Villa Gorilla

My husband and I just finished our three weeks trip to Europe and Rwanda. While we were in Rwanda, our six-day trip was organized by Lisa and Andrew of Villa Gorilla. It was an amazing experience. Lisa and Andrew used to own and run a very successful catering business in New York. During the pandemics, their lives took an unexpected turn, they ended up in Rwanda taking over the operation of Villa Gorilla. Our flight arrived very early at Kigali, Lisa and Andrew were already waiting outside the airport. She texted us a picture of herself so we would have no problem finding them. We spent the rest of the day at leisure at Kigali, we were given a lot of information about Kigali so we could get around safely. During the next few days, Lisa and Andrew were responsible for all our transportations, including rides to the park for Gorilla and golden monkey trekking. In the afternoon, we were taken to local markets, museums, art gallery and a banana beer making demonstration. We also watched a dance performance at Villa Gorilla in the first evening. The meals we had were all absolutely delicious rivalling meals we had at some Micheline restaurants. In the past, my husband had issues with food while traveling in some countries. At Villa Gorilla, we had no such concern as we knew meals were prepared with western standard. The center of the property is their beautiful garden of hydrangeas and other colorful tropical flowers with an amazing view of Virunga volcano. There are a few rooms on the property which is located at five minutes driving distance from the park headquarter. The rooms are decorated Rwandan style. We enjoyed every part of our trip. Lisa and Andrew have gone above and beyond to satisfy our requests, we couldn't have asked for more.

Villa Gorilla is an ideal resort with its beautiful gardens (worth the stay alone), breathtaking views of the mountains (which feel right next to you) and fantastic customer service (you feel like family there). While most will stay to see the nearby gorillas, I went just to relax. The environment in which it is in makes you feel connected to the surrounding nature. The rooms are excellent in making you feel connected to the local culture rather than a Western interpretation of luxury. Don't misinterpret that the rooms are extremely luxurious (with perhaps the more comfortable beds in all of Rwanda) but not for one minute do you forget that you are in the middle of Africa with the beautiful decorations, art works and textiles made out of local Kitenge. Once again, I highly recommend staying here.

My husband and I stayed at Villa Gorilla in October 2023 for a few days and had the chance to hike the Virungas and trek gorillas which are only a 10 minute drive away. We visited local markets, met artists and enjoyed authentic food. It was a fascinating, unique experience. The location and the setting of the villa is stunning. The entire house is immersed in beautiful well kept gardens with amazing views of the mountains. The individual rooms are very tastefully decorated with local art, have fireplaces, which, I did not expect it, were welcome in the coldish nights. The hosts at Villa Gorilla, Lisa and her husband chef Andrew, were very helpful, accommodating, and gracious. Chef Andrew prepared some delicious fusion african-western or african-asian food for us everyday, while Lisa, with her infinite knowledge of everything, organized a series of events and activities for us to experience the local nature, culture & people. It was overall a memorable experience, very worthwhile the time and cost.