Virunga Lodge

Virunga Lodge is set high on a hilltop, with awe-inspiring views of the Virunga volcanoes and Lakes Ruhonda and Bulera. The lodge is around a three hours drive away from Kigali, an hour from the Ugandan border, and around an hour from the start of the gorilla tracking activities in Parc National des Volcans.

There are eight spacious rooms, all with adjoining bathrooms. The cottages each have a private in-suite bathroom with a “long drop” toilet and a bucket shower. These are similar to facilities found in remote safari camps. Each of the cottages at Virunga Lodge has a private veranda, looking out across the valley with lakes and volcanoes in the distance. The bar and restaurant also enjoy these fantastic views.

Parc National des Volcans is located on the borders of the neighbouring countries of Uganda and DR Congo and is named after the string of volcanoes to which it is home. There are currently five families of mountain gorillas in PNV and gorilla tracking is the main attraction here. Visitors can also track golden monkeys, climb the Karisimbi or Visoke volcanoes, visit the remains of Dian Fossey’s Karisoke research center, or go for walks around the charming villages beside the lakes.