Rwanda / One&Only Nyungwe House

Within a tranquil tea plantation at the edge of a million-year-old rainforest, the One&Only Nyungwe House epitomises contemporary African flair and grants you easy access to a population of primates.

Rwandan drummers mark your arrival to Gisakura tea plantation, home to one of the country’s most prestigious establishments. A gateway to the great outdoors, this slice of luxury sits between the delightfully peaceful fields of tea leaves, and is sheltered by the moss-draped oaks and milky mountain vistas of one of Africa’s oldest rainforests. A less visited alternative to gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcano National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park is perhaps more under the radar, but definitely holds its own. Although it’s the cheeky chimpanzees that draw most people here, there are in fact 13 primate species that can easily be seen swinging and hooting through the canopies, even from your morning yoga mat. Venture into the wild for unfettered vine draped woodland, rare flowers and a staggering array of tropical birds.

One&Only have not only managed to stay true to the tea plantation roots, but have also embraced reinvention, fusing cutting-edge safari-chic with enchanting historic details. Twenty two sumptuously designed rooms and suites sit low in five wooden villas, are angled to maximise the glorious sweeping views and pamper with open fires and private terraces. What’s more, conservation runs through its very core. Contribute to the monthly nationwide initiative, Umundaga, helping local communities flourish through planting new trees, helping to build new schools and tending to animals.

 Travel notes:

• 22 rooms and suites arranged within five wooden villas
• Learning the secrets of a working tea estate and joining the daily tea ceremony
• Packed picnics and a different menu each day designed around the ingredients available in the kitchen garden
• Bask in a heated infinity pool that looks out across the rainforest
• An eco-friendly spa with signature treatments, rituals and organic Africology products
• Private treks across the only treetop walkway in East Africa, 200ft above the forest floor