Equator Snow Geo Lodge — Hotel in Kasese

Mountains of the Moon Magic ... it is coming out best here as this must be the perfect location and no doubt the nicest lodge on the lower part of the mountain, just outside the park boundaries. ||The rocky road from the Kasese to Fort Portal Highway was initially a bit tough on the car but suddenly got better when what must be a newly graded stretch opened up and it led right to the front door of Equator Snow.||With no 4x4 needed any longer to reach there is the lodge now easily accessible for not just mountaineers and alpinists but also for those just wanting to see something new, discover a new part of Uganda or simply enjoy some solitude while driving there with their saloon cars.||On arrival was the check in a mere formality as the reception had all required data at hand. A short briefing on the do's and dont's concluded the check in and with the bags taken to the room was it time to sit down for a late lunch. ||Like recently experienced at the Nile Safari Lodge was I given three choices of a main course, meat, fish and vegetarian and two options for dessert. My selection was served promptly as was my drink order and the quality of the meal again, like at Nile Safari Lodge recently or the RainForest Lodge in February, left nothing for wanting. ||Dinner too was of the same experience and afterwards was coffee and tea available, served at the fire place where a wood fire roared projecting warmth into the cooling night temperatures. ||The sudden onset of rain only prompted the staff to rush for umbrellas and they then shepherded me in dry condition to my cottage. ||About the cottages, they are all identical and sleep four, two in a king sized bed with a very warm duvet and soft pillows while twin beds were arranged at one corner of the cottage opposite to the working desk, sitting arrangement and fire place which each one has, lit on request by the housekeeper. ||The bathroom was big, well equipped, the shower pressure was substantial and the hot water when it began flowing from the pipes was indeed piping hot. ||Tastefully furnished do these cottages leave nothing for wanting and at night are the rushing white waters of River Mubuku always audible but never disturb one's sleep.||All the staff were exemplary, from the Manager Lawrence Opingo to the Chef Alfred Kule who, together with F&B Manager Joseph Bwambale were delighted when I told them how good the food was to the Housekeeper Andrew Mugaga and the Head of Security Jeremiah Masereka - he in fact kept a close watch on the car and made sure it was washed in the morning before I headed back to Kampala. ||It was an eye opener of sorts. I had not been back to the Rwenzoris for some time and inspite of reading up on the lodge was not prepared for the reality on the ground, well constructed, well finished, well laid out and befitting for the location. A lodge with a character and I will be back no doubt. ||One added piece of information, not one of the Ugandan phone networks extends to the lodge location so there is no internet nor any phone service available for guests...

My wife and I spent 3 days and 2 nights at the lodge. Upon arrival (don’t use the pin locations on trip advisor, apple or google maps as they won’t lead you to the lodge) we were warmly greeted by Harrison (so friendly!), James and Annet. We stayed in Room 4 which had a beautiful view of the Portal peaks in the morning! We loved our room, especially the candles and fireplace at night. However, I was a bit shocked that with what they charge ($240/night FB) they wanted to charge another $5 “eco-charge” for you to have a fire (or make your own) in the fireplace. Seemed tacky and really should be included with no additional charge. |The hot water in the room was great as were the beds - the room really was cozy. |The food was average at best. The staff were quite friendly and helpful, but the menu was simply lacking. Additionally, the box lunch left much to be desired. It would be a welcomed and appreciated change if they would remove the rubbish star cafe instant coffee at meals and replace it with some of the fantastic Ugandan coffee that region is known for; this was terribly disappointing for my wife and I as we LOVE good coffee. Gathering from my other experiences across East Africa, it would also be nice to offer having room service coffee/tea in the morning before breakfast. When ever we stay at a place that has done this is greatly impresses my wife and I and is a lovely touch. |Finally, all the guided forest walks cost between $10-15 and you can’t do anything by yourself and you can’t see the river from the lodge so you practically have to pay to go for a walk to see it (Harrison made an exception for us). Again, for the cost of a night, one walk should be complementary. And, the brush should be cleared so there is a better viewpoint of the river - even a seating area overlooking or down beside the river would be ideal. You come for the mountains and the river and that is what you expect to see. |Overall we had a great time, but with all of the excellent places (and with better value in my opinion) to stay in Uganda I doubt we will return unless a number of these things are attended to. |To the lodge: we hope you consider these improvements and would be glad to visit again if some of these things...

The service overall was very friendly, but trying to get the right directions to the lodge was quite difficult as the lodge caretaker's phone seldomly works (took 13 tries over the course of 2 hours to reach him) and the person who answer's the company's number was amazingly unhelpful. The caretaker also failed to mention ahead of time that credit cards weren't accepted.||||That all said, the road up has been recently redone and was easily passable in a sedan in February 2019. The nearby hiking is fantastic, the river gorgeous, the cabins romantic and rugged, the showers hot, and the food was fine. ||||They do really need to get on serving local coffee and honey, forgoing the stupid extra $5 for a fire or $15 for someone to walk you down to the river, and thinking better about the customer experience. I also had some kind of rodent in my room, but was ok with it considering it's located in the outskirts of a...