive, canvas walled, traditionally thatched rooms each boast private decks with elegant free-standing baths and wash basins carved from the local pink granite. Softly lit with hand-made furniture, you can relax in comfort on this island paradise listening to the thunder of the Nile rapids, and the calls of the many species of bird who call the island home.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Luxury
Location
Kalagala Falls Victoria Nile, Kangulumira 00025 Uganda
Escaping from the drone of daily life is possible anywhere in Uganda but here at Wild Waters, you can escape from everything and just relax in pure unadulterated joy. I travelled with friends on a day excursion and from the moment you enter the venue you feel special and welcomed. The short dug out canoe ride over to the island is tranquil and exciting at the same time with the roar of Kalagala waterfall not far off. Arriving on the island you stroll through the elevated walkways to the main building where we were welcomed with an open view out to the pool terrace and further onto the entry rapids of Hypoxia waterfall. We couldn't resist the beckoning call to the poolside from where we sat and enjoyed gin & tonics and beers. The weather looked ominous but remained dry for the most part of our time on the island. After relaxing on the deck and in the pool, we ordered lunch and were delighted with the offering. I cannot recommend the fish cakes starter enough - highly recommended! Very tasty! The whole fish for main course is very large and tasty. The burgers were above average but fell short on the mark compared to the seafood offering. This would be the only downside to the lunch. The wine list was extensive and well stocked. After lunch we took a walk around the island getting better views of both Kalagala and Hypoxia rapids. We asked for a sneaky check out of the accommodation and we will definitely come back to spend a couple of nights here. The photos below speak for themselves. Our time on the island passed far too quick and with reluctance we headed back to Jinja after a very pleasant and relaxing five hours. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for peace and quiet - there are no radios or tvs which is such a welcome retreat. There is wifi and phone signal if you really are busting to get in contact but I recommend escaping from it all and taking in all the natural beauty around you.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â If you're only going for a day trip, be sure to get there early so as to make the most of all...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from kayinja p, Sales and Reservations at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 25 Feb 2020
Hi Clarke, Thank you so much for the positive response feedback. I'm delighted to hear that you had such a great experience. I will definitely relay that message to the rest of my team. Feedback like this helps us constantly improve our customer experiences by knowing what we are doing right and what we can work on. So, I appreciate you taking the time to send such positive reviews. We look forward to rafting with you again. Kind regards Patrick
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What a special place. An truly unique lodge amongst the rapids of the Victoria Nile. Rooms were luxurious and homely, each with their own view onto the meandering rapids - finished to perfection. The central boma is eloquently designed with its famous outlook onto the pool and river.
The food cooked by award winning chefs was absolutely outstanding in both presentation and taste. It shows how much they pride themselves on the cuisine by the quality of the dishes.
Finally the staff were tentative, welcoming and served the hotel proudly.
If your undecided because of the price - it's worth every penny and you won't regret it!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from kayinja p, Sales and Reservations at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 11 Jan 2020
Hi, Thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review, we are so happy to hear you had a fabulous experience. Many thanks for your review and we hope to see you again. we look forward to your future bookings please. Kind regards Patrick
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Not only was the lodge situated in the best location by the Nile River but everywhere you go in the lodge, you get amazing views of the Nile. The staff was incredibly kind, the food was delicious, and booking anything you wanted was done with ease. I highly recommend this lodge. We were staying in room number 10 and the sound of the river at night allowed us to get great sleep. Aside from how large the room was, the deck was equally wonderful. It even had a bathtub out there so you could privately bathe, enjoy the views of the water/rapids, and relax. Also, I highly suggest getting an outdoor massage. It was heavenly. Thank you, Wildwaters. Diana and I enjoyed our stay and we’ll recommend you to all our family/friends.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I waited a bit after my travel to post this review as I wanted to allow the company the opportunity to discuss with me the experience. After speaking with a US based representative, I was told that another representative would reach out to me soon - that was over a month ago with no contact, so I now offer my review. The lodge sits in a beautiful location surrounded by the Nile, it requires a very short boat ride from the car park to the lodge. The small island is secluded and quiet, and the accommodations are comfortable. However, the customer service was extremely poor from beginning to end. This was my 14th visit to Uganda, and I have stayed at numerous lodges that are also in wonderful locations, so I have some background to compare this experience. We had issues with booking from the beginning including poor and inconsistent communication. We had to reach out multiple times after arriving in country to ensure our reservation was in order and to get directions to the boat launch. It took until the day prior to finally get in contact with someone, and then she could not locate our reservation at first. The staff member we dealt with was unprofessional and even stated she needed to end the conversation so she could "get back to emails". During our chat, we were told we could arrive as early at 11:00 am, so we arrived at the boat launch at 11:30 so we could get the most out of the day which we paid for in full. Once we arrived at reception we were told we could not get into our rooms until 2:00. So we had to sit in the dining room until 2:00. My room had a window near the bed with a view of the river, however the window was filthy. I noticed that it looked like some work had been done in that area recently, then I noticed broken glass on the ground outside. I asked the manager, Robert, directly if he could have the window cleaned so I could enjoy the view. Even though he said he would do so, it never happened. This was a sign of things to come, as the food service, beverage service, and overall customer experience was unprofessional and unacceptable. The company felt it was fine to have the dining area and reception area painted during our stay, so our meals were spent watching painters, the library sitting area was completely closed off, and the staff were busy cleaning and inventorying the bar area. We had a horrible customer service experience the entire stay. We even had to clear our own dishes from pool side because the staff were conducting a liquor inventory. We paid $750 per night for an all inclusive, and had to ask for wine refills as a second glass was never offered. After explaining this and more, I was told by the US representative that the company has had difficulty with training, and maybe they should only charge $450 per night to accommodate for the poor service. Apparently the poor service starts at the top.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Find other options on the river which are reasonably priced. This property offers nothing more...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Tesna Simonsen, Other at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 05 Dec 2023
We would like to extend our most sincere apologies for the delay in replying to you. One of our team members will reach out to you shortly.
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We stayed one night and enjoyed the stunning location and lodge. However, the experience was soured through almost comically poor service throughout stay. This included being informed our rooms were ready, only to be told after lunch they were not and we had to wait an hour in the lobby without our bags, which had been whisked away - and this two hours past official check-in. Some of us were even shown to a supposedly ready room, only to find out housekeeping was still working and asked to wait another half hour. In addition, activities were proposed that turned out not to be available, food came out at different times, and the pool chairs were monopolized by day guests paying a fraction of the price. I have been to many lodges in this price range and service was very disappointing given what guests pay. Do yourself a favor and have lunch here but stay further upstream where guests are actually respected.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Tesna Simonsen, Other at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 14 Nov 2023
We appreciate your review and feedback regarding your recent stay. It is regrettable that we didn't meet all your expectations during your visit. Please know that we have addressed your concerns with the lodge team. We're all very disappointed that we did not better manage the departure of a number of guests from the previous evening and delivered you the check in and meal service that you deserve - we promise to do better for our next guests and for next time if you choose to stay with us.
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It was an exciting cool stay in the peak of nature. The anxiety on the canoe to the destination was calmed down with juice on arrival. The rapids of the Nile river were eye catching, conditioning the relaxing sounds of birds. Welcoming staff and a romantic dinner warmed up our stay. I liked the flexible modes of payment. The rooms facing the rapids will not disappoint you. Thanks to Juma and his chefs for the magic meals! and to Daisy and manager for ensuring everything went on as expected. Anyone who loves preserving the environment would like this place.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed at this location for 2 nights, at the end of our 12 day tour of Uganda. Wow, the location is simply stunning!
Upon arrival, you need to take a very short boat ride to get to the island (on the quiet part of the river, not on the rapid parts). Once we stepped on to the island, we walked on broadwalks (similar to I'm a celebratory get me out of here), towards the main central area for the restaurant, bar and swimming pool areas.
We'd enjoyed all the food in Uganda throughout the entire trip, but their food was just on another level, and was included in the cost of the accommodation (all inclusive)
We requested a lodge on the "noisy" side of the river, and so glad we did. Watching the rapid water was mesmerizing", and gave amazing photo opportunities when the sun was setting. There are monkeys on the island, so another opportunity to take a few more wildlife photos.
During our stay, the fruit bats paid the island a visit - 100's of them hanging from the trees by day, and becoming active around 4 pm. I can't lie, they were extremely noisy (high pitched squeaks), and quite a bit of bat poo on the veranda in the morning, however, for us, the noise of the rapid waters drowned out the noise of the bats, so they didn't keep us up at night. The bats are not on the island permanently, and for us, we genuinely felt blessed to experience their presence.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Tesna Simonsen, Other at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 13 Jul 2023
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such detailed and fabulous feedback! We are absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed your stay with us (bats and all!) We will certainly share your lovely comments with regards to the food with our chefs. Thank you for ending your Uganda rip with us and we really do hope to welcome you back one day
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Having been to Wildwaters on more than four occasions in the past, we were very curious and excited to see the new changes that had taken place recently. The first and most negative change was the money minded attitude towards our booking. Local rates do differ from tourist rates; however, when someone tries to charge you $30 just to reserve a specific room and refuses to accommodate any special requests (we were more than happy to pay for a massage but their limited options meant we wanted to tailor make this), then the experience is soured. The staff are amazing.. Harrington, Alice and Doreen in particular! A tip - ask for the rooms on the side of the rapids (so long as you aren't charged for the request!). Other than that, yes the changes are nice, but it has lost some of the rustic charm that made it authentic. I still rate it as one of the most beautiful places to visit though, so do go if you can!
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Date of stay: April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This lodge is absolutely incredible! From the unique canoe transport across the river to the lodge, beautiful rooms, hospitable and friendly staff, amazing food, and one of a kind location, Wild Waters Lodge has it all. We had monkeys come visit our deck on the first night there!
My husband and I had a couples massage on our deck that was fantastic. The two masseuses really gave a good strong massage that helped us to relax after our long travels.
The food was delicious and all meals are multiple courses. We aren't used to eating so much food so we had to reluctantly decline some courses.
It was the perfect place to for river rafting which we participated in. The rafting was so much fun! Huge rapids followed by extended periods of calm floating down the Nile.
All in all we loved our stay at Wild Water Lodge and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others. We hope to return some day!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from kayinja p, Sales and Reservations at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Responded 04 Mar 2020
Hi, Thank you so much for giving us a perfect rating and recommending Lemala Wild Waters Lodge being the best to other travelers, We appreciate your positive feedback about Lemala Wild Waters Lodge. We do take pride in catering to our guests’ needs the best way we can, we’re looking forward to having you again for better experiences always. Kind regards Patrick
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Wow, wow, you arrive by boat and are taken to an island in the middle of the Nile, surrounded by rapids, yet despite the noise it has a magical centre that is as a calm as the extremities are wild. The staff welcome followed us throughout our visit, with every member of the team engaging with us and ensuring that we enjoyed every thing that the island had to offer.
The main restaurant, pool, sitting area is cathedral like in its proportions, we sat and just enjoyed soaking in the immense view, the birds, the fisherman, the food, just everything.
As for our lodge, well we truly experienced our own private little hideaway, with a balcony over looking the main rapids, which you might think would be intrusive, because of their power, but we actually found the noise therapeutic and mesmerising. The lodge was delightfully appointed, with the basin being made from a solid piece of stone, that could actually be made of stone. There was great attention to detail, with cheeky little details added alongside the luxurious fabrics.
As for the wildlife, the monkeys entertained us for a good while, but I got my own back, when doing yoga on the balcony, as they seemed to be as amused as I had been watching them. The birds, the monitor lizard, bats, so many amazing animals to view just enjoying their own space in a very natural habitat.
The food was delicious, the choice included Ugandan cuisine, which we enjoyed sampling and chef always spent time talking to the guest. The other members of the team were all friendly, professional and welcoming, not to mention always offering a smile and assistance to ensure we had the best time, even offering to cancel our flight so we could stay longer.
It was truly a wonderful place to stay and just be, after our previous 10 day safari before we headed back home. If you want a luxurious treat, this is the place to go to hide from the rest of the world.
Thank you.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: If you are doing a safari in Uganda, I’d definitely finish here and spoil yourself.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Also if you need a guide while in Uganda, we spent 14 days with Denis from Uganda Wildlife Safaris and he was amazing!! My wife and I travelled with our ten year old son and it was the most amazing experience.
West New York, New Jersey349 contributions103 helpful votes
Hi Cathy and congrats. I have stayed there and yes they do have packages. But please do your homework before booking. We loved the place but had an issue that i posted in my review. Please read my review in full and be very wary before you book. I really hope you guys decide on special place.
There are more places to choose from in the Kangulumira area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 11,071 - RÂ 14,855 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
wildwaters hotel jinja
LOCATION
UgandaCentral RegionKangulumira
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
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