Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda

(Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is adjacent to the Parc National des Volcans, North-Western Rwanda, approximately 3 kilometers from the main entrance to the Park, and some 2 Hours by road from Kigali on reasonable roads and through scenic Agricultural Countryside. The Flying time from Nairobi to Kigali is 1 Hour and 15 Minutes. Rwandair flies twice a week between Kigali and Kilimanjaro. Private charters from Nairobi to Kigali can be organized by African Spice Safaris. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge to the Park Headquarters is only a – 10 minutes drive away with one rough section of the Road)

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is a Luxury lodge in Rwanda

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge; Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is a luxury lodge located at the foot of Mt Sabyinyo and an ideal location from where to be based for gorilla tracking. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is situated on the edge of the Parc National des Volcans – known more commonly as the Volcanoes National Park – in north-western Rwanda. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is located on the northwest edge of Rwanda, in Ruhengeri, bordering the magnificent Volcanoes National Park (Parc des Volcans). Rwanda, in Central Africa, is the land of Dian Fossey's "Gorillas in the Mist," and is a premier wildlife, bird watching, and eco-tourism destination. Arrivals at the Kigali International Airport can expect a drive of 90 minutes to two hours to the Lodge. The lodge is set at approximately 2,150m, offering spectacular views of the Virunga Mountains.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is some 3 kilometers from the main entrance to the Parc National des Volcans in Northwest Rwanda near the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lodge is a comfortable 2-hour drive from central Kigali. The site itself is approximately one kilometer from the Park boundary on the gentle foothills of Sabyinyo, one of the most impressive of the five volcanoes visible from the site. Sabyinyo Silverback clients have magnificent views to the verdant slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes to the North and over the agricultural lowlands to the South. Our clients can make the short journey to the Park headquarters each morning for their gorilla trek in only a few minutes, and the Lodge is a perfect base from which to explore this unique and fascinating corner of Africa.
:
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge has a total of 18 beds (5 cottages, 1 family suite, 2 suite cottages). All rooms are extremely spacious and private, comprising sheltered veranda, sitting room with fireplace, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. The rooms have En-suite bathrooms with bath, shower, double basins, flush loo, hot and cold running water.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Accommodation Rates/Prices

Notes

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Accommodation Rates include:

* Laundry

* Room service

* Drinks (wines, beers & soft drinks) and applicable VAT

* Full board accommodation including 3 meals per person per night booked

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Accommodation Rates Exclude:

* Personal expenses

* transfer costs & vehicle hire

* Drinks (champagnes, liqueurs & spirits)
* Gorilla Trekking Fees and Community Bed Night Fees

* The supplement for the Suite at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is 200 US Dollars per night for the Suite

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Accommodation

Accommodation at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge comprises five double cottages, two suites and one family suite. All are stone buildings with Rwandese terracotta tile roofs, and feature large sitting areas, fireplaces, stylish en-suite bathrooms finished with Venetian plaster a dressing room and a sheltered veranda. Heat exchangers in the fireplaces provide a plentiful supply of hot water.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge family suite has a second bedroom with en-suite bathroom. The main lodge building comprises reception, sitting room with snug area, dining room, library / games room, a responsible tourism / community awareness room, shop and bathrooms. Three large fireplaces provide warmth and all rooms are finished with a polished wooden floor. Two patio areas afford wonderful and dramatic views to the Virunga Volcanoes and the surrounding lowland farmland.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Attractions

The main attraction of Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is its proximity to the Virungas and the Parc National des Volcans where clients trek on foot to see the magnificent Mountain Gorilla – perhaps one of the most dramatic, thrilling and poignant wildlife experiences possible. There are, however, a myriad of other excursions on offer to our clients.

Including treks to see the fascinating and beautiful Golden Monkeys which are found in the bamboo forests on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains and who provide an entertaining viewing as they leap from tree to tree and frolic in the open clearings of the forest.

Other activities on offer include visits to:
* The genocide memorials
* The lava flows outside Ruhengeri town
* Dian Fossey memorial and research centre

* Lakes Kivu, Burera, Ruhondo and Karago

* Community projects, basketwork and pottery

* Vibrant and colourful local markets and villages

* Areas of interest to ornithologists – Rwanda boasts 670 species

* The conservation and socio-economic work of SACOLA and the Rwandese authorities

African Spice Safaris believe that guests should spend at least 2 days, in addition to the days on which they go gorilla trekking, exploring and getting to know this hospitable, vibrant and fascinating corner of Africa.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Information

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is situated on the edge of the Parc National des Volcans in North Western Rwanda, in an undulating area of 11 hectares with fabulous views towards the Parc National des Volcans, its 5 volcanoes (comprising part of the Virunga Volcano range) and distant lowland agricultural areas. All guest cottages are discretely and privately situated in the folds of the hills, and each has its own unique view. The altitude of the lodge is approximately 7,000 feet above sea level so the climate is generally cool, and the volcanoes rise to a height of almost 15,000 feet.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge has been designed and built by Governors’ Camp but is owned by a community trust called SACOLA. Governors’ Camp leases the lodge from SACOLA, and SACOLA will use rental and other income from Governors’ Camp to finance its socio-economic development and conservation objectives in the area. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is therefore an exciting combination of a top quality lodge and a power for driving socio-economic development and conservation in the areas adjacent to the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge comprises of a central building, with reception, bar, dining room, library / games room, community awareness centre, client washrooms and a shop. Both the bar and dining room have extensive outdoor decks from which our clients can enjoy the spectacular views. Client accommodation comprises 5 cottages, 2 suites and 1 family suite. All client accommodation rooms have at least one private veranda, a sitting room with fireplace, bedroom, dressing room and a large modern bathroom. The family suite has an extra bedroom and bathroom incorporated.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is constructed of local stone, finished with an ochre colored plaster. Terracotta tiled roofs give a stylish contemporary Rwandese flavor. All guest rooms have large windows to make best use of the wonderful views. Double thickness walls maintain the warmth from the fireplaces when it is cold outside, and keep the rooms cool in the warmer weather during the day. The lush gardens have been extensively landscaped.

The rainforests of the Virunga Volcanoes are the last refuge of the Mountain Gorilla. The Virungas span Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Parc National des Volcans being the Rwandese element of this ecosystem. The lush slopes of the volcanoes provide an appropriately dramatic natural setting for what is perhaps the most poignant and thrilling wildlife experience to be had anywhere – to see the Mountain Gorilla in its natural habitat. Roughly half of the world’s wild population of Mountain Gorillas are resident on the Rwandan slopes of the Virungas. Seven habituated families of gorillas are visited, and these families have from seven to over thirty-five individuals in each.

A total of 56 gorilla viewing permits are issued each day by the Rwandese Wildlife and Tourism Authorities (“ORTPN”). Permits can be obtained by African Spice Safaris. It is important to book and pay for permits early as they are in high demand. Clients are advised to book these permits at least 6 months in advance.

Gorilla trekking is not the only activity on offer. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge provides the perfect base from which to explore this fascinating corner of Africa. Clients may wish to visit the bustling nearby market town of Ruhengeri, the beautiful lakes Kivu, Burera, Ruhondo and Karago, the genocide memorials, or the community and conservation projects organized by SACOLA. Yet other clients may wish to try to add some of the 670 species of birds recorded in Rwanda to their lists.

Rwanda was plunged into the depths of despair during a terrible 100 days of killing in 1994. The horror of that period was brought to an end shortly after the Rwanda Patriotic Front (“RPF”) captured Kigali in July 1994. The RPF has since largely succeeded in forging a strong sense of national rather than ethnic identity in Rwanda, and the incredible spirit of reconciliation and the high level of political stability have encouraged the repatriation of millions of refugees. The main instigators of the genocide are being tried at the International Tribunal in Marsha (Tanzania), and locally in the Acacia Courts in Rwanda. We encourage our clients to take the time to understand the events of 1994 and appreciate the truly remarkable progress the country has made since then.