Driving upward into the Virunga Mountains, I sat in the back of the Land Rover watching the parade of colorfully-dressed pedestrians and bicyclists on the side of the winding, slightly harrowing road, beyond which nearly every inch of the sloping, green landscape was cultivated for farming. We were heading to our base for the week—Singita Kwitonda Lodge, an idyllic sanctuary three hours away on the edge of Volanones National Park, where I’d have a single chance to see the gorillas I’d watched endlessly online for the past five months.
In contrast to my gorilla-watching obsession, I had done relatively little research on Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and the city we spent the morning exploring. After a night at Hemingways Retreat, a boutique property situated on a peaceful, grassy hillside in Kigali’s Kiyovu neighborhood, we headed out. Both thoroughly modern and surprisingly green, the city is largely recognized as the cleanest in Africa (even plastic bags are banned, so don’t pack any). We first walked the halls of the Genocide Memorial, a somber but important visit that reminded me just how recently the city had been rebuilt from the tragedy of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, in which more than 800,000 largely ethnic Tutsi were murdered in 100 days by Hutu extremists. The memorial was first established as a final resting place for the victims, and now houses the remains of over 250,000 people.
We left the memorial heavy-hearted and headed to the Niyo Art Center, a stop recommended by our guide after hearing us admire a painting in Hemingways’ lobby. Niyo’s technicolor building houses a contemporary art gallery (works can be taken off their canvases and rolled up for easier transport home), plus studios for its 17 resident artists. Impressively, 40% of the center’s profit goes to its Foundation, which supports Rwandan women and children living in poverty. We had barely scratched the surface, but it was time to head up to the mountains.
Singita’s only property in Rwanda, Kwitonda is surrounded by 178 acres of land bordering Volcanoes National Park, home to one-third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Singita began reforesting the land, a former dairy farm, with native species six years ago, creating the start of an expanded buffer zone between the animals in the park and the neighboring farmlands. Already they have seen the animal population bouncing back, which I witnessed one morning when I excitedly spotted a jackal trotting past my room. A herd of buffalo was a constant presence, grazing outside the lodge, and the staff said they even see elephants a few times a month, often on camera-traps.
After a briefing the night before by the lodge’s conservationist, Charles, we woke at 5:30 to get outfitted with all the necessary gear—hiking boots, gators, fleece-lined waterproof jackets, walking sticks and surgical masks (due to our close DNA, disease can be easily passed from human to gorilla)—all provided by the lodge’s extensive gear room. After an indulgent breakfast spread, we made the short drive to Volcanoes National Park headquarters, where we registered and were assigned a gorilla family and guide (all guides are employed by the Rwandan Development Board rather than the lodges themselves). After learning the behavioral protocols—a distance of 20 feet, no direct eye contact, no flash photography, make yourself look small if approached—our group of eight, plus the guide, set off to find the Agashya family, one of the 12 habituated gorilla families available to visit, and who had already been located earlier that morning by the trackers.
We traversed a wide, hilly potato farm via a narrow dirt path, heading toward the clean line of forest up ahead that marked the entrance to the park. As we got close, I felt my excitement grow to enter that tangled thicket of green trees and vines, following the guide as he cut a path with his machete and living out my Dian Fossey dreams…. Only the gorillas decided to meet us where we were. There would be no trek.
With a shout from the trackers, the gorillas suddenly emerged from the forest and onto the farm. I felt awestruck watching the family of 19—including five females, three “black backs” (younger males who will become silverbacks), and four infants—snack on eucalyptus trees with absolutely no barrier between us. The group followed the silverback, called Isano, from one cluster of trees to the next, the mothers casually slinging babies onto their backs when they moved too slowly. In one unreal moment, Isano stopped atop a small hill and seemed to pose for his audience. Watching the gorilla family easily uproot and feast on dozens of eucalyptus trees that the farmer would likely have sold for timber, we learned that Rwandan farmers are reimbursed for gorilla-damaged crops through a compensation fund, financed partly by a portion of the trekking permit revenue. While the gorillas’ presence on the farm reflects conservation’s success, it also illustrates the need for an expanded buffer zone, one of Singita’s and the Rwanda Development Board’s main conservation goals.
The next morning we returned to the Park in search of golden monkeys, the only other primates to share the forest with the mountain gorillas, and also an endangered species. We again crossed over farmland, then fully entered into the park with its dense vegetation. Within a few minutes, flurries of gold fur scampered over the canopy of bamboo trees. “Don’t rush,” one of the trackers said, “that is a nice moment of a mother holding her baby,” and pointed above my head. Our November visit coincided with the Golden Monkeys’ traditional birthing season—when bamboo shoots are readily available—so when we all sat still, it was easy to spot the newborns. A few minutes later, a juvenile monkey swung wildly and almost fell off his branch before his mother scooped him up and away into the trees. My friend noted that it was just like the way a human mother would act. Standing behind us, our guide asked if she spoke Kinyarwanda, because that was exactly what she had been saying to the tracker beside her.
Kataza House, the lodge’s private residence and where we stayed for the week, was the perfect place to reflect and take in the awe-inspiring views. The house and lodge are built from local volcanic rock and river stones to mimic the surrounding landscape, while the interior combines local craftsmanship, like bamboo-woven ceilings and hand-fired terracotta walls, with contemporary artwork and an earthy, muted color scheme. With four luxury suites, a cinema room, two heated plunge pools, a massage room, firepit, wine cellar, open kitchen, and unobstructed views of the incredible Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura volcanoes from most rooms, you could happily never leave. The food is a standout, focusing on plant-forward, farm-to-table meals with Rwandan touches, many of the ingredients grown in the property’s Akarabo kitchen garden. It was especially exciting to learn that Chef Gisele, who prepared all of our amazing meals, was a graduate of Singita’s Community Culinary School. The third of its kind opened by Singita, the school accepts only ten students each year from the local community to be trained as fine dining chefs, many finding jobs at the luxury lodges bordering Volcanoes.
Every detail in the house is designed to highlight and connect its guests to its natural surroundings. Returning to my room after our gorilla trek, I noticed a card on my pillow with the history and details of the Agashya gorillas (which I now follow on their own Instagram account!). Scrolling through my camera roll on the long flight home, I felt a profound gratitude for nature and those working to preserve it.
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