Bwindi Neckview Lodge

The trek itself went well, and Denis helped arrange a shorter route since we had a long drive later that day. The lodge also baked a birthday cake for my boyfriend, which was such a kind gesture. Staff were warm and helpful throughout, and the rooms were clean with beautiful views. Rosemary is friendly, though she seemed overwhelmed by more complicated arrangements. The permit arrangements were a real disappointment. We booked with Nelly three months ahead because we wanted to trek on my boyfriend’s birthday, but had no permits when we arrived. Six days before the trek, we were told it had been moved one day later because of an overbooking error. We haven't heard of that happening to anyone else. At the lodge, nobody seemed aware of our booking, and our questions got no clear answers. We finally got the permits after lunch the day before. We were told someone had to drive 80 km to a town to print them, and we're still not sure why they couldn't have been sent earlier for us to print. Only then did we see that the sector had changed too, along with the date. That meant a much longer drive in the morning and another hour on the road in the afternoon. The evening before trekking, part of a permit was missing, and a guide from another group had to help sort it out. Thankfully he was there. There was also confusion over lunch. After we dropped Denis in town and tipped him, he said Rosemary had called and that we owed 15 USD for one lunch box: a sandwich, egg, banana, apple, and bottle of water. The day before and again that morning, we'd been told there was no extra charge. We thought that might be because my boyfriend skipped the included breakfast. It was frustrating to hear otherwise afterward. Prices felt high in general, with dinner at 20 USD.