The call of the wild

Nestled in the foothills of the Virunga Volcano range, traditional, wooden en-suite Rwandan lodges are fitted out with creature comforts and rustic furnishings. The lodge guarantees all guests an up close and personal, once-in-a-lifetime interaction with one of eight local families of majestic mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. And being a part of the local community, as well as hiring residents from the surrounding area they’re keen on getting guests involved with their way of life. Rwandan culture is celebrated with craft lessons alongside local women and performances of ancestral poetry and dances.

After breakfast, transfer to One&Only Nyungwe House. Bordering Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park, the park is nestled within a working tea plantation in one of the last mountain rainforest habitats on Earth. Said to have stayed green even through the Ice Age, the forest is rich in biodiversity; home to 13 species of primate who reside alongside 280 species of bird. Should you choose to drive, you will take a detour to The National Museum which remained surprisingly untouched throughout the civil war of 1994. Once settled, you will have the opportunity to visit humanity’s closest relative, the chimpanzee, in their natural habitat before a stroll under the canopy to spot more of the forest's inhabitants.