Villa Gorilla

My husband and I just finished our three weeks trip to Europe and Rwanda. While we were in Rwanda, our six-day trip was organized by Lisa and Andrew of Villa Gorilla. It was an amazing experience. Lisa and Andrew used to own and run a very successful catering business in New York. During the pandemics, their lives took an unexpected turn, they ended up in Rwanda taking over the operation of Villa Gorilla. Our flight arrived very early at Kigali, Lisa and Andrew were already waiting outside the airport. She texted us a picture of herself so we would have no problem finding them. We spent the rest of the day at leisure at Kigali, we were given a lot of information about Kigali so we could get around safely. During the next few days, Lisa and Andrew were responsible for all our transportations, including rides to the park for Gorilla and golden monkey trekking. In the afternoon, we were taken to local markets, museums, art gallery and a banana beer making demonstration. We also watched a dance performance at Villa Gorilla in the first evening. The meals we had were all absolutely delicious rivalling meals we had at some Micheline restaurants. In the past, my husband had issues with food while traveling in some countries. At Villa Gorilla, we had no such concern as we knew meals were prepared with western standard. The center of the property is their beautiful garden of hydrangeas and other colorful tropical flowers with an amazing view of Virunga volcano. There are a few rooms on the property which is located at five minutes driving distance from the park headquarter. The rooms are decorated Rwandan style. We enjoyed every part of our trip. Lisa and Andrew have gone above and beyond to satisfy our requests, we couldn't have asked for more.

Rwanda and the gorillas has always been a bucket list trip for me . Our stay at Villa Gorilla gave us the perfect spot to fulfill that dream. Villa Gorilla has spectacular gardens to start and end you day in. Their cottages allow you the privacy to sleep in or snuggle up in the evening with the warm fire on a chilly night . The hosts Lisa and Andrew are world class chefs who bring such passion to their culinary creations. Every meal was a delight that was customized to (my dietary restrictions )and our culinary preferences. Their 12 course culinary Safari was outstanding. Staying at Villa Gorilla felt like staying with friends who went out of their way to allow us to experience authentic Rwanda: the local markets and shops, they arranged treks with a knowledgeable local guide who made our Rwandan adventure with the gorillas, golden monkeys and chimpanzees truly incredible.💎💎💎💎💎truly a gem!

We had a fabulous long weekend at Villa Gorilla made extra enjoyable by the beautiful garden and the outstanding food - the food safari was a delicious experience. The welcoming environment created by Lisa and Andrew made our stay very special, and felt like being on holiday with old friends. Walking with the gorillas, and the golden monkeys was a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience.