Reviews of Sabyinyo Silverback

"Lovely lodge with friendly staff.

Nigel the manager is rather opinionated.

Some of the staff have a problem with body odour - we had to open the windows and sit outside after 1 staff visit!

Would certainly recommend.

We were downgraded for first 2 nights despite having made our booking nearly a year ago and did not get into our suite until 18.30hrs on 3rd night.

Lodge made my wifes birthday very special." See all these reviews: 4n in Rwanda; 2n in Kenya

"Brand new, fantastic location (though the climb up the hill to reach it is a stiff one), Luxury, pampering, wonderful food - everything we wanted for the last three days of the holiday. I think we were the third set of guests to stay here, and only two chalets were finished.

The reception/dining/ communal rooms were still being built so we were cooked for and fed in a third chalet (what will be a guest bathroom was the kitchen).

But everything about the accommodation, food and service is first class and (even better) the Rwandans are really pleased and excited about this project which promises to give jobs to and train members of the local community. When the guide taking us to visit gorillas learnt we were staying here he insisted upon shaking our hands and even the State Minister for Tourism and Culture (or similar title) turned up during our stay to look at the work in progress.

We did two days of gorilla tracking. On day one we visited the Sabyinyo group and on day two, Susa. It is, as the guide book says, a peerless experience.

I was very worried about the hiking involved but actually we (despite being mid-forties, relatively sedentary lifestyle etc etc) managed it fine and with seemingly less problems than our younger fitter looking companions. This I put down to:

(i) having by this stage in our trip been at altitude for some time and having completed treks to see chimps and golden monkeys, and

(ii) hiring a porter - cameras, water, coats, lunch make for a bulky heavy backpack and clambering under fallen bamboo poles in mud with a backpack is no joke (and the porters need their job!), and

(iii) using two sticks. We took our own, but the guides also provide these – so we slid about in the mud much less than those balancing on one!" See all these reviews: 8n in Rwanda