With Gorilla's Nest in the Volcanoes area, One&Only is now also present with a second luxury accommodation in Rwanda. The Gorilla's Nest is the sister camp of the Nyungwe House in the Nyungwe Forest in the south of the country.

The lodge sits on the edge of a eucalyptus forest and with all room built on high stilts, visitor enjoy a great view over the hilly landscape of Rwanda. All rooms are covered with a huge roof and therefore offer a sheltered outdoor terrace. The 14 Forest Lodge King rooms (77m² and 84m² respectively) have a living room and bedroom with fireplace and an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower and bathtub. Four of these rooms have a second bedroom and are especially suitable for families. The second bedroom has a king size bed, which can also be configured as two single beds.

The five Virunga suites with 147m2 each offer even more space and comfort. The Ingagi Suite (251m²) and the Silverback Suite (402m²) also have their own dining room and a butler plus chef are available at all times. The Silverback Suite also features a private pool, open-air lounge and barbecue facilities on the multi-level terrace.

The main building compromises the Nest Restaurant, the Nest Bar, the Fitness Center and a large swimming pool.

Volcanoes National Park is covered by approximately 160 km² of cloud forest, and home to the Rwandan Mountain Gorilla. Six inactive volcanoes, Muhavura, Mt Gahinga, Karisimbi, Visoke, Mikeno and Sabyinyo, create an incredible backdrop. Volcanoes National Park is known for the scientific studies carried out here by Dian Fossey, who was the first scientist to make detailed studies of the Mountain Gorilla.

From Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, Gorilla's Nest is approximately 2,5 hours by road.

The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is threatened with extinction. There are approximately 1000 Mountain Gorillas left in an area covering the northwest of Rwanda, the southwest of Uganda and the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) in Uganda is home to a gorilla population living in an area covering approximately 330 km². A further population is located in the Virunga Volcano Region, which traverses the Rwanda, Uganda and DRC border. Although a single ecological unit, the Virunga Volcano Region is split politically into three national parks: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Unganda, Volcano National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the DRC; the whole region encompasses some 300 km². The gorillas live in stable family groups headed by a dominant silverback.

Key species are of course the elusive mountain gorillas, but there is more to see and explore: golden monkeys, side-striped jackal, black-fronted duiker, buffalo, elephant and an abundance of bird life.

Gorilla trekking involves an early morning drive to the park's headquarters where guests are separated into groups before receiving exact details about the upcoming tour. Each group visits a different gorilla family - when guests and guides are ready, your private guide will drive you to the starting point of the trek. Depending on the gorilla family, this will take from twenty minutes to 90 minutes. A maximum of eight guests, the porters and two rangers will then set off. The hike can be short or strenuous, depending on the gorilla group and the location of the gorillas. The first guests are back in Ruhengeri at 11 a.m., the last at 4 p.m. The maximum length of stay with the gorillas is unfortunately only one hour, then you have to say goodbye.

Although the highlight, gorilla trekking is not the only activity this region has to offer. A visit to the on-site tree nursery or the conservation room, guided walks through the Virunga Mountains (Dian Fossey hike) and trekking rare Golden Monkeys are all possible.

The lodge also offers a spa with two treatment rooms and a relaxation room with plunge pool. Fitness centre, steam bath and sauna are also available.

Please note that the minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15. WiFi available.

SwissAfrican Travel Service
Dammstrasse 27
8702 Zollikon
Zurich, Switzerland


Telephone: +41 (0)44 451 40 51