To reach Honey Bear Bush Camp you cross the water by boat, over the Kazinga Channel that joins Lake Edward and Lake George, to a stretch of the southern bank in Kyambura Game Reserve. This is the buffer zone that shoulders Queen Elizabeth National Park. Five canvas tents stand along the riverbank, and beyond the water the Rwenzori Mountains hold the horizon.
Guests fall asleep to one and wake to the other
All night the hippos grunt and splash in the channel below the tents. Before dawn the elephant herds come down to drink and bathe at the water’s edge. Guests fall asleep to one and wake to the other. Large windows frame the channel and the mountains, so the animals are as visible from the bed as from the deck outside, and the day begins where the night left off.
The camp borrows its name from Ava Gardner’s character in the 1953 film Mogambo, Eloise ‘Honey Bear’ Kelly, and the design follows that thread all the way through. Canvas tents rest on raised platforms, dressed in vintage furniture and beautiful fabrics, each with an outdoor bucket shower attached to its en-suite. The result is a pared-back version of mid-century safari, elegant without being heavy.
The result is a pared-back version of mid-century safari
Behind the camp stands the Wright family, long established in Ugandan tourism. Jonathan Wright was born in Uganda and built the safari operation that runs Honey Bear. Their hand shows in the detail: an airy mess tent with its own dining area and sitting room, meals built around fresh local produce, and staff drawn from nearby communities. Pamela Wright oversaw a design that keeps every structure low to the earth and turned toward the water.
Kyambura adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park yet functions as a private reserve, and a newly designated low-impact zone gives Honey Bear exclusive use of this stretch of the Kazinga Channel and the savanna behind it. That exclusivity changes what guests can do. Night drives, restricted across most of Uganda’s national parks, run here at the camp’s own pace, because no other vehicles share the ground. Walking safaris cross terrain that sees few other visitors, and catch-and-release fishing on the channel operates under the same private arrangement.
The channel is the centre of the experience. Boat cruises bring hippos, crocodiles and a concentration of waterbirds within close range, the water’s edge drawing animals of every size down from the surrounding savanna. Beyond camp, Kyambura Gorge holds an isolated chimpanzee population, tracked on foot with Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. Game drives reach into Queen Elizabeth National Park for lion and leopard, then south to the Ishasha sector, where lions rest in fig trees through the heat of the day.
Boat cruises bring hippos, crocodiles and a concentration of waterbirds within close range
The water sets the rhythm of the days. Breakfast or afternoon tea arrives on the deck while elephants take their evening bath in the channel below, sundowners follow as the light drops behind the Rwenzoris, and dinner comes under canvas after a day’s tracking. The mess tent, open-sided and simple, gives onto the same channel views that run through every tent. With just five tents and access only by boat, the camp stays quiet and contained, the focus held on the water and what comes to it.
Honey Bear opened recently, among the newer additions to the Wright family’s collection of Ugandan camps. The nearest airstrips, Kasese and Mweya, sit roughly an hour’s drive away, though most guests transfer by boat from a private launch on the Kasenyi side of the park, so the crossing itself becomes the first stretch of the safari. For those who want to reach beyond the reserve, hot air balloon flights and visits to local communities lie within easy range.
accommodation
Five en-suite safari tents, each 36 square metres, run along the riverbank for privacy and uninterrupted views of the Kazinga Channel and the Rwenzori Mountains. King beds convert to twins, and every tent opens to a private veranda through large windows that frame the water, with an outdoor bucket shower attached to the en-suite bathroom.
activities
Within Kyambura Game Reserve, days move between exclusive night drives, guided walking safaris, boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel and catch-and-release fishing. Chimpanzee tracking runs in Kyambura Gorge with Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, while game drives reach into Queen Elizabeth National Park for lion and leopard, and the Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions.
conservation
A nightly contribution from each guest funds the WildPlaces Conservation Foundation, which supports anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration for chimpanzees and other wildlife, and community education around Kyambura Game Reserve. By drawing its staff from nearby communities and sourcing produce locally, the camp channels tourism income into the surrounding area.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
Honey Bear is reached by boat across the Kazinga Channel, which is part of its appeal. You fly from Entebbe to Kasese or the Mweya airstrip in about an hour and a quarter, transfer to the channel and cross the water to the camp on the southern bank. We put the flight, the transfer and the boat together for you. If you would prefer it, we can arrange the flight as a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, so the whole journey runs on your timings.
The overland approach to the channel is roughly seven to eight hours from Entebbe, so flying at least one leg keeps the day manageable.
Yes. Queen Elizabeth is a year-round malaria area, as is the whole of Uganda, so it is not somewhere we would ever call malaria-free. The lakes, the Kazinga Channel and the low, warm savanna keep mosquitoes active through the year, so antimalarial cover is the sensible course. With the camp set on the riverbank, this is classic mosquito country by water, so the precaution is worth taking seriously.
Malaria guidance shifts from year to year, so we always suggest confirming the current advice with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and taking the usual care against bites after dark: repellent, long sleeves in the evening and the mosquito net over the bed.
Honey Bear is a small camp of five canvas tents with a pared-back, grown-up character, so it leans towards couples and small parties rather than young families. The king beds do convert to twins, which suits older children sharing.
Game drives and boat cruises carry no trekking age limit, so families with older children can enjoy the reserve together. Tell us the ages of everyone travelling and we will advise honestly whether the camp is the right fit or suggest a roomier option nearby.
The country around Honey Bear is warm, open savanna, so light and breathable clothing in neutral colours is the foundation, with a sun hat, high-factor sunscreen and sunglasses for the middle of the day. Bring a warm layer for the early game drive, when the open vehicle is cool before sunrise, and insect repellent for dusk.
Binoculars repay their space here, and a scarf or buff helps against the dust on the tracks. We are happy to send a full packing list tailored to your dates once your trip is set.
Uganda's mobile networks, MTN and Airtel, cover the towns and the main roads, but the signal thins out across the Kyambura reserve and can fade to nothing at the lodge and once you leave the main roads. Honey Bear Bush Camp offers wifi in the main areas, best treated as enough for messages and email rather than video calls or streaming.
If staying reachable matters on your trip, tell us and we will confirm the current setup before you travel, and plan around the quieter stretches. Many guests find the drop in signal one of the better parts of being out here.
The dry months make for the easiest game viewing, January and February and again June and July. Thinning grass and shrinking water draw elephant, buffalo and kob to the Kazinga Channel and firm up the tracks south to the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, with July the driest and most reliable of all.
The long rains of April and May can cut off parts of the Ishasha sector, but the greener months, roughly November to April, bring the migrant birds and quieter days. On the channel bank, the camp is liveliest in the dry windows, when elephants come down to drink below the tents at dawn and hippos crowd the water.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
