Scrabble and a roaring fire: recipe for a cosy weekend at The Peak Spot Lodge, Rwanda
Apr 27, 18
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Intore traditional dancers perform at Kinigi, start of the gorilla tracking in Rwanda

A weekend by an open fireplace at The Peak Spot Lodge “Jewel of the Virunga” a few minutes’ drive from the start of Rwanda’s Mountain Gorilla tracking

volcanoes view Peak Spot Lodge Kinigi

TIP: get up early to view the morning mist swirling around the volcanoes in the distance!

I recently spent two nights at The Peak Spot Lodge near Kinigi while researching an ecotourism guide to gorilla tracking.  The Peak Spot is a cosy independently-owned lodge ideally located for travellers going gorilla tracking in Rwanda. It’s also a lovely place to just chill out.

This lodge is slightly off the beaten track, but absolutely worth it! You will not hear a vehicle the whole time you’re there.

moto ride Peak Spot Kinigi gorilla lodge

The last few kilometres to The Peak Spot Lodge are on dirt roads, where progress is slow enough to smile and wave back at the villagers shouting “hello friend”

Diary of a Muzungu motorbike Kinigi Rwanda

An invigorating start to the day: sunshine, fresh air and the smell of Eucalyptus

Every morning I travelled by moto (boda boda) motorbike taxi from The Peak Spot to the start of the gorilla tracking at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi. Here I mingled with tourists, watched the excellent Intore traditional dancers and interviewed some of the rangers who monitor, track, protect – and love – Rwanda’s mountain gorillas.

The drive by motorbike from The Peak Spot to Kinigi took 25 exhilarating minutes door-to-door. I was filming much of the way, enjoying incredible scenery and views of traditional village life. Most of the drive is on an excellent tarmac road that winds along to Kinigi itself.

It can be rather chilly in the mountains (especially for those of us who are used to the year-round warmth of Kampala!) but the lodge staff lit an open fire for us every time we sat down to eat or drink. The all-rounder staff member Alexis always knew when to put another log on the fire or come and refill our drinks. (It’s hard work playing Scrabble and listening to rock music you know!) He was also there to fill up our hot water bottles and tuck them under the bed covers for us. (Each bedroom also has a heater and a hot shower of course).

open fireplace Kinigi Peak Spot Rwanda

The lure of an open fire

Scrabble, Guinness

“I hate Scrabble” I moaned until my competitive streak kicked in! A whole weekend marathon of Scrabble followed

Dinner was a simple but filling three-course meal of soup, main course and dessert. The Peak Spot has a well-stocked bar. We felt right at home when we noticed the bar stocked our favourite tipples (Uganda Waragi and Bond 7 respectively) but don’t forget to try a local beer too! Mutzig goes down a treat.

close gorilla encounter Rwanda's Susa family

A close encounter with a member of Rwanda’s Susa family. Click on the image to link through to my “Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla tracking”

Gorilla tracking certificate Rwanda. Diary of a Muzungu

Everyone who goes gorilla tracking in Rwanda goes home with a certificate. Bragging rights, yay! My hour with the Susa gorilla family was action-packed

Between daydreams of gorillas and chatting around the fireplace at The Peak Spot, we ran out of time to taste banana wine or go on the community walk to the neighbouring village. I did enjoy walking around the lodge gardens however. The recycled Heineken beer bottle borders to the paths gave an unusual touch to the garden’s design.

How to travel to The Peak Spot from Kigali

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in a wide variety of lodges across East Africa. “Planes, trains and automobiles,” I’ve done the lot. On this occasion, we travelled by public transport between Kampala and Kinigi, and it could not have been easier.

Leaving The Peak Spot, we rode motos directly to Musanze (for 2,000 Rwandese francs) to catch a coaster to Kigali (for 1,750 Rwandese francs). From Nyabugogo bus park in central Kigali, we jumped on the Jaguar overnight coach back to the Pearl of Africa.

Peak Spot Lodge Kinigi Rwanda

The Peak Spot “Jewel of the Virunga” is a great base for gorilla tracking, hiking and more

The Peak Spot opened two years ago and currently has one family cottage and three rooms, from $75/night. Two more cottages are being built. This rate includes breakfast lunch and dinner and a sauna. Tents are also available for $20 per person per night (to sleep two or four people).

Family cottage The Peak Spot Kinigi, gorilla tracking lodge well-stocked bar, The Peak Spot Kinigi, gorilla tracking lodge Rwanda sauna area, The Peak Spot Kinigi, gorilla tracking lodge Rwanda banda and gardens, The Peak Spot Kinigi, gorilla tracking lodge Rwanda

The lodge has Wi-Fi and a small shop that sells some very cool T-shirts. The lodge even has a sauna! (I will have to come back to try that out). There are also plans to hire a masseur.

Thanks very much to Habib, Alexis, Benon (and all the behind-the-scenes staff that I did not meet). They gave lots of useful advice on the costs of public transport, the weather, what to wear, where to change money, called motos every time we needed one, and more. If you’re looking for an authentic Rwandese experience, at an affordable rate, look no further.

You can contact The Peak Spot via their web site or call +250 788441652. Please say the muzungu sent you 😉

Are you interested in tracking the gorillas in Rwanda? Then get in touch with the muzungu for more travel ideas and gorilla tracking tips.

2 thoughts on “Scrabble and a roaring fire: recipe for a cosy weekend at The Peak Spot Lodge, Rwanda”

  1. Hooyos House says:

    You are so lucky. Uganda is a beautiful place and i love the work your doing. I’m from Somalia which is not far away and I have just started a Somali Blog.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Uganda is incredibly beautiful and so is next door Rwanda – although Rwanda doesn’t have the diversity of habitats that the Pearl of Africa has.
      Good luck with your blog! Writing a blog is one of the best things I’ve done with my life – it has taken me to many places.

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