Ishasha Wilderness Camp sits on the banks of the Ntungwe River within Queen Elizabeth National Park's remote southern Ishasha sector, home to Uganda's famous tree-climbing lions — ten spacious tented rooms with en-suite bathrooms and hot bush showers, solar-powered and deliberately low-impact, built specifically around access to one of only two known tree-climbing lion populations in Africa.
Quick facts
- Location: Ntungwe River, Ishasha sector, southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Rooms: 10 spacious tented rooms with en-suite bathrooms and hot bush showers
- Power: Solar, with outlets limited to the central lodge — an intentional low-impact approach
- Signature access: Tree-climbing lions — one of only two known populations in Africa
- Access point: Roughly 2 hours 15 minutes' drive from Kasese airstrip, or a scenic road transfer from the park's main circuit
What sets it apart
Ishasha's defining draw is access to genuinely rare wildlife behaviour — lions climbing trees is reliably observed in only a handful of locations worldwide, and Ishasha, alongside Tanzania's Lake Manyara, is one of them. See our Ishasha sector guide for the full picture on this behaviour and how sightings work. The camp's position directly in this low-traffic southern sector means guests trade the busier northern Queen Elizabeth circuit around the Kazinga Channel for a genuinely quieter, more exclusive stretch of savanna — appealing specifically to travellers who've already done a more conventional game drive elsewhere and want something different.
The ten tented rooms lean into a deliberately understated, low-impact design: solar power with outlets centralised at the main lodge rather than in every room, hot bush showers rather than full plumbing infrastructure, and a setting directly on the Ntungwe River that keeps the camp close to the resident lion pride's territory without overbuilding the site.
The experience of staying here
Dining runs under a thatched roof or riverside, with evenings centred on a fireplace — a classic tented-camp rhythm that suits Ishasha's remote, unhurried character well. Game drives here run at a different pace than the busier Mweya circuit: fewer vehicles on the same tracks, and a genuine chance at solitary sightings of the tree-climbing pride resting in the sector's fig trees during the heat of the day.
Who this lodge suits
Ishasha Wilderness Camp is the right choice for travellers who've likely already experienced a more conventional Queen Elizabeth or East African game drive and specifically want the tree-climbing lions and a quieter, lower-traffic stretch of savanna. It suits travellers comfortable with a more understated, solar-powered camp aesthetic over a full-service luxury lodge, and those willing to build the extra transfer time (roughly 1.5–2 hours from the main Queen Elizabeth circuit) into their itinerary for a genuinely different wildlife encounter.
Frequently asked questions
Are tree-climbing lion sightings guaranteed from Ishasha Wilderness Camp? No sighting in the wild is ever guaranteed — lions tend to climb the sector's fig trees during the hottest part of the day, and their location shifts. A camp positioned within the sector itself, as Ishasha Wilderness Camp is, meaningfully improves your odds over a day-trip visit from further away.
How many rooms does Ishasha Wilderness Camp have? Ten spacious tented rooms, each with en-suite bathroom and hot bush shower, set near the river and forest edge.
How do I get to Ishasha Wilderness Camp? Typically via Kasese airstrip, roughly 2 hours 15 minutes' drive from the camp, or by road transfer from Queen Elizabeth's main northern circuit, which takes roughly 1.5–2 hours.
Is Ishasha Wilderness Camp too remote for a first Uganda safari? Not necessarily, but it rewards travellers who've already built a broader Queen Elizabeth or multi-park itinerary — its specific appeal (a quieter sector and rare lion behaviour) is best appreciated as an addition to, rather than a substitute for, the park's more conventional northern circuit.
What other wildlife can I see near Ishasha Wilderness Camp? Beyond the tree-climbing lions, expect general savanna game viewing, strong birdlife along the Ntungwe River, and access to Kyambura Gorge's chimpanzee tracking within a reasonable drive.
Read the full picture on the tree-climbing lions in our Ishasha sector guide, or compare this property against other Queen Elizabeth options in our Best Luxury Lodges in Uganda guide.