One&Only Nyungwe House

Captivating wildlife, dramatic mountain landscapes blanketed with greenery, and our own working tea plantation; see natural wonders flourish at One&Only Nyungwe House. Situated in five striking wooden villa clusters, our treetop-skimming, luxury rooms and suites are secluded in wonderfully untamed, National Park surroundings.

Our chefs’ innovative menus celebrate garden-to-fork cuisine and traditional African recipes, served with style in our signature restaurant, lounge and bar. Experience personalised beauty and holistic wellness treatments at our intimate One&Only Spa, with dedicated rituals to renew body and mind.

Nyungwe National Park is one of the oldest and largest forests in Rwanda, and the man in charge is Protais Niyigaba. A nature-lover, biodiversity conservationist and all-round knowledgeable wilderness expert, he’s the go-to for insights on trekking with the chimpanzees.

Chance upon exotic feathered friends during a challenging trek and explore the treetops on a canopy walk as you discover our mighty Nyungwe National Park on our wildlife safari.

SUITES
Nestled between lush rainforest and verdant tea plantations, our luxury Two-Bedroom Forest Suite offers warm, welcoming respite to adventurers. Two large bedrooms and airy living areas boasts plenty of space for family, friends and larger groups. The master bedroom boasts a four-poster king-sized bed, while the second bedroom includes double-sized twin beds.

Both bedrooms offer their own wood-burning stoves and en suite bathrooms, plus private decks with hypnotic views. The bathrooms feature twin vanities, a walk-in shower, and a deep standalone bath. Exceptional dining and selected beverages are included in your stay, plus two signature resort experiences daily.

Your spacious living room is beautifully fitted out with modern amenities, plush lounges, and a roomy dining table. A roaring fireplace stoked with fragrant eucalyptus wood draws you further into the room, adding a rustic touch to your African accommodation. Host your own intimate meals here, with help from our expert private dining team.

Explore another side of Rwanda from the fully-furnished private terraces, offering a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding tree canopies. Roaming monkeys, birds and butterflies bring your vista vividly to life.

Watch the sunset through the treetops, fall asleep to the sounds of the great blue turaco birds, and wake up to the curious melodies of mangabey monkeys in the distance. Create unforgettable moments together in the Rwandan jungle from the utter comfort of your Two-Bedroom Forest Suite.

ROOMS
Our Nyungwe Room is the perfect immersive retreat for your luxury once-in-a-lifetime Rwandan experience. Sleeping two, with your choice of a king-sized bed or two twin beds, our signature bedroom is secluded within lush treetops and opens out to a large, private balcony.

You’ll discover plenty of room to stretch out, with the bedroom also offering a plush lounging area. Fully-furnished, the open space invites you to step outside to soak up the sounds of the wilderness and watch rare birds dart overhead.

Keep an eye out for the jungle’s most mischievous residents; curious colobus monkeys. Exceptional dining and selected beverages are included in your stay, plus two signature resort experiences daily.

Your en suite bathroom features double vanities, and a deep stand-alone bath – perfect for a reviving soak after strenuous trekking. A walk-in shower faces the forest: glimpse small monkeys bouncing impertinently between the thick trees overhead or enjoy the drama of a tropical downpour across the landscape.

Mixing fresh, contemporary design with African craftsmanship, our sustainability philosophy is incorporated through responsibly-sourced timber and natural fibres. Rich culture is weaved into your Nyungwe journey with intricate details and regional curios, with traditional, geometric Imigongo artworks decorating your room.

FLAVOURS OF RWANDA
Our kitchen celebrates a sustainable farm-to-table concept, with a tailored approach managing your daily desires and dietary preferences. Our chefs’ creativity is sparked by the resort’s awe-inspiring rainforest and tea plantation surroundings. Honouring the remarkable location, they embrace seasonality and authentic Rwandan flavours.

An evocative setting for your meal, our Dining Room makes the most of the immersive greenery surrounding our resort. By day, the light spills through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and warms the space with a natural glow. In the evening, the crackling fireplace creates a cosy ambience, drawing you in to share stories with fellow guests about your wild and wonderful day.

Guests can sample age-old Rwandan recipes unearthed by our kitchen and given a contemporary twist such as Nyungwe flatbread made from cassava flour, indagara broth with African dried carpenter fish, and crunchy cassava with pulled lamb.

THE TEA LOUNGE
With an exposed-beam ceiling and plenty of natural light, our Tea Lounge tempts you to linger. Its floor-to-ceiling glass windows and our outdoor terrace reveal stunning views of our tea plantation.

Situated alongside Rwanda’s most spectacular tea plantation, our elegant Tea Lounge is in sync with its stunning surroundings. Here, you can participate in a tea ceremony, following the leaf’s journey from being plucked in our neighbouring plantation, to infusing your cup of tea.

Learn first-hand the process of making tea, the fermentation and drying process, and the finer points of tea brewing and tasting notes. Savour a freshly brewed black or green tea, accompanied by African-inspired cookies or a traditional British scone with a decidedly local spin.

THE BAR
Ease into the chilled-out rhythm of African lounge music on our open-air terrace for an early afternoon round, sundowners or a post-dinner nightcap. Throughout the day, sip something refreshing while watching the gentle sway of the surrounding jungle’s canopy, catching glimpses of monkeys and birds among the treetops.

An intimate and meticulously designed space, the Tea Lounge Bar showcases a creative side of Rwanda. Inside, our grand dark wood bar is a work of art in itself with striking carved patterns embellishing its sides.

Be catered to by our expert mixologist as they prepare your customised cocktail with stylish showmanship. Try one of our tea-infused specialties, or perhaps a house signature flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices.

YOUR RAINFOREST WEDDING
Plan your perfect wedding ceremony and reception in one of the world’s most incredible destinations. Our creative team will host a flawless, romantic event, from your intimate wedding vows overlooking the jungle and an unforgettable reception and party in our exclusive Rwandan resort.

A DREAM HONEYMOON
Be immersed in the romantic wilderness of Nyungwe National Park for your once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. Your room or suite offers an incredible stay in the African jungle.

Enjoy world class meals for two in our exclusive Dining Room restaurant or reserve a private dining experience in the intimacy of your own terrace, overlooking the jungle. Your honeymoon days will be filled with unique experiences, from chimpanzee trekking, to discovering the Rwandan jungle.

EXCLUSIVE CELEBRATIONS
Our luxury jungle resort is the ideal host for your celebration in Rwanda. Mark anniversaries, family reunions, birthdays, and ‘just because’ occasions with your loved ones, and revel in One&Only Nyungwe House’s stunning forest location, stylish accommodation, personalised dining, and exciting activities.

THE JUNGLE SPA
Designed by eco-friendly skin & body care brand Africology, each treatment is unique and personalized to support your beauty, health and wellness needs. Cocooned in the heart of a working tea farm, our intimate spa features two spacious treatment rooms and reflects the best aspects of Nyungwe Forest’s irrepressible beauty.

An expansive deck and lounging area leads off from the welcoming entrance, connecting you to the peaceful and uplifting surroundings of nature where you can rest and soak up the healing energy of the forest with a cup of healing herbal tea before or after your treatment.

Find radiance and revitalization from deep within. Inspired by nature and the ancient indigenous forest, we use only pure, natural and scientifically formulated skincare created by the unique luxury South African brand, Africology.

Wave goodbye to aches and pains and soothe your body and soul with the therapeutic power of massage. Your exquisitely curated and intuitively bespoke body treatment awaits you.

Loosen up tight and tired legs with a muscle melting essential oil massage, transform pain into healing energy and release stiffness with a Fire Ritual, or be immersed in our deliciously scented Rwandan coffee and mint detox wrap to promote drainage and invigorate blood flow.

Our indigenous and luxurious spa therapies are extensive, so schedule plenty of time to get swathed, buffed, boosted, kneaded and released.

Our Couples’ Devotion Ritual showcases the very best of One&Only Spa. Relax in our forest swings and allow the alluring fragrances of pure essential oils to transport you to a place that re-inspires devotion. Indulge in African cleansing rituals of aromatic smoke bathing and an invigorating body scrub to soften your skin and wash away your worries.

We bring your bodies into blissful harmony with a side-by-side full-body massage and celebrate the essence of your togetherness with a glass of sparkling wine and African chocolates while overlooking the ancient forest.

NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK
Born in nearby Rusizi, Protais Niyigaba got his first job at Nyungwe National Park back in 2011 and has risen to the vital role of Park Manager. Having worked for universities and the Wildlife Conservation Society, it’s the role he was destined for. A lover of bird watching in his spare time, he shares his top tips for visiting the park in our insider’s guide.

Nyungwe is world-renowned for hosting the biggest ever family of colobus monkeys which can be ‘super groups’ of more than 400 together! Colobus monkeys are folivorous so have sacculated stomachs which means that after feeding on mature leaves they need enough resting time for digestion.

They are quickly habituated and befriended, but almost never adapt to human food, so they don’t get involved in crop raiding from neighbouring farms or stealing food from people, like cheeky baboons.

Female colobus monkeys are smaller than the males, and their gestation period is six months. When babies are born they are completely white and progressively get black fur after the first three months.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in the south-western part of Rwanda. With the Rwanda-Burundi border to the south, Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo lie on the west side of the park. It covers an area of about 1020 sqkm and has an elevation of 1600-2950m above sea level.

In 1903, during the colonial era, Nyungwe Forest was declared a reserve by the Germancolonial government. However, between 1958 and 1973, the area was tragically reduced by 150 sqkm due to fires, woodcutting and the poaching of animals.

Elephants remained, but buffaloes and other animal groups were lost. In 1984, biodiversity studies revealed a vast population of Colobus Monkeys living in groups of up to 400 members.

Restoration work on the forest began in 1995, and in 2005, Nyungwe Forest was officially declared a National Park. It holds the highest protection level in Rwanda in terms of nature conservation. The conservation area consists of approximately 1015 sqkm and is East Africa’s largest protected high-altitude rainforest.

One of the largest mountain rainforests remaining in Africa, the forest is located in the Albertine Rift, a series of mountain ranges beginning in the Rwenzori mountains in western Uganda. This mountain range extends into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and northern Zambia.

Nyungwe Forest is an important water catchment for Rwanda and contains many natural resources that are essential to the Rwandan people. This vast rainforest receives 2,000mm of rain per year and is integral to two of Africa’s great rivers. Rain that falls on the east side feeds the River Nile, and on the west runs to the Congo.

Nyungwe’s biodiversity is astonishing and is one of the most species-rich areas in Africa. Due to its position between biogeographical zones, it provides an important habitat for a hugely diverse range of plants and animals. Many of its animals are only found in this area.

The park contains 13 primate species, 25% of Africa’s total. It’s also home to 1,068 plant species, 275 bird species, 85 mammal species, 32 amphibian and 38 reptile species.

Due to its altitude above sea level, the forest is home to large colonies of chimpanzees and Angola Colobus monkeys. The park has an estimated 500 chimpanzees, and thirteen types of primates, including the Angola Monkey, the L’Hoests Monkey, the Red-tailed Monkey, and the Olive Baboon.

STARRY, STARRY NIGHTS
After dark, the sky above One&Only Nyungwe House is illuminated with thousands of stars – the perfect view for astronomers and stargazing novices alike.

Our Nocturnal Spotlighting and Stargazing Experience is both educational and exciting; marvel at the planets and constellations from the resort’s elevated decks, or be ushered into the forest for a guided tour.

SEE NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK BY HELICOPTER
Appreciate the vastness of the jungle from a bird’s-eye view. Our 60-minute helicopter ride will swoop you over masses of mahogany and ebony trees, waterfalls and a range of flora that will impress even the most avid of botanists. Taking off and landing from One&Only Nyungwe House’s private helipad, our helicopter tour is an unforgettable experience.

CHIMPANZEE TREKKING
Surrounding our luxury resort, the protected Nyungwe National Park is home to chimpanzees and monkeys, offering an unforgettable opportunity to see these incredible animals up-close.

At the break of dawn, your expert guide will lead you into the heart of the jungle, on the trail of chimpanzees. A rustle of leaves, and then, through the branches, you’ll spot a chimpanzee gazing down from the fig trees.

Or perhaps you’ll see a troop of tree-dwelling chimps catapulting off through the canopy. Every trek is different, and the jungle’s charismatic chimpanzees are full of surprises.

Watch the world stir at daybreak as you stealthily follow our expert guide on our Monkey Trek experience. Discover one of the few places in the world where L’Hoest’s and colobus monkey can be observed in their natural environment.

Energetic and sociable, colobus monkeys travel in troops through the treetops of Nyungwe National Park, making them the most common monkey to encounter. If luck favours you, you may witness a pure white baby colobus – their signature black and white coat develops after a few months.

A WALK IN THE JUNGLE
Welcoming those looking for a relaxed wander, the Karamba trail is a relatively flat, quartz trail that begins in the open-air site of a former gold mine. The more challenging Mount Bigugu trail covers the highest peak in the park with spectacular views of Lake Kivu.

With moderate inclines, Umugote trail reveals exceptional views of rounded ridges, as far as the mountains of Kibira National Park in Burundi. On the Irebero trail, gaze all the way across the Rwandan border.

Teeter across the tops of trees and behold the rainforest from a fresh perspective. The Canopy Walk is the only treetop walkway in East Africa; the awe-inspiring platforms are elevated between giant trees, appearing to float 60-metres above the forest floor.

As a survivor of the last Ice Age, Nyungwe National Park covers an immense mass that is home to Africa’s oldest rainforest systems, making it the country’s largest and most important area of spectacular biodiversity.

Home to 300 bird species, more than 200 different varieties of trees, and at least 100 species of orchids, the park’s specialist guide will whisk you to the periphery of the National Park.

Here, you will learn about the indigenous flora, rare primates and reptiles, bright butterflies and exotic birds – including the rare Grauer’s rush warbler, yellow African citril, great-blue turaco, and red-collared mountain babbler.

GISAKURA TEA ESTATE
Wander through the lush tea plantation that surrounds our jungle resort with a guided tea estate tour, our elegant African tea ceremony and a unique private dining experience.

Rich volcanic soil. Gently sloping grounds. The secret behind the perfect cup of tea starts right here in Gisakura Tea Estate. Hugging the rippling hills at the western fringes of Nyungwe National Park, our estate is among the most famous of Rwanda’s tea plantations and is certainly the most spectacular.

Pick, dry and brew on a unique tour of our very own tea plantation. You’ll start your experience in our Tea Lounge, and be led through the process of how Nyungwe tea is plucked and brewed.

Join our daily tea ceremony in the Tea Lounge, with its boundless forest views. Sit back and enjoy the complexities of Nyungwe tea. Introduced in Rwanda in 1952, this rich, full-bodied black tea is now one of the country’s largest exports. Our tea expert will guide your through different flavour profiles and accompaniments during this fascinating experience.

Surrounded by every possible shade of green, our private dining team can create a one-of-a-kind gourmet experience in our tea plantation. Our chefs are known known for honouring local ingredients to produce fresh, innovative dishes with rustic flair, and will create for you a perfectly personalised menu to match your private dining experience.

We invite you to enjoy our now legendary Nyungwe Green Goddess Pasta, dressed in a tea pesto concocted from the very plants that surround you.

AUTHENTICALLY AFRICAN
Delve into the rich history and heritage of Rwanda, with enlightening cultural experiences at One&Only Nyungwe House and One&Only Gorilla’s Nest. From local crafts to immersive village visits, authenticity is at the heart of these captivating activities.

ARCHERY THRILLS
Perfect your archery skills at our two Rwandan resorts: One&Only Gorilla’s Nest and One&Only Nyungwe House. Our friendly experts are ready and waiting to school you in this timeless tradition, dating back to 3000 BC on the African continent. Stay refreshed with a perfectly chilled drink and savour the cinematic views – then point, aim, shoot…

ANCESTRAL STORIES
Snuggle up by the bonfire at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest to hear the enlightening stories of 12 local gorilla families: our ancient ancestors. Our expert field guides will share vital information on safety and interactions with these majestic giants; the perfect preparation for gorilla treks or to simply learn more about our incredible wildlife.

IBY’IWACU CULTURAL VILLAGE
Immerse yourself in magnetic Rwandan culture at this traditional village, perched in the emerald hills of Musanze, near One&Only Gorilla’s Nest. Try exciting local activities including archery, and discover the transformative vision of founder Edwin Sabuhoro. The tour ends on a high with poetry, songs, dancing and drumming.

BEAT OF THE DRUMS
Illuminated by the glowing fire, discover Rwanda’s tempo at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, led by an expert drummer. Beat the drums to your heart’s content, while fire dancers sway hypnotically to the rhythms you create. Beginners and experienced drummers alike will relish this relaxed, interactive evening, ignited by Rwandan magic.

UMUGANDA: CELEBRATING COMMUNITY
Umuganda is a nationwide initiative, rooted in Rwanda’s independence. Citizens devote the last Saturday morning of every month to community work – and you can get involved. From developing local infrastructure to environmental protection, help give back to the communities surrounding One&Only Nyungwe House, and get to know the local people in a rewarding way.

BEACONS OF HOPE
Meet the inspiring women behind Handspun Hope: a working farm, close to One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, which creates beautiful, handmade woollen garments and felted sculptures. The project assists and protects vulnerable local women, including genocide widows and victims of abuse. Purchase a momento, supporting these skilful, resilient survivors.

Rooms: 22

Price: from 1.650 EUR per night

Source: www.oneandonlyresorts.com