Set on the slopes of the volcanic mountains that make up Rwanda’s famous Volcanoes National Park and only a short drive from its entrance gate, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is a great choice for a simple and comfortable accommodation at the heart of the life-changing gorilla-trekking experience.

Sensitively designed and built using local sustainable resources, the lodge’s 30 cottages are well spaced from each other and come complete with fireplaces and en suite bathrooms. The views from the lodge and your room are amazing – rugged, forest-covered mountains steaming with mist and mystery – and you will see birds and monkeys in the gardens as you stroll around and soak up the scenery. Daily performances of traditional Rwandan songs and dances add to the uniquely African atmosphere.

The main focus at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is access to one of the 12 habituated gorilla families in the Volcanoes National Park. Your trek to find them may be as short as 30 minutes or it may be several hours but the reward is an unparalleled wildlife experience shared by only a privileged few. It can be tough and muddy work trekking through rainforest so protective gloves and gaiters are provided by the lodge – a thoughtful touch, as is the complementary boot-cleaning service. There are also treks into the forest to search for the rare golden monkey as well as hikes to the grave of Dian Fossey, the late conservationist who first brought the plight of the mountain gorillas to the world’s attention decades ago.

Highlights

• Panoramic views of the incredible Virunga Volcanoes
• Perfectly located for mountain gorilla trekking
• En suite cottage accommodation with a fireplace for cool evenings in the mountains
• Protective gloves and gaiters are supplied
• Traditional song and dance performances - join in!
• Search for golden monkeys or hike an extinct volcano

Activities

• CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
• GORILLA TRACKING

Rooms

Standard Cottage

Accommodation at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge comes in the form of 30 stone-and-thatch cottages, well-spaced apart for privacy and with dazzling views as soon as you step outside onto their verandas.

Spacious and comfortably furnished, the cottages have a small lounge with a tea-and-coffee station plus a fireplace that is lit for you on your return from what might have been a cold and wet day trekking for gorillas. Each cottage has an en suite bathroom with a basin, shower, and flush toilet plus a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. Pop your muddy boots outside the door and they will be returned clean – free of charge.

Facilities

The lodge’s central area is home to a restaurant and bar as well as a large lounge that is split into three seating areas. Low reed ceilings, comfortable seating, floor rugs and a roaring log fire all give the main building a cosy atmosphere in keeping with the friendly and informal nature of the lodge. Step outside and there is a seating area around a fire pit – ideal for swapping gorilla stories – and extensive gardens full of wildlife. Each night guests are treated to a display of Rwandan songs and dances, put on by the local community.

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge runs on mains electricity with a generator backup, ensuring you can recharge your camera batteries and devices after a day in the rainforest.

Dining

Meals at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge are served buffet or a la carte, depending on guest numbers at the lodge. Dining is at individual tables with room service available if requested in advance.

Your day begins with a hearty breakfast buffet with both cooked and continental options. Lunch is an a la carte affair with choices such as quiche with fresh, locally grown vegetables and salad. Dinner is a 3-course buffet, perhaps starting with pumpkin soup followed by grilled chicken with a traditional Rwandan vegetable stew. Cakes, fruit salad, and chocolate profiteroles are among the desserts on offer.