If you drive to Ruhengeri, about an hour drive north of Kigali in the Northern Province, and then turn right into Volcanoes National Park you come to a secluded little retreat just off the main road known as the Gorilla Nest Lodge. The road there is paved all the way, and as you drive up away from the town you know you are entering “Gorillas in the Mist” territory as the temperature drops and you are surrounded by a light fog.
The Gorilla Nest Lodge is a popular and convenient place to base yourself when tracking the gorillas, due to its close proximity to the park entrance and meeting point for your trek into the bamboo and rainforest-covered slopes. We visited in August when it is suppose to be hot and dry, but I think the early September rains had already arrived and it was certainly damp and cold when we entered reception. The lodge has a large entrance hall where reception is located and a tea and coffee buffet table to warm you up.
Either side of the entrance hall are the main restaurant and bar. We arrived at lunch time so went straight to the restaurant. There was a simple three course set menu, with a choice of cauliflower soup or avocado vinaigrette to start with, fish and chips or chicken with a tomato sauce for main and crêpes for dessert. The food was all tasty and hot, even the bread rolls that came with the soup, but nothing out of the ordinary. Dinner was very similar, with rabbit as one of the main courses.
After lunch we checked in to our room, a standard. These rooms are located directly in front of the main entrance in a circle, and are surrounded by large eucalyptus trees which somewhat spoil the view and would block out any sunlight when it shone. We did have a small terrace in front of the room but no chairs to sit on. The room was pretty basic, with tiled floors and en-suite shower room (no bath) with a small water heater. You get lots of blankets on the beds and if you have come from somewhere warmer you definitely appreciate these. They do have full time electricity which is good so you don’t need to go looking for candles and matches in the middle of the night.
In the evening small charcoal fires are lit in the bar and dining room (they do have large fire places but these do not seem to work) and you can enjoy the traditional dancers each evening at seven o’clock.
There are 10 superior rooms, 3 silverback suites and the Jack Hanna cottage which does actually belong to the famous naturalist. This cottage has two bedrooms and its own private kitchen and living room which are much more decoratively furnished and can be rented. These rooms do have panoramic views of the volcanoes and the nine-hole golf course. The conference facilities are also on this side of the lodge.
So if you need somewhere convenient for your gorilla safari (or to see the golden monkeys) this is an ideal place to stay.
P.O. Box 79, Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
Tel: +25078 (0) 8305708, Fax: +250 546155, Email: gorillanestlodge@yahoo.com
