Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Volcanoes National Park
Accommodation
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge offers an imposing view of the Volcanoes National Park. The main building houses the reception, a bar, the dining room and a library. Guests can warm themselves by the crackling fireside in the dining room on colder days, or dine on the terrace when the weather is warm. The individual, spacious cottages are all built to ensure maximum peace and privacy, and offer guests the ideal place to relax and unwind after an event-filled day.
The lodge comprises a total of six cottages, two slightly larger suites and one family suite (two en-suite bedrooms), each with its own fireplace, bedroom, dressing room and large modern bathroom. Large windows offer magnificent views of the surrounding nature, and private terraces allow guests to absorb the spectacular landscape. Telephone and Internet connection are available for use, and morning tea/coffee is served in the cottages.
Location
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 on the behaviour of Mountain Gorillas by Dian Fossey.
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is situated on the edge of the national park, approximately 30-minutes drive from the park's headquarters.
Wildlife
The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is threatened with extinction. There are approximately 800 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 borders. 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.
Activities
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 Karisoke Research Station, walks through the Virunga Mountains and trekking rare Golden Monkeys are all possible. Guests may also wish to visit the Kivu, Burera, Ruhondo and Karago lakes.
Good to know
The lodge is situated quite high and the climate is usually cool so please remember to pack enough warm clothes.
