Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

A fantastic lodge in a fantastic location

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Review

Gorilla Mountain View Lodge, which boasts stunning views of the volcanic mountains of the Virunga Massif, is conveniently located only 3 kilometres from the entrance of the Volcanoes National Park. Not only is this lodge a perfect base for the mountain gorilla and golden monkey trekking, it is also a cosy and comfortable property to come back to each evening, with fires and blankets keeping you warm throughout the night.

Location

This fantastic eco-lodge is located on the foothills of the Mount Karisimbi, one of the volcanic mountains that make up the Virunga Volcanoes Range, also referred to as the Virunga Massif. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge boasts stunning views of the volcanoes, as well as being located only 3 kilometres from the park headquarters.

Layout

Spread along the grounds of the lodge, sit 30 individual chalets for accommodation. Walk around the grounds of the lodge and not only will you feel welcome in the open, central dining and lounge area, but you will also be struck with beautiful views of the volcanos. They have recently built a new wing to the property and unfortunately, we have been getting quite negative reviews about it… This does not mean we do not recommend the property, but instead, we will advise that you stay in the accommodation in the old wing.

Rooms

The cottages, which are made from brick and tile, are nothing extravagant but do provide everything you need, such as an en-suite bathroom and a comfortable bed! The electricity and hot water is supplied by a generator, which is on at limited times of the day (usually turned on at 6pm). Each cottage also has a fire in the room and because it does tend to get cold here (because of the altitude), it is definitely used more often than not!

Activities

Gorilla Mountain View Lodge is only a 10-minute drive to the entrance of the Volcanoes National Park so it has a real advantage against other lodges positioned further out. The main activity is, of course, trekking to see the critically endangered mountain gorillas, which can be anything from a 40 minute to a 7-hour hike depending on which family you see. As its location is the perfect base, it is also easy to organise treks to see the golden monkeys who also live in the park.

Feedback

Overall, we were pretty thrilled with our trip. Rwanda was totally wonderful. Interacting with the gorillas is a lifetime experience. The way they look at you, that they see you and you them, and you all realize how similar you all are. At least, that was my sense. A deeply moving experience. The lodge was fine. The food wasn’t totally great, and they did a bit of upsell on things we didn’t really need, like gloves, but they also rented things we really did need, like gator pants and shoe guards, and after each trek they cleaned shoes to like new. I would say I was overall happy with the lodge.

Lucky, our driver for our time in Rwanda, was truly excellent. We have traveled far and wide, have gone all over the world with the strategy of getting a car and a driver. We’ve had a good dozen of them at least, and we agree that Lucky is the best we’ve ever experienced. He’s full of knowledge and can answer almost all questions, but he doesn’t just rattle off all the time. He’s clearly an open, kind person who genuinely cares about his culture and his people, but he doesn’t try to push any specific agenda. He got a good sense of the kind of people we are, and suggested things he surmised we would like. He was solicitous without overdoing it, totally efficient and a great driver. He’s a real gem. Meeting him was one of our highlights.

- Jennifer and Eric, September 2019
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