Site Inspection: Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Rwanda

Intro: Singita Kwitonda Lodge is an exquisite luxury, eco-friendly lodge located in close proximity to the Virunga Mountains, at the base of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The mountains are known for their lush landscapes and biodiversity, and for being home to the endangered mountain gorillas.

Who This Might Be Ideal For: This is perfect for travelers who are looking for a luxurious and immersive experience in nature. It’s particularly ideal for:

• Wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers: Proximity to Volcanoes National Park offers a unique opportunity to experience the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys up close, not to mention stunning landscapes and views

• Luxury seekers: This is a high-end experience with luxurious accommodations, world-class service and attention to detail. Staff know guests by name, there’s only a small number of rooms and it feels very much like an intimate, personal experience

• Cultural explorers: In addition to gorilla trekking, the lodge provides opportunities to engage with local communities and learn about Rwandan culture and traditions

• Anyone interested in ensuring their tourist dollars (and presence) support these local communities and conservation efforts, including the protection of the endangered gorillas and sustainable practices

• Honeymooners, anniversary celebrants, families with older children (there’s an age requirement for gorilla treks)

History: Singita Kwitonda Lodge opened in August 2019. Singita and the lodge are committed to sustainability, conservation, preserving the national environment and supporting local communities (more on these things below).

Style: The lodge has a contemporary architectural style that seamlessly blends with the lush volcanic landscapes and surrounding natural beauty. The interior design is elegant but comfortable, incorporating local Rwandan craftsmanship and materials.

The atmosphere is tranquil and serene. The private and communal spaces really encourage guests to slow down, connect with nature, experience a true sense of place, reflect.

• These spaces include a mix of indoor and outdoor areas: a very welcoming welcome room, the bar with floor-to-ceiling windows, wine cellar, intimate dining areas, fireplaces, an open kitchen, a cozy conservation room, and plenty of nooks to settle down in with a book, a drink, a journal, binoculars or just a blanket.

Rooms: The Kwitonda Lodge features nine stand-alone structures with stunning design. There are seven one-bedroom suites that sleep two, and two, two-bedroom suites that sleep four. Each suite is spacious, feels very luxurious and features stunning views of the surrounding mountain landscapes.

Then there is also the Kwataza House, a four-bedroom villa that sleeps eight. The Kwataza House has its own kitchen, movie theater room, wine cellar, fitness center and massage treatment room. It feels like a beautiful private retreat within a retreat.

Food and Drink: The lodge offers exceptional dining experiences inspired by Rwandan flavors and ingredients sourced from the garden just outside the kitchen and from local farms. It’s clear that Chef Vanie Padayachee and her team have a passion for showcasing and building community through food. During my few days there, I saw Chef walking around, introducing herself to the guests, chatting about their stay, her story and how the lodge supports local women farmers.

Every meal included a multi-course menu tailored to my vegetarian diet, and the food was complemented by an extensive selection of fine wines. The team even went out of their way to prepare a 3:00 am breakfast for me the day I was departing!

The bar is well stocked with typical spirits but also a great variety of African gins, fresh cordials and fruit, herbs, etc. for great cocktails. The staff might not be familiar with all the cocktails someone might order, but because it was low season they didn’t mind me coming behind the bar and experimenting alongside them.

Key Features and Amenities: The lodge offers a range of features and services to enhance guests' stay. These include in-room massages, an outdoor shower, plunge pools overlooking the breathtaking scenery outside of every suite, yoga mats, wellness and meditation amenities and one of my favs, curated playlists, to highlight a few things.

There are also a number of activities that really round out the experience of staying here - a boutique shop offering curated Rwandan crafts and souvenirs, a nursery and farm-to-table garden, guided nature walks, a wine experience and cultural visits to nearby communities.

Community and Conservation: One of the unique selling points of Singita Kwitonda Lodge is its strong commitment to local community development and conservation. If these are important to you, this is where you want to be and the sort of organization you absolutely want to support.

Singita supports community outreach programs. Most of the staff on the property are Rwandans, many actually from the local communities surrounding Volcanoes Park. The lodge also supports local artisans, weavers, carvers, potters and so on through boutique shops on the property.

Sustainability is built in - the rooms utilize recycled materials in the design, the lodge offers eco-friendly amenities and efforts are taken to minimize waste on the property.

The lodge also actively participates in bigger sustainability initiatives including efforts to replant trees, remove invasive plants like eucalyptus and create the necessary boundaries between the forest and the farmland.

The Staff: The Singita staff (from beginning to end) are what truly take this lodge experience to a whole new level. I haven’t experienced hospitality on this level before. Singita takes care of literally everything for their guests, and the service and attention to detail blew me away.

Just a few examples - I had a number of travel delays and canceled flights getting to Kigali and then to Volcanoes, and was frantic about rearranging my plans every time something changed. Between Rachel McGuire (Regional Sales Manager – North America), Danika Genade (International Sales Team Administrator) and the staff at the lodge, they were incredibly helpful in making new arrangements, early morning transfers and doing anything they could to ensure that I would be able to do the thing at the top of my bucket list - see the gorillas - and that the rest of my stay could be entirely stress-free.

The lodge’s mud room has hiking pants, gaiters, jackets, walking sticks, backpacks and other equipment guests could borrow for treks. I borrowed almost everything I needed but brought my own pair of hiking boots. I returned from the trek with mud caked over everything, and the staff were amazing in getting me out of my muddy things, getting my boots cleaned up (they were returned to me sparkling clean, somehow looking brand new) and waiting on my hand and foot. They literally made the space for me to just sit back and soak in the life-affirming experience of the last few hours.

Because the lodge wasn’t super busy in late March and because I was traveling solo, I also got a chance to sit around and chat with managers and staff, young people from the surrounding communities. We talked about day-to-day life, about working at Singita, what they wanted to do in the future, what it’s like living in Los Angeles, is it really all palm trees and sunshine? And that was pretty heartwarming.

Volcanoes National Park: Volcanoes is famous for its population of endangered mountain gorillas, making gorilla trekking one of the area’s main highlights. Guests at Singita have exclusive access to gorilla permits and knowledgeable guides to facilitate this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The park is also home to other remarkable wildlife, including golden monkeys and a variety of bird species. Guests can also explore the vibrant local culture by visiting nearby communities.

Weather & Season: I was in Rwanda at the end of March, which I believe is part of the short rainy season. This meant low season for travelers. The clouds and the light drizzle didn’t detract from the experience in the slightest, and in some ways made it even more beautiful. Plus it was kind of nice to have the lodge to myself and just a few other guests.

Getting There: Singita Kwitonda Lodge is approximately two-and-a-half hours by road from Kigali International Airport. It’s a scenic and peaceful drive. Coming out of Kigali, you can see why the country has the nickname “land of a thousand hills.” You pass farming villages and markets, people going about their day. The lodge can arrange transfers and provide transportation for various activities in the area.

Gorilla Trekking Experience: Singita manages this activity through a partnership with Primate Safaries. Their partnership made for an incredible, once in a lifetime experience.

My Primate Safaries driver/guide Moses picked me up from Kigali and drove me to Singita in a very comfortable, spacious 4x4. He had the car fully loaded with all the things you could possibly want on a two-to-three hour drive and then some - snacks, water and drinks, chargers, wi-fi hotspots. The next day, he escorted me to the park headquarters for a trekking orientation, then to the starting point for our trek and was waiting with cold beers and wine when the group returned from the trek. On my last day, Moses drove me back to Kigali for an early morning flight.

Shout out to Moses! Moses was great. He was super friendly, and on our drive to the lodge we got to talking about himself and his growing family, his history with the company, his interest in conservation and the gorillas, what it means to be a young man in today’s Rwanda and so much more. He also managed to get me assigned to the trekking group following the Kwitonda gorilla family, the second-largest gorilla family in the park and the namesake of the lodge!!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Rwanda. In need of further inspiration? Check out Dawn Moore’s guide, Trekking to Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda.