A water tap was built in October 2018 to provide a safe access point to water to nearby Kinoni village. A housing structure for the tap was created, ensuring secure access to water for residents of Kinoni village. The water source project is managed by a committee who are voted by local leaders and is used by approximately 1800 people.
Virunga Lodge
Africa, Eastern Africa | Rwanda | Mountain | Adventure, All Inclusive, Eco Friendly, escourted, Family, Group, Honeymoon, LGBT, Safari, Solo, Tailor Made | Safari Lodge | luxury
The incredible Virunga Lodge is a premier luxury gorilla lodge in Rwanda and one of the finest and most renowned lodges in all of Africa. Perched high on a ridge with stunning views of the Virunga Volcanoes, you can also absorb the Musanze valley to the west and Lake Bulera and Ruhondo to the east. These are the finest views in Africa, seen from rooms uniquely decorated in the Rwandese style. Fantastic food and exceptional personalised service by the carefully trained staff are the cherry on top of this beautiful lodge, where you are guaranteed to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each of the ten luxurious bandas has a private terrace from which guests can watch the orange sunrise over the dramatic and varied landscape of mountains, volcanoes and lakes. Luxuriously appointed, the rooms are accented with vibrant Rwandese fabrics and stylish locally inspired furniture.
Virunga Lodge, Rwanda
Virunga Lodge is a 20 minute helicopter ride from Kigali, or a 3-hour drive. The average daytime temperatures here range between 15–25 celsius in the day and 5-15 celsius at night. Rwanda is a suitalble destination at any time of year, with its central location meaning that its temperatures differ little throughout the year.
- 10 bandas. Guide cottage available
- Personal butler service for all guests
- Ikirunga – Spa & Sauna
- Community projects
- Dian Fossey Map Room available for private events and conservation lectures
- Wi-Fi access in the main lodge building and Dian Fossey Map Room
- Charging facilities available in each banda
- Premium wine, whisky, and cocktail menus
- 40-min drive to Park headquarters
Bandas
All of these luxuriouss rooms are complete with a fireplace, en-suite bathrooms with flushing toilet, double vanity and shower with hot & cold running water. The spacious interiors are welcoming to all guests, ensuring you a pleasant stay during your time at Virunga.
The 10 bandas are split between 6 doubles, 2 twins and 2 deluxe bandas. Every banda has a private terrace from which guests can watch the sunrise over the dramatic landscape of mountains and lakes. Luxuriously appointed, with the accent on vibrant Rwandese fabrics and stylish locally inspired furniture
Room Specifications:
- Wifi access in the main lodge building and Dian Fossey Map Room
- One complimentary massage per guest
- Full board accommodation including all soft drinks and house alcoholic beverages. Premium beverages paid at consumption
- Complimentary laundry and boot cleaning service
- Personal butler service for all guests
- Guide cottage available
- Bandas are individually named after lakes in the area.
- Power sockets/charging facilities and hair dryer in the rooms. No air conditioners.
Dining at Virunga is communal, with a menu that consists of a mixture of delicious local and international dishes. The chefs will make sure that your tastebuds are delighted, and following your meal you can head to the bar and wash it down with a refreshing beverage. Premium wine, whisky, and cocktail menus can be found here so there is plenty to choose from.
Gorilla Tracking
Tracking mountain gorillas through the dense African forests is a magical experience. Only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla group each day, and to minimise the transmission of human diseases, visitors are required to maintain a distance of 7 metres (22 feet) from the gorillas. Tracking can take 3 to 8 hours on a typical day and requires some agility and fitness; however, all fitness levels can be accommodated and no one should feel exempt from missing this totally unique experience.
Golden Monkey Tracking
With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can only be found in two places: the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterised by their bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. You can choose to do this on the Rwandan or Ugandan side, and either way the walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes, to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.
Intore Dancers
The group of Intore Dancers consists of 24 dancers and two dance trainers.
The troupe perform the traditional Rwandan ballet known as The Intore, also known as “The Heroes”, which is based on the courtly victory dance of the Rwandan Mwami (kings). Being selected as an Intore was once a great honour – they would receive a privileged education, intensive combat training and they held a high status within the court. Today, the dancers use traditional weapons such as spears and bows and wear brightly coloured clothes and long flowing white hairpieces to evoke a sense of their culture onto the guests.
Dian Fossey's Grave
Situated in a beautiful meadow that connects the Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes are the graves of Dian Fossey and some of her beloved research gorillas. Dian Fossey was a leading primatologist from 1967 until her tragic death in 1985. For those interested in gorilla conservation in Rwanda, or interested in Fossey’s personal story, the trek to her grave is highly recommended. It starts early in the morning, can take 6-8 hours and is operated by the National Park.
Birding
Rwanda offers some of the world’s best bird watching, with a vast diversity of bird species to find. Rwanda has over 700 bird species and is home to the 2nd highest number of Albertine endemics in the Albertine region. Here, you get the chance to see a number of different birds, with the vast majority endemic to the region.
Climb a Volcano
Guests of Virunga lodge have easy access to the Virunga chain of volcanoes, offering challenging hikes and stunning panoramas. The three most popular volcanoes to climb are Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo, and Mt. Muhavura and each of them represent a great opportunity to see these forces of nature up close. These hikes are of varying difficulty and normally take a full day. The treks start at 7am from the park headquarters, from where visitors will have to drive / be driven to the base of their chosen volcano.
Lake Bulera Village Walk
When you have a free afternoon at Virunga Lodge, take advantage of the lodge’s unique position by winding down the mountain slope, through local villages, to Lake Bulera, which sits at its base. Passing through the local communities offers a great peek into village life and opportunities to visit local schools and community centres.
Community
The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT), created in 2009, is a non-profit organisation that connects Volcanoes’ Rwanda and Uganda luxury lodges with the neighbouring communities and conservation activities. The VSPT is funded through Volcanoes Safaris, which directly contributes $100 from safari bookings, as well as private donations by our guests and others.
The VSPT aims to create long-term, self-sustaining projects that enrich local communities, promote the conservation of the great apes, restore natural habitats that have been damaged and work with communities and institutions to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Guests get an opportunity to visit VSPT projects and to meet the local communities as part of their stay.
Bwindi Bar, near Bwindi Lodge, gives training in hospitality to local disadvantaged youths. It won the 2016 PURE Community Engagement Award.
Gahinga Batwa Village, a permanent village for one of the oldest surviving indigenous people in the Central African Forest, the Mount Gahinga Batwa Community, was launched in May 2018 in Gahinga, Uganda.
The Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project was also launched in February 2019. VS and VSPT have been working to safeguard the gorge ecosystem for over a decade, and today represent the largest stakeholder in the gorge ecosystem after the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Kinoni Water Source Project
Microfinance Savings Scheme
In 2018, VSPT launched a microfinance savings scheme for members of Sunzu Village. The objective is to provide a loan that will help to generate income from investment in small scale sustainable agricultural projects, as well as weaving baskets and breeding domestic animals.
Water Tank Project
Although it rains heavily around Virunga Lodge, there aren’t many facilities for water catchment and storage and in the dry season there is a marked shortage of water. The villagers in Sunzu village around the lodge, where 138 families live, do not have enough clean water either for drinking or for growing crops.
Starting in 2016, Virunga Lodge has been providing water tanks to the local community and with the support of their guests, Virunga Lodge has donated 138 tanks as of March 2019, one to each family in the village.
Electricity Connection
In collaboration with Sunzu village members, the VSPT and VS have helped facilitate the funding and installation of a 2.7 km power line through Kinoni village and Virunga Lodge, bringing electricity to 63 local families for the very first time.
Since 1959, the Ntaruka Hydro Power Station has been providing electricity to local communities surrounding the twin lakes, Bulera and Ruhonda. With the generous contributions from Volcanoes Safaris and the VSPT, the dream of having electricity in Nkenke village has now become a reality, with more than 300 houses and small businesses connected.
Solar Power Project
The Virunga Lodge Solar Power project aims to provide access to eco-friendly electricity to local communities near Virunga Lodge. Electricity is a key step in improving the welfare of households, essential for further progress, to allow school-going children to read in the evening and for families to quickly access vital information.
Volcanoes Safaris has partnered with BBOX in Rwanda in order to supply solar panels to families around Virunga Lodge. Guests are also invited to donate a solar panel to a family. A donation of $500 covers the cost of purchase, installation and 2 years of support for a solar panel from BBOX. The first solar panel was donated in December 2020, and the target is to provide 75 families with solar panels by the end of 2021.
Children under 15 years of age are not permitted to track the gorillas. Children under 12 years of age are not permitted at the lodge.
