Reviews of Sabyinyo Silverback

"Extremely attentive staff! Birdwatching walk with staff member on the grounds was lovely. Fairly good vegan options available, and the staff was very mindful and aware of dietary restrictions in our group. The standalone cottages were cosy and well-appointed, and the setting is gorgeous. We appreciated the fireplaces (fires started by staff).

A small drawback was a hard-sell from the manager regarding tips and community support (suggesting quadruple the levels recommended by Expert Africa!?), when we felt we'd been doing our part to support the community by selecting this lodge. The staff were very knowledgable about what was needed to make the treks happen (lunches, gaiters, gloves, backpacks)!" See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya; 6n in Rwanda

"A beautiful property with fantastic rooms with amazing views and all the amenities.

The pictures do not do it justice at all. It is 5 stars through and through.

The food was incredible and the service was fantastic." See all these reviews: 5n in Seychelles; 3n in Rwanda; 3n in Botswana; 1n in Zimbabwe

"Amazing place ! Rachel, the manager - fantastic woman !!!

There is huge gap compare to others ... so please don't replace her by anyone else during the stay of one group of people" See all these reviews: 4n in Rwanda

"Of all the safari lodges we stayed at various destinations, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge was one of the best.

The views are stunning, the lodge is beautifully decorated, the food was delicious and the service was absolutely excellent. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We particularly enjoyed relaxing in front of the fireplace in our room after a long trek.

We were very sad to leave this lodge towards the end of our trip." See all these reviews: 9n in Rwanda

"Fantastic service and a really relaxing place to stay. The community walk was a wonderful bonus - well worth doing and for anyone interested in birds so too was the bird walk" See all these reviews: 6n in Rwanda

"It was a bit like in the time of the colonies, the charming director was a white kényan and was very helpful. Every evening we had a drink with all the guests shearing our experiences with the gorillas.

The food was delicious and the staff very pleasant" See all these reviews: 8n in Rwanda

"I had a suite, which was spacious and comfortable, with great views over to Mount Bisoke. In the evening I could hear the villagers going about their business - children chattering, singing and drums. It was so beautiful in the early evening relaxing after the days exertions, with a glass of wine on my terrace. The food was excellent, and lots of it, with snacks and packed lunches if you weren't back at the lodge for lunch. I liked the personal dining - the group dining experience one often encounters can sometimes be a little tiring! The staff were helpful and charming, without being intrusive. I recommend the massage. Peter looked after me very well. All in all, a most wonderful stay.

While the 198 steps weren't not a problem for me, it's worth mentioning to guests who may not be as fit!

Below - I haven't commented on activities because these were arranged separately to the lodge." See all these reviews: 5n in Rwanda; 4n in Tanzania

"Beautiful lodge. On arrival, be warned there are 190 steps from the car park up to reception. One of the staff carried by fairly heavy bag on his head all the way up! I gather that they are in the process of building a ramp/series of ramps to improve accessibility.

Friendly personal greeting from Philip and Chrissie who manage the lodge as well as hot towel and a soft drink on arrival.

Lovely accommodation in individual bungalows with your own personal attendant to make bed, change towels take your washing to be done and replenish water [from their own bore hole/spring which is filtered]. comfy beds, electric heaters and a fire can be lit if necessary. Hot water bottles in bed too. Lovely food and good choice. All staff extremely attentive and welcoming

Early start for Gorilla trekking. Be down at reception at 6.00am, they put gaiters on you, give you a snack bag to take for the trek and provide gloves [ for gripping the undergrowth and in case of nettles.] Quick breakfast [cooked or continental] Then off to the Park Centre to be allocated the Gorilla family [ one of ten that are habituated to humans.....they also have another ten families for research only] that you will be visiting. You can specify easy, medium or more difficult treks but as the Gorillas move about from one day to the next there are no real guarantees.

I did 2 treks the first was about 90-120mins but not much elevation and we saw about 20 Gorillas including a three day old baby. The next day it was a shorter trek but much steeper and the landscape and vegetation were different so it was a nice contrast. On that occasion we saw about 16 gorillas who were much more active and were interacting, grooming, playing, climbing trees and eating bark from the trees.

It was all first rate and thoroughly enjoyable and very memorable.

When you arrive back at the lodge, they insist on taking your gaiters and boots off and cleaning the boots for the next day!" See all these reviews: 12n in Rwanda

"Wonderful staff and directors of lodge. Friendly and knowledgeable. Excellent accommodations. Interesting guests. Nice cocktail hour before dinner.

Muddy boot cleaning and laundry was very well appreciated.

Food was well presented but I personally did not find it as much to my liking has some of the other places. I think this is more of a personal perspective than a criticism.

Accommodated vegetarian diet very well." See all these reviews: 8n in Rwanda; 4n in Tanzania

"A perfect environment for the purpose of our visit to Rwanda, the gorilla trekking.

The staff was a pleasure to be with, willing to make suggestions for activities to compliment the trekking.

Would strongly recommend this lodge to other guests.

We arranged a private guide for this trip, and these travellers commented:

Simba was an excellent guide/companion. Logistically, he was on time, fully aware of the mechanics of our trip, well able to direct our daily schedule. He was a pleasure to be with, extremely knowledgeable, fully able/willing to discuss the many questions/concerns that we had with Rwanda.

At our request, Simba helped facilitate our visit to the Genocide Museum, a stop that we thought imperative to the understanding of Rwanda." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 4n in Rwanda; 3n in Zanzibar