Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch

I stayed at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch in August 2026 with my family, on our way between Kampala and Gulu after a recommendation from a friend. This was a wonderful experience that I thoroughly enjoyed, and the particular highlight was dining next to rhinos and many other types of animals that roam around the grounds freely such as warthogs, antelope and even the national bird (grey-crowned crane). They are friendly enough and the park feels safe. Staff are very attentive and aware of the need to be careful as these are not domesticated animals.

Ziwa is not far from the main highway and an easy stopover on the way North or South. You enter through a main gate, they give you a lovely drink of hibiscus juice as you register your information, and then you drive a few kilometres down a dirt road (with a lot of speed bumps for understandable reasons) to the ranch.

The rooms were very comfortable, beautiful and well proportioned. There was a small fridge in the room which was so great especially with being indoors in the heat. Each room had its own very beautiful bathroom and balcony with comfortable outdoor seating. There was an outdoor pool nearby with attendants on standby that guests could enjoy.

My only issue with Ziwa is that it feels a bit restrictive if you are staying for more than one night. We stayed for two nights which meant that during the day we were unable to do much, as the animals were all hiding from the heat and there was not much to do. As a very active person it felt like a waste of time to sit around doing nothing all day, and we were not allowed to go out for a walk alone because of the animals.

There were extra things that you could book to do, such as bird-watching or a shoebill trip in the late afternoon however these came at a significant extra cost and were probably not worth the money although we did not do them (partly because of the weather). We did do the night walk which was quite fun. This walk lasted 2 hours and was done in the dark with a guide who talked to us about the animals in the park. The rhino walk in the morning was great and a unique experience, getting to see the rhinos up close in their natural habitat while they ate before the day became too warm. It is so much better than seeing them in a zoo habitat and I don’t think I will ever see anything like that again!

The food was really excellent, meals were served buffet style with a good variety and quantity of delicious treats and drinks to try, though the cocktails were excessively expensive and the price was not told to us until afterwards. Staff were very helpful and great at their job.

Overall an amazing experience and it was nice to be able to support their efforts to preserve rhinos and their natural habitats, as these animals have been struggling for some time. With the hard work done by people like those at Ziwa, hopefully we can improve Uganda’s environment for the better!