Home in Gayaza

An eco-friendly, open plan cottage with wooden mezzanine and stone terrace. It is surrounded by lush green space, in a secure, private compound near to Namulonge research station, about 15 minutes drive from Gayaza town and 45 minutes from downtown Kampala. There is plenty of space to stroll among the trees, or to use the outdoor grill or pizza oven. It is also a working smallholding, with ducks, rabbits, chickens and beehives. The space The house was carefully designed and built to use local materials, maximise light indoors, and create a pleasant, green space. There are extensive gardens around the house, with fruit trees including mangoes, oranges, tangerines, jackfruit, papaya, banana, guava and starfruit, as well as stands of pine, eucalyptus, teak, mahogany and indigenous species. The compound is full of bird life, particularly at sunrise and sunset - from the terrace it is easy to see sunbirds, turacos and many others. There is lots of other wildlife around too: monkeys and squirrels are common, and we've spotted chameleons and wild cats. The lower extent of the compound in the valley has fireflies at night. Guest access The kitchen has a gas cooker, fridge-freezer and kettle as well as cutlery, plates etc. Other things to note The house is semi-off-grid, in a village location, so it's best to come prepared. Basic supplies are available in Namulonge trading centre (1km away), but for most requirements such as food it's best to bring everything needed from Kampala. Guests also need their own transport. There is about 500 metres of bumpy track after leaving the main road to get to our place.