NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK

Munazi Eco Lodge

This relatively small lodge sits among tea plantations and eucalyptus stands near Nyungwe, marking the agricultural buffer zone around the forest. The altitude keeps temperatures cool throughout the year, and views extend across layered ridgelines toward the park boundary where montane rainforest begins.

Built with an emphasis on local materials and low environmental impact, the lodge maintains a modest footprint with a handful of guest rooms and a small central building for dining and gathering. Rooms are simply furnished but comfortable, using timber, brick, and locally made textiles suited to the highland climate. Verandas face the surrounding hills, and the atmosphere remains quiet even when the lodge is fully occupied. Guests typically use the place as a base for Nyungwe activities, returning after forest walks or chimpanzee tracking to a low key setting without the formality of larger operations nearby.

Inside the Lodge

Location

The lodge is located in the Nyamasheke District near the western edge of Nyungwe National Park. Road access from Kigali takes approximately five to six hours, while the main park trailheads and the Uwinka Visitor Centre can be reached within a short morning drive.

Rooms

Accommodation consists of a small number of rooms with double or twin bed configurations, each with an en suite bathroom, desk, and private veranda. Interiors use brick walls, timber ceilings, and simple furnishings, while hot water and electricity are available throughout the day.

Amenities

A central dining area serves home cooked meals using locally sourced ingredients, with vegetarian options available on request. Staff assist with park logistics, transport coordination, and guided walks, while laundry service and basic WiFi are offered to guests during their stay.

Unique Experience

The small scale of the operation allows for flexibility in scheduling and a more personal level of service than larger lodges typically provide. Guests interested in community interaction can arrange visits to nearby villages and tea cooperatives through the lodge staff.

Nearby Experiences

Chimpanzee Tracking

Habituated communities occupy territories within the forest, located each morning by trackers before you set out. An hour with a group allows you to observe feeding behaviour, social dynamics, and vocalizations carrying across the valley.

Canopy Walkway

A suspension bridge hangs above the forest valley, positioning you at the level of the middle and upper canopy. The forest opens beneath while birds and monkeys move through branches at eye level. The structure spans a section where the valley drops away and treetops form an unbroken surface below.

Colobus Monkey Tracking

Troops of Angola colobus gather in numbers rare elsewhere, their black and white coats visible against green canopy. Following them leads you through forest sections where multiple primate species share the same trees. The monkeys tolerate close approach, allowing you extended observation without the time restrictions applied to chimpanzee visits.

Birdwatching

The forest holds Albertine Rift endemics found in few other locations, including Ruwenzori turacos and red-collared babbler. Guided walks bring you through zones where mixed flocks move through understory and canopy simultaneously. Specialist guides identify calls that reveal species hidden in dense vegetation around you.

Waterfall Hikes

Trail networks lead to waterfalls scattered throughout the forest, some requiring full-day hikes through the interior. Routes bring you through sections where the canopy closes overhead and streams cut through the slope.

Our Immersive Safaris

6 Day Rwanda Big Five & Gorilla Safari
A compact Rwanda safari combining Akagera’s restored savannah wilderness with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Begin with game drives and a boat safari among lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes.
7 Day Rwanda Highlights Safari
A beautifully paced Rwanda journey through rainforest, lake country, and volcanic forest. Begin in Kigali before travelling to Nyungwe for chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walkway, continue to Lake Kivu.
3 Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari
Travel from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking in the Virunga foothills, with time for forest scenery, lodge comfort, and an optional cultural or golden monkey experience before returning to Kigali at a graceful, unhurried pace.
5 Day Rwanda Primates Safari
A focused primate safari through Rwanda’s two most important forest regions. Begin in Nyungwe Forest with chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walkway before travelling north to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking.
12 Day Rwanda Luxury Safari
A refined Rwanda journey combining restored savannah, ancient rainforest, lakeside calm, scenic cycling, and volcanic gorilla country. Travel through Kigali, Akagera, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu, and Volcanoes National Park
9 Day Best of Rwanda Safari
A complete Rwanda journey linking the country’s most rewarding landscapes: Akagera’s restored savannah, Nyungwe’s ancient rainforest, Lake Kivu’s quiet shores, and Volcanoes National Park’s gorilla forests.