One&Only Nyungwe House

Pampering and romantic, One & Only Nyungwe House is a quiet, beautifully decorated sanctuary within a giant tea plantation and located alongside Rwanda's spectacular Nyungwe National Park. It is ideal for nature lovers and those who love to visit truly remote places (it is five-and-a-half hours from both Kigali and Volcanoes National Park).

• The juxtaposition between the impeccable interior design and the focus on adventure and nature
• Excursions in the national park, including trekking to view chimpanzee and Colobus monkeys
• The complimentary on-property activities, such as tea picking, archery and spear throwing—plus the different venue, different menu dining concept that makes each meal a surprise

Surrounded by tea fields and rainforest, One&Only Nyungwe House feels like a majestic property isolated from the rest of the world in Southwest Rwanda, south of Lake Kivu on the Burundi border. Nyungwe House is quiet, private and tranquil; the yin to the yang of Gorilla’s Nest. You’ll find it difficult on walks around the property not to stop and take in the incredible landscape. With three two-bedroom suites and five clusters, which each have three standard rooms with a King and one standard room with twins, the property is intimate. (Also of note: a 15-year-old age requirement on all park activities makes this a kid-free lodge.) The service is high touch, and after one night, you’ll find that the staff recalls each of your likes and dislikes.

The main lodge has a bar and deck with a fire pit facing the tea fields and expansive forest. It also has a dining area with many indoor and outdoor tables for meals; however, with the different venue, different menu dining concept on property, you will rarely sit in the main lodge for a meal. For lunch, you may be tucked inside the tea fields, and for dinner, you’ll find yourself sitting on a deck at a forest lookout point absorbed in the surrounding mist and listening to the birds. Every meal is treated as a special occasion, and the food is superb. A favorite meal is the boma, where the O&O team brings in dancers from a local village to perform traditional dances by the fire before you enjoy an authentic Rwandan feast. On property activities include archery, spear throwing, boot camp morning runs and tea picking followed by a tea tasting. Nyungwe House has an impressive infinity pool that looks out at the forest, as well as a beautiful spa and full-service gym. Many guests will come to Nyungwe for the chimp trek and Nyungwe National Park activities. The chimp trek is not for the faint of heart, and should it prove too intense, the park offers many other activities like the canopy walk and waterfall hike to keep you busy.

Since you are based in a rainforest while at Nyungwe House, it’s important to keep in mind that rain and mist are common, so coming to this location with a flexible attitude around plans is essential. You will be happy at Nyungwe House if the idea of seeing and discovering a basically untouched national park excites you. While the grounds here are stunning, as is the pool and spa, the room product is in need of an upgrade, and for this reason, if you choose to visit Nyungwe, we’d recommend coming here before moving onwards to Volcanoes.

Couples and families with older children who are adventure-seeking, nature lovers, or primate trekking enthusiasts