Tembo Safari Lodge

There’s no shortage of national parks and heady explores hereabouts… follow days at Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Semuliki with a look at the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha and the chimpanzee treks at Kibale Forest National Park, each about two and a half hours’ drive away. Then broaden criteria to see what else is around the region: it’s less than an hour to Rwenzori Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of impressive peaks, including the third-highest in Africa. This is a must-visit destination for jaw-dropping scenery and challenging hikes, so be sure to include it on every list. If days in nature begin to tire, make tracks for Fort Portal, two hours 15 minutes from base. The large town has shops and markets for souvenir browsing, restaurants for local eats and botanic gardens to stroll. Lucky enough to be continuing hols beyond stays at Tembo? Travel onwards to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the border is less than an hour away) or make a beeline for Kampala, the Ugandan capital, to visit casinos, museums, and the Kasubi tombs.