I stayed at a luxury lodge in Uganda. The pool and butler service were nice, but one perk has me dreaming of a return trip.

I arrived at Kibale Lodge to the smell of wet earth and burning smoke.

I arrived in Uganda during the rainy season, and Kiwanuka parked the car just as the storm settled in.

Thankfully, the rain didn't last long, and as I darted toward the lodge, the scents around me were impossible to ignore.

There was smoke, likely from nearby villages, and perfumes from the 200,000 native plants gardeners had planted at Kibale.

As for the lodge, it blended naturally into the environment. Located on a ridgeline 4,690 feet above sea level, I could see surrounding crater lakes, the Rwenzori Mountains, the plains in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and a nearby village.

Tonny Kayanja, the lodge manager, said Kibale's isolated location, views, and surrounding nature make it unique.

"Kibale brings out beauty. It's like being in the wilderness, with your own privacy," he told me. "You can be a child again here."

The lodge opened in the summer of last year and is Volcanoes Safaris' newest property.

While travelers often arrive in Uganda for its famed gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking is another pull, and Kibale is situated near the primate capital of the world, Kibale National Park.

A night at Kibale Lodge in high season costs $1,650 per person in a shared room and $990 in low season. This cost includes meals, drinks, activities, laundry, and spa treatments. Business Insider received a complimentary stay at Kibale Lodge.

Typically, travelers do what I did in Uganda and join one of Volcanoes Safaris' seven- or ten-day itineraries. On these itineraries, travelers visit multiple lodges for experiences like gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, wetland walks, and visits to conservation projects, including coffee cooperatives, tree nurseries, and lion monitoring projects. Activities, lodges, domestic flights, food, laundry, park fees, and trekking permits are included in the rate.

As for Kibale Lodge, its property has eight bandas, or traditional cabins.

Eight bandas — six deluxe and two standard — sit across the 150-acre property. Each luxury cabin was hand-built without machinery.

During my stay, I had complimentary laundry, a major perk when you're spending days sweating in Uganda's forests.

I also had a butler named Livias. While she was there to bring me morning coffee and make sure my fireplace was lit each night, she was also a friendly face to answer every pestering question I had about the lodge, Uganda, and the surrounding areas.

The deluxe bandas are split into three rooms.

The exterior and interior of my cottage had elements of the nature around me. Papyrus was used for the roof, while red soil and cow dung formed the walls.

Outside, each banda has a private terrace.

Inside, the deluxe rooms are divided into three. The first room is a seating area with a fireplace and couches. The middle room is the bedroom, with a king-size bed, desk, and fireplace. The third area has an enormous changing room and an interior bathroom with a double vanity, shower, and toilet.

An outdoor shower — Kayanja's favorite feature — is connected to the third room.

The property is also home to a spa and pool.

A short walk from my room was Kibale's spa.

There were two massage rooms, a swimming pool overlooking the jungle, and a sauna.

Guests at Kibale can receive complimentary massages, and spending an afternoon at the pool is an easy way to pass the time.

At the heart of Kibale is a main lodge, where meals are served and cocktails are sipped.

Like my room, elements across the main lodge came from the surrounding nature.

The interior was filled with warm woods, natural walls, and rattan furniture. A dining table stretched across one area of the room, where guests were encouraged to sit for a communal dinner each evening.

The menu changed each night I was there, but it was filled with locally inspired foods. I had catfish one evening and butternut squash another. For breakfast, I tried traditional Ugandan katogo, a dish typically made with green bananas.

From the lodge, guests can adventure on hiking trails that lead to lookout points and crater lakes.

A few different hiking paths start from Kibale Lodge. Guests can walk up to a viewpoint during sunset or take a longer hike around a nearby crater lake.

My first afternoon at Kibale was spent on a guided hike with Kibale staff member Saidi, who pointed out different species of birds and plants.

The lodge's main appeal is its proximity to Kibale National Park.

Kibale National Park sits 30 minutes away from the lodge. The forest is home to 13 species of primates, making it the primate capital of the world.

The national park has more than 1,500 chimpanzees. So, while travelers can view species like the red colobus, black-and-white colobus, and L'Hoest's monkeys in the park, many arrive for chimpanzee trekking.

On my first morning at Kibale, that's exactly what I did.

Volcanoes Safaris coordinated my chimpanzee trekking plans and secured my permit, which costs $250 and is included in the price of the outfitter's safari packages.

Kiwanuka drove me 30 minutes to the forest, where I met a ranger with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

I woke up in Kibale Lodge to the chirps of birds like Ross's turaco, then came the roosters and noises from the nearby village coming alive. The final sound was from my butler, who reminded me that I had a chimpanzee trek in just a few hours.

After breakfast, Kiwanuka drove me and another traveler to Kibale National Park. As we made our way through the forest, we searched the canopies for red and black-and-white colobus monkeys. We stopped on the road while waiting for a troop of baboons to cross.

Finally, we arrived at the trailhead for chimpanzee trekking. Here, I met Bosco Bwambale, our ranger with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

He was with three other trackers, and before heading deeper into the forest, Bwambale gave a briefing on what to expect during the chimp trek.

We would hike into the forest, where another set of trackers had sights on the Kanyantale chimp community. Once we found the chimpanzees, we would put on face masks and observe them for an hour. Then, we would hike out.

We headed into the dense forest, where we followed elephant tracks and listened to radio calls from the trackers.

Bwambale, who has been a ranger for nearly two decades, saw the chimpanzees long before I did. They were in the branches above us, and after a few moments, they let out screams.

Bwambale explained that the shrieks were notifying others that they had found food, and that it was lunchtime.

As we got closer, I saw them on the move — jumping from branch to branch, sliding down thick vines, and moving on the ground.

Finally, they settled down in one area, where I watched them groom one another, eat, and explore.

It was one of the best hours of my life, and I left dreaming of a return trip to Kibale Lodge.

For an hour, I eyed the ears and hands that felt reminiscent of my own. I watched the 30-or-so chimpanzees interact with each other, and I was there long enough to see a bit of each primate's personality.

Rangers like Bwambale have given each chimp a name, and Bwambale shared tidbits about their lives, like Budha, who is calm and known for stretching.

After hiking back out, we drove back to Kibale Lodge, where I spent the afternoon sipping coffee and reflecting on the experience, eager to start planning a return trip.