Town & Country and The New York Times call The Retreat in Rwanda one of the top new hotels in the world in 2019. With its interesting architecture, busy streets, meandering boulevards, and green hillsides, Kigali is said to be one of the most attractive cities in Africa and is definitely worth a visit.
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Travel
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by a The Far Horizons representative for meet and greet. Afterwards, transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodations
The Retreat in Rwanda
The American owners of Heaven Restaurant created The Retreat, an 11-room luxury boutique hotel located on a tree-lined street steps from Kigali City Center and 20 minutes from the airport. It is Kigali’s first eco-friendly resort and features solar electricity, organic toiletries, locally-crafted furniture from a Tanzanian sustainable teak farm, outdoor showers, private terraces, a yoga and meditation room, spa, large heated saltwater swimming pool with jacuzzi and diving rocks, and an open-air fitness center.

Rooms
Superior King Suite
Luxury boutique hotel rooms featuring a front balcony, private back deck, king-size bed, mini bar (Complimentary), free wifi, air conditioning

Inclusions
Dinner, Bed & Breakfast.

Activities & Interests
Tours: Art, Nature, Culture, Fashion, Culinary, Farm.
More: Nyamata Church Genocide Memorial, Coffee Master Class, Fusion Restaurant, Local Life, Village Life.

Note from Bert :
"Fusion Restaurant and its Swahili-inspired bar, located at The Retreat, offer delicious farm-to-table international cuisine, while Heaven Restaurant (reached through the Retreat’s “Stairway to Heaven”) offers an innovative modern African menu."

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Hotel Amenities: 24-hour Security, Activity Desk, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Conference Centre, Disability Services, Eco Friendly, Gym, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Available), Meal on Request, Pool, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa, TV Room.

Fly to Nyungwe Forest National Park for 3 nights at One&Only Nyungwe House. This park is in one of Africa’s most ancient forests and is home to Rwanda’s sole remaining chimpanzee population.
Day 3 activity: With packed breakfast, drive an hour to Cyamudongo Forest for the start of your chimpanzee tracking experience. In the afternoon, enjoy the exhilarating canopy walk.
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Travel
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight to Kamembe ETD 0700hrs/ETA 0740hrs. Upon arrival drive approximately 1hr to Nyungwe and check in for lunch. Spend the afternoon at leisure.
Day 3 transportation included during your Chimpanzee Trek.

Accommodations
One&Only Nyungwe House
Alongside ancient rainforest, within the lush green expanse of a working tea plantation, One&Only Nyungwe House offers an exclusive window to Africa's fascinating wildlife and culture. Curating immersive tailored experiences, from gastronomic picnics to wild chimpanzee tracking and indigenous open-air spa treatments, awe inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime moments are sure to amaze you at every turn.
The One&Only Spa provides relaxing treatments, while the One&Only Gym allows guests space and equipment for a refreshing workout. Additionally, guests can relax in the infinity pool while having a snack and drink and enjoy a meal by the trees with a picnic or at the elegant restaurant.

Rooms
Double Room
The accommodations at this lodge provide a sense of tranquility with a fireplace and picturesque private deck. All rooms include breakfast, lunch, and dinner while featuring tea and coffee facilities and an en-suite bathroom with an indoor shower, wilderness-view shower and stand-alone bath.

Inclusions
Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities

Activities & Interests
Chimpanzee Trek, Gastronomic Pincnic, Open-air Spa.

Note from Bert :
"One&Only Nyungwe House is set amongst the rich tea-plantations of Gisakura, In Southwest Rwanda, just south of Lake Kivu on the Burundi border. The property is set on the edge of the iconic Nyungwe National Park, which covers approximately 1020 square kilometers of rainforest, bamboo, and swamps. The area is home to an impressive population of chimpanzees."

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Hotel Amenities: Bar, Pool, Restaurant

Fly to Kigali for a city tour, then fly by helicopter to Magashi Camp for 3 nights on safari. Akagera National Park is central Africa's largest protected wetland and the last refuge for savannah-adapted species in the country. Bursting with a rich biodiversity, the park features a variety of rare species, as well as a plentitude of mammals and hundreds of bird species.
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Travel
With packed breakfast, drive back to Kamembe Airport for your scheduled flight to Kigali ETD 0810hrs/ETA 0850hrs. Upon arrival, explore the city of Kigali including visit to the Genocide Musuem. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards, transfer back to the airport and take a heli ride approx 30mins from Kigali to Magashi. Upon arrival check in for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure or enjoy lodge activities. Note, AGUSTA 119 6 SEATER max weight 380kgs including luggage.

Accommodations
Magashi Camp
Overlooking scenic Lake Rwanyakazinga, Magashi Camp is situated in the phenomenally diverse north-eastern corner of Akagera National Park.
Six spacious and airy tented guest rooms offer uninterrupted views over Lake Rwanyakazinga while Magashi’s main area comprises a luxurious lounge and dining area, bar and pool, as well as an expansive viewing deck with convivial fire pit. The architecture and interiors pay homage to traditional Rwandan culture.

Rooms
Guest Tent
Canvas tented accommodation on an elevated deck with elevated wooden walk ways connecting tents to the main areas. Guest also enjoy outside deck with seating area.
Please note, there is no air-conditioning, however, a pedestal fan is set up in each tent. Rooms do include complimentary wifi, complimentary laundry service, Mini Bar.

Inclusions
Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities

Activities & Interests
Game Drives, Predator Viewing, Exploring the Savannah, birding (520+ species)

Note from Bert :
"Stretching across a vast expanse of low-lying mountains and savannah plains, the park takes in the rolling highlands woodlands, swamp-fringed lakes, and wetlands of the Kagera River along the way. Crocodiles and hippos wallow in the park's watery basins, predators prowl through its acacia groves, and elephant, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and other animals roam across its grassy plains.
"Our core purpose in Akagera is to help conserve Rwanda’s last protected savannah ecosystem, and species like black rhino and the rare and elusive shoebill; furthermore, our presence here will contribute towards enabling it to become economically self-sufficient for the first time."

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Hotel Amenities include pool & bar.

Drive to Volcanoes National Park via Kigali to begin your gorilla experience. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures. Highly regulated treks through the reserve allow visitors to spend an hour at a time with these incredible primates in their natural habitat. Two treks allow you to fully enjoy this life-altering experience.
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Travel
0800hrs: Checkout out of Magashi and exit the park. 1100hrs: Pickup from park entrance and drive back to Kigali and enjoy lunch at local restaurant. Afterwards, drive approx 2.5hrs to Kinigi.
Day 10 Departure: After an early breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park HQs for the start of your 2nd gorilla tracking experience. Following lunch, drive back to Kigali and transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Accommodations
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
The lodge is only minutes away from the headquarters of the Parc National des Volcans from where clients trek on foot to see the magnificent Mountain Gorilla – perhaps one of the most dramatic, thrilling and poignant wildlife experiences possible.

Rooms
Cottage
Accommodation at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge comprises six 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.
Rooms include Complimentary Wi-Fi, Mini-bar (Local Brands Complimentary), Laundry Services (Complimentary), Electrical Outlets, Fireplace, TV. Please note, air conditioning not available to maintain the eco-footprint of the lodge.

Inclusions
Day 9 activity: Gorilla Trek After an early breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park HQs for the start of your gorilla tracking experience. In the afternoon,if time weather permits, visit the twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo or the local markets in the Musanze town.
Day 10 activity: 2nd Gorilla Trek in the morning.
More Inclusions: All Meals, Fees and Activities, Bed.

Activities & Interests
Gorilla Treks, Golden Monkey Treks, Bird Watching Treks, Mountain Bike Rides, Cultural Walks, Iby Iwacu Cultural Village, Trek to Dian Fossey Research Camp & Grave, Trip to Twin Lakes, Buhanga Sacred Forest Visit, Lake Kivu Tour, Musanze Market Tour.

Note from Bert :
"Look into the eyes of a large silverback gorilla and he'll look back with a thinking, intelligent gaze, mindful that you're another individual. Any apprehensions or nerves you might have had during your trek will melt away the minute you see your gorilla family. Gorilla trekking safaris offer a magical encounter that transcends any other 'wildlife' experience we know.
On the day of your gorilla trekking, you’ll set off very early in the morning to track to the apes; your destination will be the last spot where they were seen the previous night. Your driver/guide will take you from your lodge to a trailhead for permit formalities (writing your names in a register, checking ages of children) and the head guide will conduct a briefing about gorilla trekking do's and don't. Don't look the silverback straight in the eyes, keep quiet, don't run, maintain a safe minimum distance from the gorillas and so on.
The guides here speak excellent English and are very good. They will be taking you to a specific group of 'habituated' mountain gorillas, which they know well and which are used to human visitors. Be sure to hire a porter to help you with your 'stuff'; all you will want to carry on you is a small day-pack with water, sunscreen lotion, your camera/phone, a hat, and some light water resistant gear.
Your guide will then lead you along sometimes steep paths up (or down) into the forest, in radio communication with the trackers who stay with the group so that they can be located. The altitude is over 2,500m, so although the pace is unhurried, the hike is tiring and can be steep in parts, taking from 30 minutes to a few hours. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit breathless at this altitude – this is perfectly normal.
Most trekkers are a little apprehensive – a large silverback male gorilla can weigh up to 200kg, or three times the weight of the average man, but the apprehension usually vanishes when you see the group. Often the gorillas will be spread around a small area of dense vegetation. They'll continue with their feeding and interactions, nonchalant about their visitors, though watching you with interest. Occasionally one, often a playful youngster, will approach you with curiosity – sometimes coming so close that you'll have to move away.
From when the gorillas are first seen, the clock will run and after one hour your time will be up. So make the most of it; be sure to get your photographs but take some time to simply observe and take it all in. We do recommend two gorilla treks so that you will have enough time to enjoy it fully and to have a second bite at the apple in case one of the trips is marred by rain or some other unforeseen circumstance."

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Hotel Amenities: 24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Library, Malaria Free, Meal on Request, Mobile Connectivity, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Secure Parking, TV Room.

10 day / 9 night safari
$11,395 per person sharing
Helicopter transfer Kigali to Magashi:
$2,000
Gorilla permits per trek per person:
$1,500 ($3,000 per person for 2)
Gorilla permit handling fee if paid by credit card:
$75 per permit

Inclusions
Accommodation in standard twin rooms.
Meals as indicated in the daily meal plan.
Drinks included as per the policy at each lodge.
All road and air transfers as indicated.
All vehicles & guides on private basis.
1 Chimpanzee tracking permits per person (LOWER AGE LIMIT 15 YEARS).
1 Golden Monkey Tracking permits per person (LOWER AGE LIMIT 12 YEARS).
Services of an English speaking driver guide.
Park fees.
All activities described in the itinerary, unless specified as extras.
Mineral water in the vehicle.
Medical Evacuation to a hospital in Kigali.

Exclusions
International Air Fares, entry visa fees, domestic and international departure tax.
Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle, and other than the drinks included at each lodge under their policy.
All expenses of a personal nature.
Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide hotel/camp staff etc.