Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Trekking & Kenya Safari

Banana Beer Presentation & Tasting - $25 per person, 30 minute activity:
Guests learn the history and process of banana wine making and enjoy a tasting.

*Note: A 30 minute banana beer presentation with tasting is one of the onsite cultural activities included in The Retreat rate. Guests are welcome to book 1 complimentary onsite cultural activity, valid one time only per booking. Please book in advance of arrival.

Guests are welcome to book more than one cultural activity at additional cost.

Banana Beer Making Workshop - $50 per person, 1.5 hour hands-on workshop
Banana beer, or “urwagwa” in Kinyarwanda, is a traditional beer made from fermentation of mashed bananas. In our hands-on workshop, guests learn the step-by-step art of making traditional banana beer, from mashing bananas to grinding and toasting sorghum, to the fermentation process, which ends with a tasting!

NEIGHBORHOOD WALK - $25 per person, 45-60 minutes

Our neighborhood walk offers guests an authentic fun, informative and uniquely personal insight into Rwandan culture and local life in Kigali. A hotel guide will walk with guests through our residential neighborhood called Kiyovu, pass by the presidential compound, walk up the tree-lined streets to the famous Hotel des Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda), and continue to Camp Kigali Memorial which offers insight into the genocide history in Rwanda.

*Note: A 45 minute neighborhood walk is one of the onsite cultural activities included in The Retreat rate. Guests are welcome to book 1 complimentary cultural activity, valid one time only per booking. Please book in advance of arrival.

Guests are welcome to book more than one cultural activity at additional cost.

LOCAL COOKING CLASS - $50 per person, 45 minutes

At Heaven and Fusion Restaurants, we work closely with local farmers, use quality ingredients, and cultivate our own onsite organic gardens. Enjoy an interactive cooking class and learn how to make a modern African recipe!

*Note: A 45 minute cooking class is one of the onsite cultural activities included in The Retreat rate. Guests are welcome to book 1 complimentary onsite cultural activity, valid one time only per booking. Please book in advance of arrival.

Guests are welcome to book more than one cultural activity at additional cost.

COCKTAIL MAKING CLASS - $25 per person (30 minutes)

Guests enjoy the variety, freshness and creativity of our cocktail recipes! Engage in an interactive cocktail making class with our expert baristas, and learn how to make one of our signature cocktails in this hands-on class.

*Note: A 30 minute cocktail making class is one of the onsite cultural activities included in The Retreat rate. Guests are welcome to book 1 complimentary onsite cultural activity, valid one time only per booking. Please book in advance of arrival.

Guests are welcome to book more than one cultural activity at additional cost.

Guests enjoy meeting our onsite tailor, being inspired by our visually enticing Look Book, and ordering custom made clothing and accessories! We have two Made in Rwanda Retail Shops onsite, one at The Retreat and another next door at Heaven Restaurant.

Our hotel concierge may arrange for a half day Fashion Experience, whereby guests have the chance to visit the best local Rwandan fashion boutiques and enjoy the unique opportunity to meet with designers and artisans.

Price per person: Request Rates

Our hotel concierge may organize an Art & Culture experience, to explore art galleries and cultural venues around Kigali.

Price per person: Request Rates

The Rwandan government has restored the natural wetlands in the valley of Kigali City! Bird watching, nature walks and hiking are all highlights in Kigali! Our hotel concierge may plan outings to explore the eco parks and Kigali's best preserved nature reserves.

Price per person: Request Rates

This remarkable community visit covers the history and amazing progress achieved in Rwanda. Owners Josh & Alissa Ruxin moved to Rwanda in 2006 to work on poverty reduction projects and started this work in Nyamata, which was an area hardest hit during the genocide and by famine after the war. Visitors meet with survivors of genocide to hear testimony and reflect on the past, and then visit various locations that demonstrate the incredible hope and progress we see in Rwanda today. Through innovative interventions in health, agriculture, education and micro enterprise, this area is now quite prosperous and is the chosen site for the new Kigali International Airport.

Price per person: Request Rates

One&Only Gorilla’s Nest is an evergrowing garden, teaming with flourishing eucalyptus, roses, butterflies, and birds. Winding through the land, with a walking stick, binoculars, reference books, and iPad in hand; learn about the natural lifecycle here where every plant and tree is chosen to encourage an abundance of wildlife. Taste the flavours of this land with home-made natural walk tea and rose macaroons.

Taste the raw flavours of Rwanda with passionate connoisseurs, hearing the origin story of sustainably grown regional coffee. Feel like an expert, learning to detect each hint of difference in flavour, scent, and colour; understanding what makes the perfect cup of coffee. Enjoy with selected savoury and sweet treats that create the perfect sensorial experience.

A gorilla encounter is like looking into the mirror, noticing the behaviors and traits common to humans.

A warming set-up with a bonfire, blankets, lanterns, drinks, and snacks, hear the stories of the 12 Gorilla families as well as vital information on distance, interactions, and safety. With insight into the behaviours and personalities to look out for; this is a must for guests embarking on a gorilla trek.

Feel warm as you listen to the sounds of the drummer’s beat and the rhythms, dances, stories, and poetry of the neighbouring community, themed around various traditional songs and instruments. Hosted by local talent, these interactive performances provide invaluable support for the local community to continue cultural arts and inspire younger generations to learn traditions.

Discover why Rwandans love cycling so much, venturing through the forest and dramatic volcanic landscape, in this adrenaline-boosting trail, featuring winding turns and gentle climbs across the resort grounds.

Feel connected to the elements in our terrain run and workout. In this scenic trail explore steep gradients, gentle slopes, and cardio workouts. After pushing your body, recuperate and wind down with a full body stretch.

Discover a vibrant forest, alive with colour and sound. Revel in the opportunity to see and photograph an array of birds, including sunbirds, bee-eaters, flycatchers, weavers, kites, eagles and vultures. Equipped with a walking stick, binoculars, reference book and iPad – you’ll feel like an intrepid explorer; enjoying a higher level of connection with nature. Sample homemade ice-tea and crudités made from the chef’s garden.

Surrounded by a sprawling forest and dramatic volcanic mountains, feel heroic as you try your hand at archery with our experience hosts.

Experience the ultimate in relaxation at Hemingways Eden with a spa journey designed to renew your mind, body, and spirit. Choose from a range of indulgent treatments, including soothing massages, revitalizing facials, and energizing therapies, all featuring natural, locally sourced ingredients. In the peaceful and serene surroundings, our skilled therapists will help you unwind and restore balance, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and completely relaxed. Immerse yourself in pure tranquility and elevate your stay with an unforgettable spa experience.

Spa Treatment Room Credit: Hemingways Collection

Safari drives (day & night) take place in some of the Mara’s most coveted vehicles. Each of the four Toyota Land Cruisers is open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors). With just four to six guests each, the Cruisers also have fully-stocked fridges stocked with drinks and snacks. No two days are the same on safari. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, returning for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. However, very often we will go out all day, deep into the Reserve or Conservancy with a packed breakfast and lunch. One visit per guest per 3-night stay

included, additional visits subject to park fees. Very often, our safaris will continue into the night, a possibility because of our location on a private conservancy. Night drives are particularly prolific in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser-known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.

Each of Mara Plains’ guest suites has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure. Each suite comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well. Photographic tuition can be arranged for guests (at an additional cost) and we recommend prior booking if possible. Tuition can be either on company cameras or own guests’ personal cameras.

Hot air ballooning is available, but should be booked in advance and is subject to availability and additional cost. Departures are very early in the morning to allow time to transfer to the nearest launching point.

Safaris with kids are much the same – a time to stimulate all the senses. Safaris open up a whole new world to us all, but for kids it is magical. While new animals are a huge part of the excitement of safari, stepping away from everyday life in favor of spotting animal tracks and practicing your newly learnt traditional bush survival skills is an experience that kids and parents alike will cherish.

The Great Plains Young Explorers Program blends fun with conservation learning. On arrival each child receives a Young Explorers pack full of all that is needed for them to become a Conservation Ambassador. The pack includes an activity book full of interesting information including animal tracks, seTswana or Kiswahili vocabulary, facts on flora, fauna and stars, word games and a safari journal. Great Plains guides and staff seamlessly modify the level of activities according to age.

The Naboisho Women's Group cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk including a tailor hired to work on leather products. Available to guests staying at Great Plains Conservation camps all profits from the sale of their wares are ploughed back into the women's business training to ensure this group is self-sustainable. Items available for purchase include, but are not limited to, beaded & leather products, coasters, bracelets, necklaces, belts, dog collars, earrings, and decorated dawa sticks for example.

A team of fully-qualified driver guides are on hand for vehicle safaris across the conservancy. The specially adapted open vehicles allow for excellent viewing but it is the richness of the game that our guests talk about. All the main safari predators, the rare Grevy zebra and of course the threatened rhino, both black and white, can be viewed in abundance. A particular favourite and well recognised aspect of the area near the lodge are the good elephant numbers. The game drives are on your terms using our experience and are not limited to daylight hours. We often explore the conservancy by night using spotlight and the full moon when it obliges. Lewa offers a very good opportunity to see the Big 5.

One of the most popular ways to explore the conservancy is in a more traditional fashion – on foot. Lewa Wilderness’ expert Masai walking guides, who have lived here all their lives, explore Lewa with guests to really get up close to many of our wild neighbours. Out walking almost nothing is a barrier and ground is covered very easily making the safari experience so much more real. Guests either walk in the early morning or early evening before dark.

With over thirty horses in our stables Lewa Wilderness is well equipped to explore our wilderness. With everything from ponies up, they are able to cater for a wide range of experience levels and have become very accustomed to accommodating groups of mixed ability. They offer extensive exploration on horseback and it is one of the very popular ways to investigate and safari through the open lands to the east of the lodge. For experienced riders full morning or full day rides can be arranged, or spend the night out with the horses and our fly camp!

For something a little out of the ordinary, why not ride a camel! Guests can opt for a short ride in the bush, or for those seeking further adventure Walking Wild is our camel safari operation. This involves a longer camel trek (2 nights minimum) where guests walk across the African plains while the camels and Maasai guides transport the camp.

Visit our 'Shamba' ( Farm ) where we grow all the fresh fruit and vegetables for the lodge. There are cows, chickens and goats free range down here too. We try and be as self sustaining as possible, and this is a lovely place to explore.

Join us on the farm for a guided “back of house” tour ending in our organic garden with a freshly cooked lunch beneath the Mango trees. Such a special atmosphere celebrating our ethos of sustainable living at Wilderness.

Drive or walk to your exclusive campsite for the night and spend the evening around the campfire. Our fly camp is simple but extremely comfortable, with hot bucket showers and cosy tents, there is a mosquito dome option for those who want to sleep under the stars. For advanced horse riders we can also ride there. This experience ensures adventure in comfort.

There is a fully equipped gym at the lodge.

Lewa Wilderness provides employment and training to local people through Lewa Crafts Furniture and Kifuma Weaving project. All of the beautiful furniture in the lodge is designed and created in our workshop, fashioned out of salvaged acacia wood and crafted into unique designs. The carpet weaving uses natural wool, spun and woven by hand into beautiful rugs for sale in our gift shop. Guests are welcome to visit both projects and see the craftsmanship at first hand.

The nearby Ngare Ndare Forest offers a different ecosystem to explore, with a treetop canopy walk and spectacular waterfalls where you can swim and enjoy a picnic lunch. This is a full day trip.

For those guests interested in the local traditional culture, there is an authentic Maasai village where guests can spend the day enjoying a unique experience interacting with amazing people. This is a full day trip.

Air Wilderness is able to offer scenic flights straight from the lodge in our cessna 206 which takes up to 4 passengers. Fly to RETETI Elephant Orphanage for their morning feed, or cruise low level along the Ewaso Ng'iro River and stop for a sundowner in a remote location. Air Wilderness can also be chartered privately to take you wherever you need to go across Kenya. Unfortunately our WACO Biplane is still unavailable due to us redoing the licences.