During our 14 days in Rwanda we had the pleasure of staying for 2 nights at Villa Gorilla.
Villa Gorilla is located at Kinigi near the headquarters of Rwanda’s famous Volcanoes National Park. It has 4 comfortable rooms, each with private bath and toilet facilities, and it also has a Family Lodge.
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There are many many places to stay near the Gorillas and naturally most have Gorilla in their name. The prices range dramatically too! We stayed at the fantastic Villa Gorilla which is a mid priced hotel in the area and if you are taking the kids and staying two nights to see the gorillas then I can highly recommend staying here in the Family Lodge (below).
Villa Gorilla is more on the basic side than the luxurious, but the staff are wonderful and the views of the mountains superb. Whilst we were there we ate most of our meals outside, only eating one evening meal inside our family lodge due to the rain. Â This meant on an early morning it was a little chilly but eating breakfast round the fire with the Volcanoes in the background was pretty special.
The Family Lodge also meant we had a little bit more space for games with the girls and a place to relax in the afternoons.
Most evenings the staff and some of the locals put on a free show in which you are encouraged to participate. Â Tips are obviously very welcome but there is no obligation to be involved.
The girls loved joining in and we watched the show, and danced each evening we were there.
On the morning that we were collected by our driver Jimmy from World Fusion Tours to set off on our journey to see the gorillas, the staff put gators over our trousers and shoes just in case we needed them. Â It was a nice touch and something I was grateful for later.
We had the MOST AMAZING time seeing the gorillas, and you can read our review here, but I’ve included the video as I can’t stop watching it! It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I can’t recommend highly enough.
On our return the staff took our mud caked shoes off us and returned them just a little later, as clean as when we bought them! Â They were immaculate.
The second day we stayed at Villa Gorilla we took a canoe trip down the river in Musanze with Kingfisher Journeys, something I can highly recommend if you would like to stay a little longer in the area and take advantage of the stunning scenery and hospitality at Villa Gorilla.
Villa Gorilla is the perfect fit for small groups or a family looking for comfort, personal attention from attentive management, with privacy and lovely views of the mountains. Highly recommended for the price.
If you are going Gorilla Trekking here are a couple of posts of what to wear when gorilla trekking and chimp trekking in Uganda and Rwanda!
NB: We stayed at Villa Gorilla as their guests but all views and opinions are my own.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.