Nyungwe Tea Forest Resort is the most comfortable place to stay in Nyungwe National Park and the obvious honeymoon choice in southwest Rwanda. Until recently it traded as One&Only Nyungwe House; it now sits in Kerzner's Rare Finds collection under its new name, with the same lodge, the same tea estate and much the same team.
The setting does most of the work. Rooms are raised on stilts among the trees where the Gisakura tea plantation meets the rainforest, so you wake to bright green rows of tea on one side and a wall of ancient forest on the other. Mornings start early with chimpanzee or colobus monkey treks. Afternoons are for the heated infinity pool, a tea tasting or a massage in the forest-view spa. Evenings are quiet and cool, often with a fire going.
It suits couples who want a second wildlife chapter after gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, or a primate-focused trip with a soft landing at the end of each day. It does not suit anyone after a beach-style resort: the weather is often misty and wet, the drive in is long and the price is high.
Highlights at a glance
- Canopy Treehouse rooms on stilts among the trees
- Gisakura tea estate on one side, ancient rainforest on the other
- Heated infinity pool over the canopy
- Chimpanzee and colobus monkey treks nearby
- Rwandan tea ceremonies in the Tea Lounge
Why Couples Love Nyungwe
Few lodges sit this close to a forest this old. Nyungwe is one of the oldest montane rainforests in Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to chimpanzees, large troops of Angola colobus and hundreds of bird species. The resort sits right on its edge, so the wildlife is not a distant excursion. Monkeys sometimes pass through the trees around the rooms.
The tea estate gives the place a second personality. You can walk between the rows with pickers in the early light, then come back for a Rwandan tea ceremony in the lounge. The mix of cultivated green and wild forest is unusual and very photogenic.
The scale is small and the pace is slow. There is no nightlife and no crowds. For a couple who have just spent days on the road, that quiet is the point.
Rooms and Villas to Book
Accommodation is split between Canopy Treehouses and Two-Bedroom Canopy Villas, all set in raised wooden buildings among the trees.
- Canopy Treehouses are the honeymoon choice. Each has a king or twin beds (ask for the king), an en-suite bathroom with a freestanding tub and a walk-in shower and a private balcony facing the forest or the tea.
- Two-Bedroom Canopy Villas add a living room, private decks and wood-burning fireplaces. They are built for families or friends traveling together, but some couples book one for the extra space and the fire.
Nights at this altitude get cool, so a room with a fireplace or a warm bath matters more than you would expect in equatorial Africa. Request a room with a tea-estate view if you like morning light. Forest-facing rooms feel more enclosed and private.
Food, Drink and the Spa
Meals are served in the Dining Room, which looks out over the tea fields. Menus change daily and lean on local produce, herbs and Rwandan flavors, with lighter lunches after a trek and slower dinners in the evening. The kitchen can set up private dining on the estate if you want one night alone among the tea bushes.
The Tea Lounge is the social heart of the lodge, with traditional tea ceremonies and a bar that works tea into its cocktails. It is a good place to warm up after a wet morning.
The spa uses Africology products and has forest views. Signature rituals include the African Potato Experience and the Intoga Amasatchi Ritual. A heated infinity pool looks over the canopy and is open year round, which is a welcome surprise in a rainforest. Yoga, meditation and outdoor workouts are offered for anyone with energy left.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Chimpanzee trekking is the headline. Treks start very early, follow trackers through steep, muddy forest and can take anywhere from one to several hours, so pack waterproofs, long sleeves and boots with grip for both of you. Sightings are likely but not guaranteed. Colobus monkey treks are easier and the troops can be huge.
The Nyungwe canopy walk is the other big outing. The suspension walkway hangs high over a forested valley and is often described as East Africa's only treetop walkway. Couples with a fear of heights should know it sways.
Closer to home, the lodge runs tea estate visits, birding walks, night spotlighting and stargazing. A trip to Banda Village introduces local artisans and traditional dance. Helicopter flights over the forest are possible for a splurge.
Getting There
Nyungwe is in Rwanda's far southwest. The journey is part of the commitment. By road from Kigali (KGL) it is roughly six hours along winding, scenic routes, often broken with a stop in Huye for the ethnographic museum. Most couples who drive build it into a loop with Lake Kivu.
The quicker option is a domestic flight from Kigali to Kamembe (KME) near Cyangugu, followed by a drive of about 90 minutes. The resort also has a helipad for helicopter transfers, which turn a long day into a short, spectacular one and are priced accordingly.
Plan at least two nights, ideally three, so a chimp trek and the canopy walk do not have to fall on the same day. The resort's team can arrange ground transport and coordinate park permits with your itinerary.
Weather, Health and Practical Notes
This is a rainforest at altitude, so expect mist, sudden downpours and cool evenings in every season. The drier months of June to September make trails easier but never fully dry. Pack layers, a rain jacket each and shoes you do not mind ruining.
Malaria is a risk in parts of Rwanda, so talk to a travel clinic about prevention well before you go and use repellent at dusk. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you book.
Dress for treks is practical for both partners: long trousers tucked into socks, long sleeves and gloves for grabbing vines. In the lodge itself, smart-casual is fine. Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
Is It Worth It?
For a once-in-a-lifetime Rwanda trip, yes, as long as you know what you are paying for. Rates sit in the same bracket as Rwanda's top gorilla lodges, so expect well over a thousand dollars a night for two, approximate and dependent on season and package. What you get is a warm, polished base on the edge of a forest that otherwise offers mostly simple guesthouses.
It makes the most sense as the second half of a gorilla trip, or for couples who love primates and birds more than beaches. Two or three nights is enough for most.
Pick elsewhere if your budget is better spent on gorilla permits, if you dislike rain or long drives, or if you want a resort with lots of social buzz. In that case, the simpler lodges around Gisakura and Uwinka put you close to the trailheads for far less.
Insider tips
- Book your chimp trek for the first full morning so a rained-off day leaves time for a second try.
- Ask for a king-bed Canopy Treehouse facing the tea fields for the best morning light.
- Fly to Kamembe one way and drive the other to see the countryside without doing six hours twice.
- Bring gardening gloves for the chimp trek; the slopes are steep and the vines are thorny.
