Villa Gorilla

Recently, I surprised my fiancé with a birthday trip up to Villa Gorilla for a cooking class with Andrew and Lisa and we had the most fantastic experience! We made fresh bagels and ricotta, feasted on herbed cream cheese, smoked salmon, poached eggs and hollandaise, dessert, and so much more. The whole day was absolute perfection from the cooking lessons, laughs with our hosts, the stunning view and gardens, and the playful pups. If you're considering a vacation to Rwanda or simply a day trip, this is the place to land, you won't regret it!

I was traveling to Kigali for a conference, so I wanted to book a gorilla trekking experience. I met Lisa (the owner) on a Facebook group and she immediately jumped into action to help me decide on the best experience. When my conference was postponed due to the Marburg virus, Lisa didn’t hesistate to try to get my trekking experience rescheduled (which is unheard of! ). And she succeeded, which was amazing!
In a world where customer service seems to be in a deep decline, I have had an incredible experience with Lisa. It’s hard to know who you’re working with when you meet online, but I highly recommend her and the company. She has won me over and I can’t wait to finally do my trek at some point next year!

We really love the excellent food prepared by Lisa and Andrew. The beautiful garden at villa gorilla further enhanced the dining experiences :) Just pay a visit to villa gorilla, and you will know what I mean.!

We have recently visited Rwanda for two days of gorilla and one day of golden monkey trekking. The trip was entirely organized by Lisa and Andrew of Villa Gorilla. We had a fantastic time for our six days journey. They were New Yorkers relocated to Rwanda a few years ago. They provided services according to western standard that are customized to your need. Villa Gorilla has several villas and rooms, with a beautiful garden that is the center piece of the property. They are located only a few minutes from the park headquarter. The rooms are decorated African style and the delicious meals they served were New York restaurant quality food. In the afternoons, we visited local markets, museums, art gallery, chocolate shops and a banana beer facility. We were very happy we found them to organize our trip.

Villa Gorilla is an ideal resort with its beautiful gardens (worth the stay alone), breathtaking views of the mountains (which feel right next to you) and fantastic customer service (you feel like family there). While most will stay to see the nearby gorillas, I went just to relax. The environment in which it is in makes you feel connected to the surrounding nature. The rooms are excellent in making you feel connected to the local culture rather than a Western interpretation of luxury. Don't misinterpret that the rooms are extremely luxurious (with perhaps the more comfortable beds in all of Rwanda) but not for one minute do you forget that you are in the middle of Africa with the beautiful decorations, art works and textiles made out of local Kitenge. Once again, I highly recommend staying here.
Forgot to mention: The food is excellent! While many of the hotels and villas in the region have complex and fancy foods, none really stack up to the delicious home cooking which blends simple heart warming dishes with something you would find at a 5-star restaurant. I highly recommend the French Toast!

We spent one night at Villa Gorilla before going to see the Mountain Gorillas the next morning. Our stay was great! Incredibly friendly hosts, amazing food including a 12 course "food safari" and a cooked breakfast at 6 am to set us up for the day ahead.
The rooms were comfortable and individual with local art in the walls. And the views of the mountains are also fantastic.
Oh one more thing, Before the visit the hosts were very helpful and communicative over our stay, for example, making sure the food we would eat would be to our taste and giving us advice on what we would need for the gorilla trek.
I would highly recommend Villa Gorilla for anyone going to the Volcanoes National Park.

Our stay at Villa Gorilla in Oct 2023 was truly special. Our hosts Lisa and Andrew are world-class chefs who customize your culinary experience to both your dietary needs and your preferences. Their Afro-fusion food Safari was amazing& we truly savored all our meals at VG. The views from the gardens are breathtaking. The rooms are rustic, decorated with traditional African art&patterns. They are the perfect place to sleep in a bit (if you choose) or snuggle under the covers while the fireplace glows nearby on a chilly eve. We hiked in the Virunga Mt. Trekked to see the gorillas, golden monkeys and chimpanzees and it was definitely a bucket list trip. Lisa and Andrew are the “ secret sauce “ which makes Villa Gorilla an exceptional choice when you are considering a visit to Rwanda. A Hidden gem for sure 💎💎💎💎💎

My husband and I stayed at Villa Gorilla in October 2023 for a few days and had the chance to hike the Virungas and trek gorillas, visit local markets, meet artists and. It was a fascinating, unique experience. The location and the setting of the villa is very close to the mountains and indeed stunning. Beautiful well kept gardens and tastefully decorated rooms. The hosts at Villa Gorilla, Lisa and her husband chef Andrew, were very helpful, accommodating, and gracious. Chef Andrew prepared some amazing fusion african-western or african-asian food for us everyday, while Lisa organized a series of events for us to experience the local nature, culture & people.

We stayed at Villa Gorilla earlier this year and had a great experience. The food safari was amazing! Thoughtful, complex and flavorful dishes from around the world. Some of the best food we’ve had in Rwanda. The hosts are truly the kindest most hospitable people. The views and the gardens are stunning! Don’t miss this great accommodation!

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.