My wife and I visited the lodge for a weekend. A full program of chimpanzee and monkey trecking, walks and other forest orientated activities are available. We did nothing, we only ever intended to relax.

The lodge itself is set in a tea plantation right on the edge of the forest. The guest rooms and not situated within the main building but are lined around the edge of the plantation where it meets the forest. As a result every room has a private verandah overlooking the forest. It is possible to see the odd monkey or two from the verandah. The rooms are a couple of minutes walk from the main building along developed paths. In case of rain, each room is equipped with a couple of umberellas.

The rooms themselves are well equipped with everything you would need including a torch to use when moving between the main building and your room at night, the paths are lit but a torch is also handy. Each room has a good selection of TV channels plus wireless internet. There is a wood burner in the room but I thought some other form of heating may also be an advantage. It can get chilly.

There was a problem during the weekend with the lodge's internal network that provided the TV pictures. There were problems with the server but the staff were quick to provide a DVD player and a selection of films.

The main building consists of a small gift shop, a large lounge and the dining room. There are fireplaces all over the place which add to the atmosphere. I thought the service was excellent throughout. I enjoyed the meals but my wife thought some of the elements on the plates were a bit tepid.

There is a spa and a swimming pool that both looked great. We would have used the pool but the weather during our stay was not on our side.

As I said, overall I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and would have happily given the full five stars except for the TV issues and the fact that the rooms could do with some extra form of heating.

A couple of weeks ago my friends and I travelled to Rwanda and stayed at the Nyungwe Forest Lodge. On the drive there the most spectacular orange sun disappearing behind a forest greeted us. I knew we had hit the jackpot.
I realised that as quiet as this forest seemed, it was breathing life with mist rising from in between the trees.
We finally drove over the last hill, and there, nestled in bright green tea plantations, was the lodge, boasting with one of the most spectacular forests as its backdrop. It was one of those rare moments where words fail you: everyone in the car was staring, mouths open, eyes slightly glazed over and sitting in complete silence.
During our stay, we had the full attention of a friendly and professional lodge staff – an attitude that was the norm throughout our weekend.
The lodge itself has been put together with such class and simplicity – you can’t help but feel at home. Every little detail has been thought out to express the warm heart of Rwanda – from 5 star cuisine to service fit for a king. The rooms exuberated comfort and even though the lodge had so many nooks and crannies to explore, relaxation was the order of the day.
Some of the many adventures in and around the lodge that I would recommend is the luxurious spa treatments, tea ceremonies, chimpanzee walks – and if you have no fear of heights (like I do) you should definitely experience the breathtaking views on the canopy tour.
If you love good food, great service and the idea of lazing around in an infinity pool surrounded by the oldest rainforest in Africa, then Nyungwe Forest Lodge has to go to the top of your travelling bucket list.

Amazing location, breath-taking scenery, great room design, good massage and spa treatments, TERRIBLE food. Perhaps the food is not a priority as it is included in the room rates. The menu each meal had a choice of two or three mains and without fail one of them was close to inedible. There was no bacon for the two mornings we were there, the juices were not freshly squeezed, the baked beans out of a tin (criminal when the nation lives on beans) and the tea came in tea bags, (a little difficult to comprehend when you are sitting smack in the middle of a tea plantation). Once the food is sorted out this lodge will rate as an excellent value for money accommodation in a sublime setting and will be hard to resist for weekend breaks of those working in the surrounding areas.

Right on the border of a tea plantation and national forest the environment is superb. The design of the accommodation cabins is impressive, they are comfortable and luxurious. The common areas are also comfortable with interesting modern design features, however, the restaurant is a bit like eating in a foyer - open plan, lacking intimacy and on chillier nights a little too cool to be sitting for a long time, (this was not a problem for my husband and I as the food was really not good and didn't encourage long dining experiences). Also, for smokers there really isn't a good environment to enjoy an aperitif, the infrastructure is there - a fire place on the terrace, however, when we arrived at 7pm to have a drink the fire wasn't lit (we had to ask for it to be lit which took four time-consuming attempts), the spot lights above create no ambiance and the lack of comfortable chairs, warmth, music and bar led to a discussion on how the space could be better utilised.

Complaints aside the walks through the tea plantation were superb. For the national park be aware that their various walks start at 9am, 11am and 1pm (except the chimpanzee trek) so be sure to arrive there on time or be prepared to sit and wait.

The spa was a delight especially the massage service. Enjoy. Despite the bad food we will be returning I am sure. I've my fingers crossed for a yummier dining experience.