The name says it all: One&Only Gorilla’s Nest gets you as close to the world’s greatest apes as you could possibly hope to be, while flaunting the seamless signature style that places the high-end hotel brand at the vanguard of luxury hospitality. This is a nest so snug, you might not want to fly it.
Drums, dance and singing. It didn’t take more than three simple components to turn our arrival at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest into a spectacle worthy of the bucket list experience guests travel to this part of Rwanda for. As the resort’s performers balanced vases atop their heads and threw their knee-length blond wigs – a nod to a lion’s mane – through the air in ecstasy, we felt not just welcomed, but immediately immersed in the local spirit. There was magic in little things, too, and we noticed details like intricately carved stairs leading up to the main reception area or an elaborately stocked all-day snack station where freshly baked cookies and light bites looked rather tempting after a long drive from the airport.
The property sits on the edge of Kinigi, a small village surrounded by shambas, and looks out towards the mountain gorilla territory of Mount Sabyinyo. 21 treehouses and suites are strewn about the fragrant eucalyptus forest that shields One&Only Gorilla’s Nest from the outside world while creating the illusion of being ‘out in the wild’. Owing to the resort’s layout, some treehouses benefit from their location amidst towering trees while others boast views over grasslands dotted with ferns and flowers. Our luxurious lodgings felt perfectly private, with a gated walkway leading up to the main affair, a 77 sqm/829 sqft ‘nest’ as generous in proportions as it was cosy in style.
Local accents including Imigongo artworks, African-patterned carpets and cushions, illustrated books and even a carved and beaded walking stick were no less appreciated than modern amenities like MagSafe wireless chargers to mood lighting and a gas fireplace. We loved our treehouse’s open layout with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that opened out onto a large balcony, and made a point of slipping into our freestanding jungle view bathtub with seriously seductive bath salts as often as possible. When we had less time on our hands, we could choose between an outdoor shower or an indoor shower with a textured stone wall spotlit to great effect.
Boldly coloured headbands by our twin vanities and African-inspired robes and slippers paid homage to the part of the world One&Only Gorilla’s Nest calls home, while a rose-infused gin in our minibar added another thought-through touch (and a complimentary one, too, with the hotel being an all-inclusive property). ‘Thought-through’ was, as a matter of fact, a golden thread running through the accommodation, with virtually every detail having been selected to convey a sense of place and an air of appreciation for craftsmanship – this included a number of meaningful gifts that awaited us in our nest each night after dinner, a welcome gesture to commemorate our stay.
When the time came for our gorilla trek, we opened our front door to a mystical scene of the mist-shrouded forest, and headed straight to breakfast, where we were poured ginger tea to help with high altitudes, and handed bagels and freshly made energy bars to keep us going during our upcoming excursion. Upon returning from Volcanoes National Park hours later, the team helped us part ways with our muddy gear and boots (which reappeared in our treehouse that night, as if by magic, scrubbed cleaner than we’d ever seen them) and guided us towards a massage chair for a complimentary fifteen-minute, post-trek neck and shoulder treatment. The way the resort facilitates utmost comfort and convenience throughout the trekking experience couldn’t possibly feel more luxurious, and its ever-attentive staff – remembering our names and greeting us with One&Only’s signature hand-on-heart-gesture – have everything to do with this.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Adventurer | KGL | GMT +2 |
| While you’re Out There |
| You can’t forget to swing by local charity Handpsun Hope, which gives ethical employment to women coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Most – if not all – women here have suffered some sort of trauma as a result of the Rwandan genocide, yet they were so welcoming and joyful when we visited, that we ended up joining them for an impromptu dance performance. A little closer to the hotel, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund makes for an excellent outing to learn more about the region’s legendary great apes. |
But beyond this, the hotel also makes a celebration of the bucket list experience that’s a gorilla trek, paying tribute to the primates with busts and sculptures that make sure guests feel connected to the activity even when it’s over. For the most part, we really adored these artworks, although the occasional lightbulb-carrying monkey statue climbing a ‘living’ green wall or an entire gorilla perched upon a glass table by the entrance were a little Disney-esque, and this more contrived take on the theme felt at odds with what’s otherwise an extremely sleek resort with clever and subdued storytelling.
In contrast, the spa and main pool at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest constitute a seriously stylish focal point. Having been in a bit of a rush on the day we’d booked a treatment, we were picked up by a staff member in a branded golf buggy and driven to the spa to find ourselves mesmerised by the design of this part of the property: a steaming saltwater pool skirted by tree ferns and banana plants felt ultra-contemporary, and a very on-trend cold plunge, a sauna and a relaxation area offered views of the wooded surrounds. Meanwhile, staff kept a watchful eye on the facilities and were at hand when we found ourselves in desperate need of assistance – or, well, an iced tea. Activities like archery or yoga on a deck atmospherically embedded in nature further complement the resort’s well-being offering.
At Nest, the hotel’s main dining outlet (where guests were serenaded by a saxophone player one night of our stay), the team remembered our dietaries without fail and brought out a special vegan menu and plant-based butter each time we sat down for a meal. We dined on confit portobello mushrooms served with green banana mash and tree tomato mousse, as well as crispy polenta with corn velouté and lemon gel, while desserts were just as original (ask for the passion fruit tart with vegan pistachio ice cream, or the plant-based chocolate cigar, a modern take on a classic sweet treat). Poolside, family-style lunches were of the healthy garden-to-table variety, and a special evening at Jack Hanna’s Cottage had us tucking into beetroot and hummus ravioli, slow-roasted vegetables with gremolata and a dark chocolate fondant with vegan vanilla ice cream. Perfection.
When the time came for a night-cap, the team at One&Only Gorilla’s Nest had us take a seat at the Nest Bar, where everything from cardamom-infused vodka and orange-infused tequila is poured as guests sit by the fire, flipping through photography books or playing an oversized game of noughts and crosses. You wouldn’t be the first to make friends with fellow visitors here, to exchange an anecdote or two about the one-of-a-kind experience gorilla trekking is: the primates being as remarkable to encounter as they are, you almost don’t need your stay to be quite this luxurious. But with One&Only having created a truly spectacular nest in the vicinity of the apes’ natural habitat, the adventure has, quite possibly, become even more extraordinary.
Steffen flew with RwandAir, which flies daily from London Heathrow to Kigali, and his journey was arranged with the help of Cheli & Peacock Safaris.
Photography courtesy of One&Only Resorts
