Luxurious suite at one of Rwanda's top luxury lodges - One&Only Nyungwe House.

One&Only Nyungwe House | Rwanda

One & Only Nyungwe House is a place where luxury meets tranquillity mixed with stunning views of Africa’s oldest Nyungwe Forest. Nestled on the edge of Nyungwe Forest National Park, One & Only Nyungwe house is one of the best luxury accommodation property in Rwanda – the land of a thousand hills. The lodge welcomes visitors to Rwanda interested in chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest, visitors looking to experience the Nyungwe canopy walk or visitors looking to relax and unwind in one of Rwanda’s most beautiful lodge.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in southwestern Rwanda and is one of Rwanda’s popular national parks well known for its high level of bio-diversity. The park is bordered by Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo and is easily accessed by road from Kigali city on a smooth paved road. The drive from Kigali by road can take one between 4-5 hours depending on the stopovers along the way.

Accommodation at One & Only Nyungwe House

When it comes to accommodation, One & Only Nyungwe House offers the perfect blend of privacy and intimate luxury while on your Rwanda Safari. The property features comfortable, stunning villas nestled in the lush green surroundings of the lodge with perfect views of Nyungwe forest and the surrounding tea plantations. The lodge has 22 rooms in total, these rooms are of different types which include double rooms, twin rooms and family rooms. The desired accommodation style of the guest is put into consideration when booking.

Each room at One & Only Nyungwe House consists of;

En-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet, a shower, a sink, a mirror, shampoo, lotion, shower gel and bathing soap.

Hot running water is available throughout the day.

Comfortable wooden bed with clean linen bed sheets and mosquito nets.

A separate section with a wooden reading table that has a reading lamp and chair for guests that would like to sit on their computers.

A tea/coffee station.

Complimentary drinking water.

A mini closet for guest’s clothes.

Bath robes and slippers.

Large windows that let in enough light, perfect way to be woken up by the sun rays peeking through in the mornings.

A patio outside the tent with stunning views of the Gisakura tea plantations and chairs for relaxing while you take in the beauty of Nyungwe National Park.

Facilities and Services at One & Only Nyungwe House

Restaurant – The lodge’s restaurant offers delicious and tasty meals making one’s stay even memorable. The Chefs at One & Only Nyungwe House are expert professionals dedicated to bringing you fresh delicious meals. Breakfast, lunch, dinner is served as well as snacks available throughout the day at the treat table. The restaurant caters to all dietary needs of guests so if you are vegan, vegetarian, lactose intolerant or have any other requirements the kitchen caters to them.

Spa and Wellness Center – The property has a spa and wellness center for guests at the lodge. While here you can choose to go for a massage which is usually needed after trekking as a form of relaxation. The spa also offers holistic therapies, facials and healing treatments. The One & Only Nyungwe House wellness center sometimes receives visiting professionals to Rwanda like yoga instructors or wellness specialists so if you are staying at the lodge during a time when these professionals are around, you have the opportunity to engage in any sessions that they might be running.

Trekking essentials – One & Only Nyungwe House is one of the few lodges that offers their visitors essentials for their trekking. For the gorilla trek, chimpanzee trekking adventure or any hiking trails, the staff will give you gaiters, rain coats, reusable water bottles, hats, backpacks and snacks.

Lounge Bar – The lodge has a bar that is situated at the lodge’s main area serving an assortment of drinks from beers to wine to spirits to soft drinks. Guests are free to order drinks of their choice from the bar man and mixologist.

Reception – One & Only Nyungwe House features a reception area which is the first place you encounter as you approach the lodge’s main area. Here guests are welcomed to the camp, can ask questions and are also taken through a short briefing before being taken to their respective tents. A receptionist is always available in case you need anything throughout your stay.

Outdoor Infinity Swimming pool – This is one of the best features at the property with incredible views of Nyungwe forest. The infinity pool is a great area to relax while staying at the lodge, one can choose to go on a swim or simply order for a cocktail and enjoy it by the pool side.

Other Services at the Lodge include ample car parking area, tea lounge area, and maximum security.

Things to do while staying at One & Only Nyungwe House

Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe is a must do activity while at the park as it brings one closer to these primates in Nyungwe Forest. Nyungwe National Park is also an ideal destination while on your Rwanda Safari as it is the best place to do the chimp trek. The park has two habituated chimpanzee communities that are available for visitors to see, only 8 visitors are allowed to track each group per day. The chimpanzee trekking activity happens daily at the park and only 16 chimp permits are issued per day so booking the permit in advance is recommended.

Visit the Gisakura Tea Plantation

On the edge of the park you find tea plantations and these plantations can be visited in the afternoon. The visit to the Gisakura tea plantations is a great way to interact with the locals and spend time after doing other activities in the park. The visit take about 1-2 hours and you can take a walk to the plantations from the lodge with your guide. There are opportunities available for one to participate in the tea plantation activities like picking tea and placing it in the basket. After the activity you return to the lodge where you engage in making a cup of Rwanda’s finest tea, this experience is extraordinary as you get to experience the process of tea from how its grown, picked, processed and then finally makes it to your cup.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest

The Nyungwe canopy walk takes you along the Igishigishigi Trail and it involves walking to the starting point of the canopy walk, birding along the way and spotting small animals like squirrels in the forest. The canopy walk in Nyungwe is a 200 km walkway atop a suspended bridge with stunning views of the thick dense rainforest from the top, flowering plants below the walkway and incredible views of the undulating hills covered by thick forest, a picturesque moment! The canopy walk begins at Uwinka Visitor’s centre where you are assigned a site guide and receive briefing from said guide. We highly recommend the Canopy walk activity while in Nyungwe.

Archery at One & Only Nyungwe House

One of the best ways to spend an afternoon at One & Only Nyungwe House is by engaging in the archery experience at the property. The activity is run and guided by the lodge staff. The archery experience involves shooting with a bow and arrow and it’s done at the hilltop at Nyungwe house. It’s perfect as you not only take in the stunning views of the lush green lodge surroundings but also participate in an engaging activity.

Bird watching in Nyungwe National Park

The Park offers excellent bird watching with over 300 species of birds to look out for while birding in Rwanda. Nyungwe was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and therefore offers the keen birdwatcher a great birding experience. Birding in Nyungwe is done by expert birding guides from Rwanda knowledgeable about birding Nyungwe and site birding guides who are equally experienced. Birding starts right from your lodge and continues along the way to forest birding trails in the park.

Javelin/ Spear Throwing

This is one of the activities organized by Nyungwe House that involves javelin throwing which is also known as spear throwing. This is a competitive activity which makes it even more enjoyable as you compete against the lodge staff or if you are travelling as friends or family is a great competitive fun activity. An afternoon after your activities in Nyungwe National Park can be spent engaging in javelin throwing.

Colobus Monkey Trekking

Nyungwe offers an opportunity to trek the colobus monkeys, another great way to spend visiting these primates resident to Nyungwe Forest. The park is home to about 400 individuals and the trek usually starts with briefing from your ranger guide after which you begin the journey into the forest in search of these wonderful primates. The trek is much easier than the chimpanzee trek and the colobus monkeys are easily sighted since the habituated group is situated just at the edge of the park.

Cultural and Community Visit

For a glimpse into the culture of the Rwandan people, one can go on a community visit that involves visiting and interacting with the locals. You can visit the Kitabi cultural village, Banda community village and then for cultural dance performances you visit the Cyamudongo cultural group. Dance is an integral part of the Rwandan culture and its always beautiful getting a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of their cultural dances.

Guided Nature Walks

Nyungwe forest has the best forest trails and guided nature walks in the rain forest are very rewarding for the visitor and a great way to explore the forest aside from the primate trekking. Nyungwe Forest has a number of nature trails offering the visitor a number of options depending on their interests. The forest nature trails include Umuyove trail, Buhoro trail, Irebero trail, Imbaraga trail, Igishigishigi Trail and Umugote Trail. This is a great activity to do in the afternoon after your morning activities in the park.

Recommended Tours 

3 Day Chimpanzee trek and Nyungwe Canopy Walk Tour

5 Days Rwanda Safari – Chimpanzees and Gorillas 

 

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