Need to know
Rooms
23, including three suites.
Check–Out
11am. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
More details
Rates usually include all meals and most drinks, two activities a day, as well as a reasonable amount of laundry.
Also
On the last Saturday of every month, Rwandans all unite to work together in the local community and guests can join them – Umuganda is a nationwide programme where everyone unites to help tick off the country’s to-do list (protecting the environment is a top priority).
At the hotel
Free WiFi throughout, gym with personal trainers and fitness classes, yoga deck. In rooms: iPad, coffee machine and Rwandan coffee, plus local tea bags; trekking gear (ponchos, gaiters and backpacks); TV; fireplace and Africology bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Families and groups can book a two-bedroom suite, set between the rainforest and the tea plantation. The Nyungwe rooms all have jungle-facing balconies to look out for L’Hoest’s monkeys; Imigongo accents (technically art made using cow-dung but don’t let that deter you); and hand-woven plates created by women from Rwanda and Ghana.
Poolside
The national-park-facing outdoor pool is open for swims overlooking the ancient forest between 6am and 7pm.
Spa
The hotel’s holistic spa can come to the rescue for post-trek treatments, including a two-hour-long Forest Awakening, which starts in the swings out in the forest and ends with a mud scrub in the outdoor shower before a full-body massage; a limb-rescuing hot-stone and deep-tissue combination; and a ritual that begins with a smoke bath and guided breathwork.
Packing tips
The national park is home to dazzling and diverse wildlife, so don’t forget your binoculars. Your room has a handy trekking kit – featuring a poncho, gaiters and backpacks, but layers, gloves, hats and waterproofs are all sensible suitcase additions. And don’t worry about bringing various pairs of boots if you don’t want mud spoiling your look – the team will clean them for you after every trek.
Children
Over-10s are welcome, but the excursions into the national park are not geared towards them – though younger guests can enjoy activities such as cycling and archery.
Sustainability efforts
Turndown gifts are created by local artisans, there’s no plastic on-site and produce is sourced either from the chef’s garden or nearby farmers. And members of the Nyungwe Cultural Village Cooperative from the local village, Gisakura, come to pick tea from the resort’s plantation to help generate income and pay for things such as school fees for their children.