10 Days Kenya Singita Kwitonda Lodge Rwanda

SINGITA KWITONDA LODGE, VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA  

Boasting breathtaking views of the Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura volcanoes and surrounded by high-altitude forests, Singita Kwitonda Lodge offers an experience unlike any of Singita’s other destinations. With its exceptional natural beauty, environmentally conscious luxury and transformative, purpose-driven experiences, the lodge was designed in response to this remarkable location, and the eight contemporary suites (as well as the private four-bedroom villa – Kataza House) are linked by volcanic rock pathways to the central lodge.  

Welcome to Africa! Your safari starts in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. A private scenic 3-hour road transfer brings you to Kwitonda Lodge, your destination for the next 4 nights.  

OVERNIGHT: SINGITA KWITONDA LODGE  

Each of the eight luxurious suites features a private heated plunge pool, wellness treatment area, in and outdoor fireplaces and large timber-framed windows that welcome breathtaking scenery and volcano views inside. Created in response to its dramatic setting, the lodge includes elements such as woven ceilings and hand-fired terracotta brickwork crafted by local artisans, while a dedicated Conservation Room, Gear Room and on-site nursery and vegetable garden – which provides fresh produce for Kwitonda’s farm to-table food journey – further enhances the experience. Offering guests a nurturing space within which to contemplate their encounters with the remarkable “gentle giants of the forest”, the lodge envelopes them in a sanctuary of warmth, stillness & solitude.  

GORILLA TREKKING  

Spending time tracking and sitting with mountain gorillas is the ultimate wildlife experience and the reason why most people visit Rwanda on holiday. The location of Kwitonda Lodge puts gorilla trekking within easy reach, and daily hikes to observe gorilla groups in their natural habitat in the Volcanoes National Park are led by expert guides. Daily trek groups allow for eight people per gorilla family per day, and the age limit for trekking is 15.  

ON-THE-DAY DETAILS  

Guests take in pre-trek information and media in a dedicated conservation room at the lodge, and enjoy the convenience of an onsite gear-room for gearing up comfortably before their trek. For trekking guests should wear boots with good grip, gators, gloves, thick socks and pants and a long-sleeved top. Complimentary comfort kits, containing items such as sun cream, a sweat towel, tissues, a buff (required by Rwandan parks) and brown sanitary/toilet eco bags will be provided. Guests will receive a loaned backpack containing a lunchbox, snacks and a water bottle 

On the day of the trek, guests will be woken early to enjoy breakfast and gear up, after which they’ll be taken to the guide station a few kilometres from the lodge. Here, guests will have a briefing by the guides, and when ready will set off on the scenic trek through thick forest terrain towards a specific gorilla group, guided by trained rangers. The length of the trek varies, depending on which gorilla family group guests are allocated to, and this will be decided upon with regard to the fitness levels and capabilities of the trekkers. Once the gorilla group is located guests will spend up to an hour with them, observing these gentle creatures in their natural habitat. Post-trek, guests will return to the comfort of the lodge, where they will gear down in a warm mudroom and relax with a refreshing beverage, while reflecting on the day. As the distance of each gorilla trek is varied meals and lodge activities are flexible around each trek. 

HEMINGWAYS, NAIROBI  

Following the Gorillas experience depart for Kenya on either scheduled flight services or via private flying arrangements. We recommend the private flying arrangements to Kenya for you. Whilst these arrangements are not included in the quoted rates below, we would be happy to discuss your preferred option with you and quote accordingly based on your preferences.  

Upon arrival in Nairobi, you will be met at the airport and privately transferred by road to your overnight accommodation. Situated along the Nairobi River in beautiful Kenya, the capital Nairobi is East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city. It serves as an excellent starting point for African safari trips around Kenya. Nairobi is Africa’s 4th largest city and is a vibrant and exciting place, and although it has developed a reputation which keeps tourist visits brief, there are some fascinating attractions: its cafe culture, unbridled nightlife, the National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and most notably just 20 minutes from the city center wild lions and buffalo roam in the world’s only urban game reserve.  

DAY ITINERARY  

Today you transfer back to Kigali International Airport for your international flight to Nairobi, Kenya. On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you are met and assisted through immigration and customs and road transferred to Hemingways for an overnight stay.  

OVERNIGHT: HEMINGWAYS NAIROBI In a quiet part of Nairobi, on a private estate, Hemingways Nairobi, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, is an elegant boutique hotel situated in Nairobi’s Karen residential area with magnificent views of the nearby Ngong hills. Sensitively designed for the discerning business and leisure traveller, Hemingways Nairobi offers the full facilities expected in a modern-day luxury boutique hotel. The hotel offers forty-five luxury suites which include the Hemingways suite, The Blixen suite, 19 Executive rooms and 24 deluxe rooms. The Hemingways Nairobi Brasserie serves classic dishes and the very best of local and international cuisine and is open every day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner 

MARA NYIKA CAMP, MARA NABOISHO CONSERVANCY, KENYA  

Bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve to the southwest, the Olare Orok Conservancy to the west and the Ol Kinyei Conservancy to the east, the Mara Naboisho Conservancy is comprised of over 50 000 hectares of unspoilt wilderness in Kenya’s Greater Mara Region. The area is renowned for its bountiful biodiversity and breath-taking natural beauty with a wide range of wildlife on offer including lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, wild dog, and a host of plains game. Visitors can look forward to guided walking safaris, spending the night in a transient fly camp, heading out on a night game drive in search of elusive nocturnal creatures, joining the Mara Naboisho Lion Project as they track lions across the conservancy, or visiting Maasai villages to learn about this fascinating indigenous culture.  

DAY ITINERARY  

A road transfer brings you to Wilson Airport and your scheduled charter flight (departs twice daily) takes you on a 1hour flight crossing the Rift Valley and into the grass runway of Mara Nyika’s Naboisho airstrip, where the Great Plains team will be awaiting you.  

OVERNIGHT: MARA NYIKA CAMP  

Mara Nyika is the newest edition to the Great Plains Conservation family of camps in Kenya. While this intimate camp of just five tents and one 2-bedroom family suite is set in a valley, straddling a small stream, the light-coloured canvas tents were designed to sit under the canopy of umbrella thorn trees while still offering guests views out over the bush. Walkways from tents to the main area evoke the feeling of a treehouse under canvas and the camp’s ethic and inspiration is one of exploration and adventure. Privacy is the key to Mara Nyika. Privacy to live, think, explore, be romantic and be pampered – all the while with one of the most spectacular backdrops Africa can provide. Guests of Mara Nyika are able to explore the private and exclusive and game-rich 20 000-hectare Naboisho Conservancy as well as explore further afield with safari drives into the Maasai Mara Reserve.  

ACTIVITIES TO ENJOY WHILE STAYING AT MARA NYIKA CAMP  

• Wildlife Drives (day and night)
• Photography – Each of Mara Nyika’s guest tents comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well as a professional Canon camera set, including a Canon 5D camera body and Canon 100-400mm and 24-70mm lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure
• Cultural Visits ($20 paid directly to Maasai)
• Hot Air Balloon (Additional Cost)

END OF ITINERARY  

After your last morning wildlife viewing experience at Mara Nyika, you will be transferred back to Naboisho Airstrip for your scheduled charter flight back to Nairobi Wilson and onward road transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.