Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

a rather dated lower-cost option

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is located in the Virunga Mountains area of northwest Rwanda.

Set on farmland below the main gorilla trails, this lodge is one of the oldest in the area and one we have used a great deal over the years, especially when trying to keep a lid on costs.

However, the place has not aged particularly well over the years and there are probably better options in this lower price range, both locally and in the Bwindi Forest area of Uganda.

The lodge sits in a larger clearing in a patch of mature forest and is centred on a modest tin-roofed building, with simple lounge and dining areas.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is in a total of 36 modest guest chalets, spread out across broad gardens, each with a private indoor bathroom.

Activities

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge provides access to the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the room rate …

• Gorilla tracking
• Golden monkey tracking
• Forest hikes
• Cultural visits

The Virunga Mountains area is the cornerstone of virtually every trip to Rwanda.

The usual stay duration in this area is 3-5 nights. More often than not, this is the only stop in Rwanda, other than a possible transit night in the capital, Kigali.

Occasionally, guests undertake a longer exploration of the country, adding chimpanzees in Nyungwe and savanna safari in Akagera, with trips running up to around 10-12 nights total.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Virunga Mountains is during the May-Sep and Dec-Feb winter dry seasons, when the lower rainfall should make trekking conditions easier.

The climate in the Virunga Mountains follows the same basic pattern as most other reserves in East Africa, but with the high altitudes ensuring greater rainfall and lower temperatures year round.

Temperatures during the day average around 15C/59F year round, dropping to around 7C/45F at night, which is really very cool, heavy clothing is definitely recommended.

Getting around

Considering the small size of Rwanda, getting around is surprisingly difficult. The main problem is that there are no scheduled light aircraft services between the key locations, meaning that connections almost always have to be done by private road transfers.

Virunga Mountains lie in the extreme northwest corner of the country. The road journey from the capital Kigali is around 4-5 hours.

There is the option to travel by helicopter instead, but this can get very expensive.

Virunga is the cornerstone of most Rwanda trips