GUIDE ON VIRUNGA LODGE IN RWANDA

Accommodation & Tour Experience At Virunga Lodge

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Straddling a picturesque, ridge offering breathtaking views of the Volcanoes National Park all around you is the Virunga Lodge. Enjoy the enchanting vistas of the lakes Bulera and Ruhondo from the rooms and the main lobby of this luxury primate holiday stayover. Adorned with stonework detailing, wooden flooring and whimsical Rwandan art, the lobby is a pleasant place to relax with drinks from the bar.

In the evenings, you can enjoy the warmth of the fire as you sit back in woven wickerwork furniture that gives the place an enchanting safari ambiance. At the end of your gorilla trekking travels, you can spend some time at the spa where adequate masseuse gently massages the aches and pains from your muscles.

The edifices of the Virunga Lodge are constructed using locally sourced materials in the architectural styles of a colonial country house, from red tiled roofs to encompassing verandas. The grounds are vibrant with sightings of some of the 178 avian species of Rwanda along with mongooses and butterflies flitting amidst the lush greenery.

The bandas are named for the many lakes that are located in the region. They have sloping roofs with a lovely decor of stonework, clay, and rough-hewn wooden and rattan furniture crafted by local artisans. You will be spending your trip in one of the 10 distinct bandas that the lodge provides. Choose from 6 bandas with double beds or 2 others with twin beds. You could also opt for the 2 deluxe bandas that have a separate living area and can comfortably accommodate families of 4.

The rooms have diaphanous mosquito netting draped on a wooden frame hanging from the roof adding a touch of “Out of Africa” romance. Seating arrangements, sisal embodied chests, rugs and other furnishings, and a working fireplace adds a quaint charm to rooms. The ensuite bathrooms have his and her basins, low-flush toilets, and a partitioned shower area.

You can also spend time on the private patio outside with sweeping panoramas of the volcanic peaks of the Volcanoes Park in front of you. Have delicious meals cooked with care in the lodge's on-site restaurant. You can also request for al fresco dining options while breathing in the refreshing mountain air and reveling in the magnificent views. These vistas will likely whet your appetite for the beautiful creatures that inhabit them.

You will begin your gorilla safari tour at the main gate of the reserve, an hour away, in groups of 8. Before you leave, the expert guide assigned will take the time to familiarize you with the etiquettes of mountain gorilla families. Though they are adapted to having humans around, you must respect their protocols. You can also go on different trails through the mountains to view the rare golden monkeys that live in the bamboo forests of the Volcanoes Park.

Explore the lakes of Ruhondo, Karago, and Burera. Or, hike to the top of Mount Bisoke for a reward of magnificent views. You could also add an excursion to Musanze Caves or a visit to Mwiko School and the Iby'Iwacu Village to your cultural holiday itinerary of Rwanda. Do take the time to pay your respects to Dian Fossey without whose dedicated efforts, the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas would not have been possible.

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