One of my absolute favorite aspects of my career is introducing my clients to hidden gems and under the radar corners of the world. I can’t remember when I first discovered Nyungwe National Forest and the One&Only located there but regardless, this hotel has been on my top hotel wishlist ever since. Since I have been so obsessed with this property for years, I was honestly nervous that it would not live up to expectations, however, the second I arrived I could tell it would exceed expectations.
One&Only Nyungwe House caught my attention for multiple reasons including…
The property sits within tea fields that spread further than the eye can see. I first saw tea fields in Malaysia when I traveled there during my year abroad in Vietnam. if anyone asks me what one of my favorite landscapes is, tea fields possibly top it so being able to stay within the tea fields, learn about their cultivation and wake up with a cup of tea from the bushes right in front of me made me so excited. I also love this scenery because it’s just so relaxing.
The One&Only brand is expanding into amazing locations (Croatia is opening shortly) and it’s a brand that just gets it. I particularly love that while One&Only has a wonderful and expanding portfolio, their properties still feel boutique and each one is unique.
Most people come to Rwanda for the gorillas (you can read about my experience gorilla trekking here - and then they leave). It’s a quick night in Kigali followed by minimum 3 nights staying at Volcanoes National Park, after which they leave oftentimes for a safari in East Africa. I really enjoyed being able to dive deeper into Rwanda to showcase more of it’s beauty because the country really does sit alone as a destination worth exploring in it’s own right.
How do you get to One&Only Nyungwe House?
Rwanda is a small country and there are not many airports for travel domestically. For the most part, the options are either being transferred by a private driver or via helicopter. There is one exception - there is an airport near Nyungwe so if you wanted to book a flight, you can fly between here and Kigali but for the time being, this flight is not available due to low demands during COVID.
Before coming to Nyungwe, I stayed at Singita Kwitonda and One&Only Gorillas Nest, both of which are situated at Volcanoes National Park. The drive from Volcanoes to Nyungwe is approximately 6 hours on well-paved but windy 1 or 2 lane highways. The country is gorgeous so I would not let this dissuade you!
However, if you are up for it, I highly recommend arriving to Nyungwe via private helicopter transfer. It’s an absolutely stunning and dramatic way to arrive to O&O and there’s no better way to see the tea fields than from above! The heli ride from Volcanoes to Nyungwe is approximately 45 minutes.
How to Spend Your Time on Property
I stayed 3 nights at One&Only Nyungwe House and could have easily stayed longer! You can either be extremely relaxed during your stay or can be as active as you want. Some highlights of the property include:
Primate trekking! The area is famous for chimpanzee trekking but you can also trek other monkeys you may have never heard of!
Hiking - the national park is filled with various hiking trails but the most popular hike takes you to a gorgeous waterfall.
Tea Experiences - the experience manager at O&O Nyungwe House will take you into the tea fields to learn all about tea! It’s really wonderful being within the tea fields to learn and then to head back into the hotel for a tea tasting.
Spa - this is an incredible place to relax and unwind at the spa.
Yoga - located at the spa, Nyungwe House has a beautiful yoga deck that hangs over the rainforest.
Canopy Walk - within the national forest, there is a canopy walk that allows you stand at the very top of the trees and see the national forest from above. It’s absolutely gorgeous and is a nice hike to get to and from the canopy.
More About Chimpanzee Trekking
Everyone who knows anything about Rwanda knows that it is 1 of 3 countries in the world where you can trek to spend an hour with mountain gorillas. But most aren’t aware that the gorillas are not the only primate you can trek to see. Nyunwge National Forest is home to 13 primate species but the most famous of them is the chimpanzee. I traveled at the end of January and into February, which in East Africa is the short dry season - the long dry season is June through October. But because the short dry season is wedged between the short and long rainy season, the vegetation is dense and chimps have plenty of food. Because of the time of year we went, the trek to the chimps was incredibly. To be honest, I was highly unprepared and if I could do it again, I think I would skip this. The chimp trek was the hardest and we were awarded the least interaction out of all of our primate treks (in addition to gorillas, we also trekked to golden monkeys at Volcanoes).
However, if I were to travel again the long dry season (June to October), I would try it again. There is no longer an abundance of food for the chimps and they don’t want to move around nearly as much because of the lack of water sources so they tend to be easier to find and are often found on the ground instead of high in the trees. This makes the experience not nearly as hard and more interactive as well.
Is there anything particularly special about the property?
Yes! A highlight for me were all of the meals. The food is fantastic and sources locally from within Rwanda but what really stood out to me was the surprise location of many meals. At some point during your stay, the staff sets up pop-up dining somewhere on the property. We had a pop-up lunch in their garden and a candle lit dinner in the tea fields. Especially for those celebrating an anniversary or honeymoon, these are especially unique and celebratory!
Final Night in Kigali
After departing from One&Only Nyungwe House, we returned to Kigali for 1 final night. Normally I would have clients spend time in Kigali at the beginning of the end, however, due to COVID, there weren’t any great flights out the night we want to depart based on our itinerary so we decided to add a night on the end as well so we could benefit from a better flight itinerary. Honestly, as a travel advisor this worked really nicely as well because I was able to experience another hotel on behalf of my clients.
We stayed our final night at The Retreat, the only luxury boutique hotel in Kigali. It is owned and operated by an American expat couple that came to Rwanda to work in public health and in time built The Retreat. If you want to read about their unique experience living and worked in Rwanda, I highly recommend their book “A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope and a Restaurant in Rwanda.” After our 6-hour drive from One&Only to Kigali, we arrived at The Retreat. All the rooms have outdoor space, which is great if you do spend your first night in Rwanda with the current 24-hour quarantine rule. The fresh air helps! The Retreat is also known for its fantastic food and cocktails - it’s also a popular spot for Sunday Brunch that locals also flock to.
What To Do in Kigali
Kigali is very much an up and coming city. Unfortunately, just days before my trip tp Rwanda, Kigali went on lockdown, which meant I was not able to experience the city that I would have liked to. We’d planned on visiting a women’s bakery and a famous coffee shop before finishing our day at The Genocide Memorial. Although we couldn’t visit the bakery or coffee shop and didn’t get to fully experience the city, I frankly wouldn't let a Kigali lockdown stop you from traveling. Most visitors spend 1 day seeing the city so while unfortunate, the lockdown didn’t affect our trip too much.
Despite Kigali being on lockdown, The Genocide Museum never closed and frankly, you can’t visit Rwanda without remembering their sordid past. Although dedicated to an extremely dark period in Rwanda’s history, my big take away from the museum and memorial was that Rwanda’s story is one of recovery, forgiveness and hope. The country has come such a far way since the Genocide in 1994 that killed roughly 1 million people in 100 days. I won’t go into more detail here - I am no expert on the subject and my visit only last about an hour before heading to the airport, but I will say that you must visit during your time in Kigali.
Would I visit Rwanda again?
Without question! I’d love to go back with my family or friends. I’d frankly repeat a lot of what I did and extend my stay to experience more, as well as to go on safari in Akagera, the one major national park I missed during my stay and the only place to go on safari in Rwanda. if you read My Rwanda Recap #1, then you know that my one regret from my trip was only going gorilla trekking once so I would return to see the gorillas again. I hope it won’t be a once-in-a-lifetime for me!