Guest reviews Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

by Lori L Chicago, Illinois

Incredible Hospitality and Experience

The luxury lodges in Rwanda (which are multiplying rapidly) will all offer spectacular food, views, and comfort. Sabyinyo does all of this well. The food is delicious, views outstanding and the rooms are extremely large and comfortable. Some may view the number of steps to reach the lodge as difficult, but I looked at it as an opportunity to have more dessert. However, where Sabyinyo stands out is in the quality of their staff. My daughter ate or drank something bad (we suspect ice cubes in a drink in Kigali - definitely not at Sabyinyo) and was very ill after our first hike. Seeing how badly she felt, the manager Michael called in a doctor from the local village to check on her. Not only that, but the kitchen arranged to make special food just for her using ingredients they felt would ease her stomach pain, which they brought to her in her cabin. She was visited by staff members hourly to check on her and it felt like every person on the staff was concerned for her. Ultimately we were able to go on a golden monkey trek our final day with my daughter on the mend. Michael also helped me to get reimbursed from my insurance company for the gorilla trek my daughter had to miss. We will remember well the amazing experience trekking the gorillas, but remember just as well the amazing hospitality and caring we experienced at the Sabyinyo lodge.

by 100holly

An unbelievable experience!

The Sabyinyo Lodge is so peaceful and the amazing staff if dedicated to ensuring that their guests have are comfortable and relaxed. Mike, the host and Aurore on staff were especially helpful. The rooms are spacious, well-furnished and clean. The view of the Volcanoes are spectacular and the food amazing!

by William A Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Magical

The Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is simply wonderful. Fabulous location and property and Michael Hughes, the Manager, is one of the best hotel managers I have ever met (and I have met many!) He has great knowledge of his surroundings, and his interaction with guests and staff alike is second to none. The hospitality at this lodge is so personal. Everybody is looked after so well by really attentive and efficient staff, who are always on hand and cannot do enough for you - ever at 5:15 in the morning. Lovely spacious cottages, with plenty of hot water, comfortable beds and pillows. I think all have open fires that are lit whenever you want, hot water bottles, wonderful food and great complimentary wines and cocktails in the bar before dinner, and at lunch and dinner too. Very efficient laundry service, good internet, well stocked shop and great massages available (you'll need them after all that climbing and hiking!) The whole "gorilla experience" is something to behold - truly magical - but everything was so much more comfortable and easy with all the help and resources that Michael and his brilliant, caring team put at your disposal. We would love to return. It was a fabulous experience from beginning to end.

by Patricia W Gainesville, Florida

This Lodge May Be a 10!

We LOVED this lodge. Barbara was the "acting manager" and was so charming and interactive with ALL the guests. She gave us all confidence about finding the gorillas the next day. Peter, the butler, and Cedric, our server, were both very helpful and caring. We were totally impressed with the staff. The cottage (#1) was perfect in every way. We did not use the fireplace because the two small heaters warmed the VERY large room well enough. The hot water was quickly in the shower and we found no complaints with any of this. The food was good. We had two choices at each meal and the choices were both good (we each got different dishes). Alcoholic beverages are INCLUDED in the cost (we were not told this before we went). Again, alcoholic beverages are INCLUDED. The staff is up early to help you dress for the trek to see the gorillas and the golden monkeys. They have gaitors, gloves, backpacks and even boots (we took our own and then gave them to Peter!). There was a LOT of encouragement given to us so that we felt safe to go on this trek. They do provide a small snack - BUT - it is NOT needed because you go right back to the lodge for lunch. We did not even open ours. This lodge is wonderful We would truly go there again.

by LAExplores Los Angeles, California

An Experience You Should Have at Least ONCE in Your Lifetime!

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is tucked away at the base of Volcanoes National Park. It’s an amazing property under the Governors Camp umbrella; with kind and helpful staff, delicious food, as well as spacious and secluded rooms, each with a private patio. Once we arrived, we leisurely walked up the endless number of stairs to the lobby entrance, all while soaking up the beautiful surroundings (keep in mind that the lodge is at an altitude is 8,251 ft, so enjoy the climb!) We were then greeted with cold glasses of lemonade and chilled washcloths, as we began the check-in process. That same night, we were entertained by local dancers and drummers who had been on hiatus since March due to the rainy season. Such a memorable show that ended with all of the lodge guests laughing and dancing on the lawn! Early the next morning we prepared for our very first gorilla trek. We packed hiking boots (I took a pair of Vasque Breeze III GTX), a light Outdoor Research Helium II waterproof rain jacket, and a hat. (BTW baby gorillas love ponytails!) Sabyinyo not only offers gaiters, but helped us put them on our boots. They provided us with garden gloves to protect our hands from the stinging nettles (a plant with stinging leaves) and if you need a backpack, they can provide you with one as well! Sabyinyo also gave us a small bag of snacks that we were able to enjoy before we started our trek back down. <Gorilla Trekking> *There is a short, medium, and long option for your trek. Each option is associated with a length of time. (We chose the medium trek and hiked for an hour and a half to get to our gorilla family) *The journey starts in the early morning with a first stop at an informational meeting with people from different lodges. *At the meeting you’ll meet your guide, the others in your group of 8 (the maximum number allowed per gorilla family in Rwanda) and you’ll be informed as to which gorilla family you’re assigned to. *TIP: Hire a porter! Even if you don’t have anything to carry. They can help you up and down the steep inclines, as well as through the narrow paths up to your gorilla family. When we returned from our trek, the staff at Sabyinyo took off our hiking boots and cleaned them for us! What an incredible gesture of hospitality! 🙏🏽 We also pre-booked massages the day before, which were perfect after three hours of hiking. (And the massage therapist conveniently sets up in your room) On the property at night, there’s an escort to walk you to your room and light up the dark path before you. When you return after the day is over; a cozy fireplace is burning, a rubber hot water bottle is placed under the covers for extra warmth, and beautifully engraved glass jars are on each nightstand, filled with filtered water. Sabyinyo pays GREAT attention to detail! Our trip to Africa was so special because of our experience at Sabyinyo and we’re already planning our next trip back! {And a special thank you to Michael, Peter, Bahati, and Thomas who made it feel like home!} <Misc Info> *The staff speak English *Tipping in US dollars is acceptable and encouraged *Laundry service is available and all articles of clothing are acceptable as well (Normal turn times are 24 hours or less) *Take the community tour and meet the village beekeeper, make flour with the locals, and enjoy the show with drummers, dancers, and a wedding ceremony. *There’s a small gift shop on the Sabyinyo property, with embroidered clothing and local handmade items.