Honey Bear Bush Camp
This is classic safari country, where adventure, atmosphere and style come beautifully together.
Location
The camp is perfectly placed for chimp‑trekking in Kyambura Gorge, reached by boat directly from camp. Each tent faces the channel and the distant Rwenzori Mountains, so guests fall asleep to hippo grunts and wake to elephants coming down for their morning drink.
Accommodation
Inspired by the 1953 film Mogambo, the camp takes its name from Ava Gardner’s gutsy character, Eloise “Honey Bear” Kelly – chic, elegant and sassy, a New York socialite who arrives by riverboat to a remote African outpost. Her blend of sophistication and spirit captures exactly what Honey Bear Bush Camp represents: style in the wild.
Communal spaces echo the same expeditionary charm. Big, squashy sofas invite you to sink in with a coffee‑table book, while open‑sided mess areas keep you connected to the wildlife corridor surrounding the camp. Dining is relaxed and unpretentious: hearty meals served at a long table, or sometimes outdoors beneath lantern light and a sky thick with stars.
It’s accommodation designed not to insulate you from the bush, but to place you gently and authentically within it.
Experiences
- Walk through little‑explored corners of the reserve with your guide, tracking wildlife on foot, smelling wild herbs, tasting seasonal fruits and experiencing the savannah, forests and crater rims with a sense of genuine discovery.
- Track lion and leopard in the early hours, climbing into a 4x4 as the park wakes and scanning for elephant, hippo and – in crater lakes – flocks of flamingo glowing pink in the morning light.
- Follow chimpanzees deep into Kyambura Gorge with expert Uganda Wildlife Authority trackers, watching families climb, leap and feed high in the forest canopy.
- Spot colobus and red‑tailed monkeys, along with olive baboons, in the forested edges of the wildlife corridor that surrounds the camp.
- Cruise along the Kazinga Channel in the camp’s shaded safari boat, drifting past wading elephant, grunting hippo and a chorus of waterbirds that soundtrack the journey.
- Venture out on exclusive night drives – possible because of the reserve’s lack of overnight visitors – using spotting lights to pick out predators’ glowing eyes and elusive nocturnal species.
- Settle into the camp’s unhurried rhythm, enjoying the rare privilege of having the entire reserve to yourself – lanterns glowing, wildlife moving nearby and the bush’s night chorus rising around you.
Why We Include Honey Bear Bush Camp in Our Journeys
It’s an inspired choice for families with older children who relish a more adventurous style of travel, yet young and old alike will appreciate the bush‑luxuries of good food and elegant, spacious tents.
Talk to us about designing your journey >
From the Team
“I always recommend Honey Bear Bush Camp to primate lovers — especially those already in Uganda for gorilla trekking — because chimpanzee encounters here are every bit as special. The camp’s spirit of adventure is perfect for families with older children who embrace nights under canvas and the thrill of being truly immersed in the wild.”
Why Plan Your Safari with Journeysmiths
Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to:We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to:
Great Places to Combine with Honey Bear Bush Camp
Honey Bear Bush Camp works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Uganda. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.Honey Bear Bush Camp works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Uganda. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.
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