Tag: Destination Spotted Hyena

Virunga Mountains Ecosystem

Volcanoes National Park and the Virunga ecosystem

For many people one of the most memorable sequence ever filmed for a wildlife documentary is David Attenborough’s encounter with mountain gorillas.

Dian Fossey found out how these animals live, and in the process habituated them to human presence. Going to visit the gorillas and spend time with them is on many people’s bucket-list.

More to the point, visits pay for their continued survival, both in terms of protection from poaching, but also making sure people living nearby benefit from the visitors and so are proud and supportive of living nearby.

Because of the David Attenborough clip many people are keen to visit the gorillas, however it is not a cheap ecosystem to protect, and as such many have not done it when they have children. In the past, unless travelling as a group this would rule out doing a gorilla trek, but not here!

A fantastic base for your mountain gorilla trek
Golden monkeys live close by

In our modern day life we are rather removed from the natural world. As such for many a trip into a rainforest is an astounding revelation. Unlike Savannah ecosystems, there is life everywhere – packed in tight.

There are of course many other things to do within the park, including places to stay.

The Singita lodges are great places to stay around your gorilla trek and as a launch pad for your further exploration.

Set on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Singita’s Kataza House and Kwitonda Lodge are two luxurious places to stay before and after your trek to see the gorillas. Sitting on 178 acres of partially forested land, and sharing a 1.2km border with the park, the reserve is part of the ecosystem and therefore is visited by wildlife from the park.

This means that you are not removed from the park, and indeed there are several animals and birds to look out for on the land.

Please note your booking does not come with a gorilla permit, this needs to be booked separately through the park authorities before you travel.

Kwitonda Lodge

Kwitonda Lodge has eight luxurious suites. Each one has indoor and outdoor fires, and breathtaking views of the volcanoes. With its own garden to grow much of the food for your stay on site.

Kataza House

Kataza house is the perfect is a fantastic place for families or small groups of friends to spend together. Consisting of a master suite and junior suite, and two further suites, with cinema, treatment room with a masseuse, and kitchen with the staff to look after you.

If you have children too young to visit the gorillas there is childcare put on at these facilities. It is also possible for them to visit the local golden monkeys troupe, while you are away for the day.

This can be incredibly rewarding and can lead to similarly memorable encounters.

Serengeti House

Serengeti House

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Perhaps one of the more luxurious ways of doing the Serengeti, staying at Serengeti House allows you to structure your time as you wish. Consisting of four suites, two within the main house and two cottages close by, this is a place for a group to enjoy the solitude of the Serengeti in incredible luxury. Waited upon by a team of people, you can enjoy staying in the house where you can enjoy the amenities put on, from massage and snooker or to accompany one of several expert guides out onto the plains around in search of your wilder neighbours.

Serengeti House is a luxurious place to stay. With a 25m private pool pool gym and all the other amenities you could imagine. Each group has the place exclusively. 

The pricing has a comparable daily rate per person compared to staying in other premium lodges, however having four double bedrooms, and only used by one group at a time, here you will enjoy the wilds without crowds. 

With all food included and wine provided at each meal and with all your wildlife drives included in the price, this trip of a lifetime can quickly compare favourably with more public lodges you can stay in.

Kataza House

Kataza House

View of the mountain from inside Kataza house
View of the Mountain from the Kataza house veranda
Kataza house
View from Kataza house bathroom

Katazi House is the way a fantastic place to stay as a group if visiting the mountain gorillas of the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Consisting of a master suite, junior master suite and two further spacious suites. The communal rooms consist of a Cinema, a treatment room for massage and other treatments (staffed) as well as an interactive kitchen with wine celler and a fire pit. Much of the food is local, with  a significant proportion of it grown on site

This spacious house is large enough to take around ten guests and comes with rooms for the staff as well (who will only be there to look after you).

Expect delicious food,  a luxurious house to be your home away from home and a wild experience you will never forget. Katazi House can base its timings around its guests as there is only ever one group there at a time. All the amenities at Kitwonda lodge are also at your disposal during your stay

This is a luxurious place to base yourself while you do your gorilla trek.

Of importance to note, whether you are doing 1 gorilla trek or more than that, there are many other things to see within the park and there are all sorts of other treks you could do to keep you busy for the rest of the week. These activities include though are not limited to golden monkey treks and volcano climbs.

If you are interested in booking this property, or have any questions fill in the form below.

Kwitonda Lodge

Kwitonda Lodge

Kitondwa Lodge
View of the mountain from Kitondwa lodge
Inside of Kitondwa lodge

Kwitonda Lodge is a fantastic base for mountain gorilla trekking within the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda. Sharing a 1.2km border with the park, the lodge is within the ecosystem and there are monkeys and other forest animals that live around the lodge.

Set up to be a luxurious retreat before and after your gorilla trek into the forest. 

Within the property there is also a childcare facility, allowing you to visit the gorillas even if you have children too young to accompany you on the trek. There are a range of activities that children can take part in while you are on your gorilla trek, one notable possibility is visiting the wild golden monkeys living nearby.

The accommodation consists of seven 1 bedroom suites with 270-degree views of the volcanoes and boasts floor-to-ceiling glass
doors.

There is also one 2 bedroom suite, perfect for friends travelling together or families.

If you are interested in this property and would like to know more, or would like to enquire as to availability please fill in the form below.

SINGITA KWITONDA LODGE NO OF UNITS BASIS RACK (USD)

 PEAK SEASON 1 Jun – 31 Oct 2022 & 15 Dec 2022 – 5 Jan 2023

 Suite 7 per adult per night 2 800 Double/Twin per child per night 1 400 Two-Bedroom Suite 1 per suite per night (1-3 guests) 8 400 2 Doubles/Twins per additional adult per night 2 800 Maximum 4 guests per additional child per night 1 400 OFF-PEAK SEASON 6 Jan – 31 May 2022 & 1 Nov – 14 Dec 2022 Suite 7 per adult per night 2 100 Double/Twin per child per night 1 050 Two-Bedroom Suite 1 per suite per night (1-3 guests) 6 300 2 Doubles/Twins per additional adult per night 2 100 Maximum 4 guests per additional child per night 1 050 FEES & LEVIES 6 Jan 2022 – 5 Jan 2023 Singita Conservation & Community Partnership Levy per guest per night 2% of accommodation 

 

Singita Explore

Singita Explore

dining tent
explore tent interior
fire and outdoors
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Where would you like to go? What interests you the most?

If, like me, your answer to these questions might make other people look confused (be it see wild aardvark or close wild encounters or no-one else for miles around) this is the destination for you.

With the freedom of the Lamai triangle, a 400 square km, at your disposal and a multitude of potential places to set up camp, this will be a safari like few others.

The Lamai is an integral part of the Serengeti ecosystem with the migration passing through at times of the year, as well as many predators. With few visitors compared to the Serengeti national park, and with fantastic relationships with the local human population rhino are seen here as well as all the predators, including in recent times wild dog (a species that was wiped out in the Serengeti more than two decades ago).

As with any other Singita lodge, you will live in extreme comfort. It is camping but more than almost anywhere else.  

Taking its design from old landrovers and other items from the safaris of old, you can expect all the luxury of a fancy lodge, but staying somewhere few other people have been, and with no one else staying within miles of you.

 

If you are interested in visiting this incredible place, and would like to check availability and other specifics do fill in the form below. Pricing information is below

Mara river tented camp

Mara River Tented Camp

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The Mara River Tented Camp is totally off-grid, situated on a bend of the Mara river, overlooking one of the places that the migration crosses.

With only one other lodge on this side of the river, and at a distance, you can feel totally at one with the wilderness.

While the wildebeest are only there in high numbers during the migration, there are many resident animals. This includes a healthy population of predators and a number of famous big tusker elephants.

In particular this is where the big cats rule. As with Big Cat Diary, a BBC wildlife show that ran for several years and was very popular (filmed the other side of the river), there are significant numbers of lions leopards and cheetahs who live in the area worldwide.

Enjoy astounding wildlife, luxurious living and incredible tranquillity for your stay. Fall asleep to the sounds of the bush and the Mara river flowing past.

Singita Mara river tented camp is incredible luxury in the wilderness.

There is nothing separating the wild plains from the camp allowing you to feel completely immersed, with a team of people to look after your safety and offer all the creature comforts you could possibly want.

Furthermore, the wildlife guides are exceptionally knowledgeable and will be able to take you to see fascinating things on your game drives.

If you have any questions feel free to fill in the form below, or book this fantastic accommodation from here. Information on pricing lies below the form

Serengeti ecosystem

Serengeti ecosystem - Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crator, Olduvai gorge, Massai mara and other portected reserves

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The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the most famous places in the natural world. Playing host to one of the largest land based migration, where more than 2 million herbivores walk around the ecosystem following the rains.

Consisting of the Serengeti, the Massai Mara, Ngorongoro crater and numerous other reserves, it is a must see for anyone interested in the natural world.

Singita runs two  of these reserves bordering the Serengeti, an area through which the migration passes. This means that by taking your safari with Singita, not only will you have a luxurious safari in this fantastic world famous ecosystem but do so without the crowds.

Grumeti Reserve

Singita Grumeti consists of 1,400 square km of land on the  northern edge of the Serengeti that has been protected since 1994. The migration passes through this area during January to march, and so is an important part of the ecosystem. However, being a private reserve allows a freedom not always available within the main reserve. Furthermore, as it is private you can be sure that there will not be huge crowds of cars around animal kills.

Within this reserve, you have a choice of places to stay: Serengeti House, Faru Faru Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp, Sasakwa Lodge

Places to stay in Grumeti

Faru Faru Lodge

An open spacious lodge that embodies the laid-back feel of Africa, lying in the heart of the Serengeti overlooking a watering hole and the Grumeti river. Luxury awaits.

Sabora Tented Camp

A tented camp, but in the feel of the old Safaris with Persian rugs and beautiful antiques all around. This camp is modelled on the 1920 explorers camps.

Sasakwa Lodge

In the style of an Edwardian home, the accommodation consists of nine spacious cottages each with its own pool. Set on a hill, wide panoramic views greet you in every direction.

Serengeti House

Fantastic for a group of people travelling together. For the exclusive use of one group at a time, you have a staff to cater for your every whim from food to massages and wildlife viewing.

Lamai Reserve

Singita Lamai covers 400 square km of land on also on the northern border of the Serengeti, slightly north and east of Grumeti.

There is only one permanent place to stay within Singita Lamai – Singita Mara river camp. The camp sits overlooking the Mara river, so at the right time of year you can watch the migration from your tent.

The Mara river camp offers opulence on a level which many hotels cannot match – with beautiful shared areas to watch the world and wildlife go by, and incredibly comfortable tents that feel more like hotel rooms.

The other is a brand new idea, a place called Singita Explore. This consists of a far more movable camp (though with a similar feel of extravagant luxury), and a number of possible locations across the Lamai reserve. It is booked for the exclusive use of one party so can be set up to best meet the interests of the visitors. 

Places to stay in Lamai

Mara River Tented Camp

Mara River Tented Camp is an incredibly luxurious place to stay, where you can watch as the migration crosses the river. Sitting on a bend of the river many animals cross close by.

Singita Explore

Singita Explore is a new form of place to stay. It is a movable campsite, that can be set up in a variety of different places across Lamai depending on the interests of the guests.

The Serengeti plays host to one of the most well known migrations on the planet, however there are many other wonderful things to see during the rest of the year.

Sasakwa Lodge

Sasakwa Lodge

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Singita Sasakwa Lodge
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Set on a hill, you can look out on the Serengeti plains in any direction. Consisting of the main lodge in Edwardian style, with nine private cottages and an opulent suite,  is a great place to see the best of wild Serengeti in incredible style. Each dwelling is carefully shielded from the others so as to give you the feeling that you are almost alone in the bush. With verandas giving you incredible views from your room, this is a place to stay in style while enjoying the wilds around it. Regularly rated as one of the best lodges in Africa this will be a holiday you will never forget.

You visit wilderness areas to be in the wild, and when staying in Sasakwa lodge you get fantastic views across the surrounding plains on all sides.

Here you will experience extreme luxury surrounded by outstanding natural beauty. Furthermore you can see the animals pass close to the lodge without fear.

You will be taken on incredible drives by knowledgeable guides, but it is something special to be able to spend down times, just watching the wildlife wander past.

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As the Sasakwa lodge is set within a 350,000 acre private reserve, a knowledgeable guide is necessary, so they know where to look for the animals are at any time. This reserve was formed by the Tanzanian government in 1994 specifically to protect part of the wildebeest migration.

Built to be incredible comfortable as a home away from home, natural stone and wood are found everywhere.

Not only are you in one of the most incredible wild parts of the planet, but will live in luxury for the duration of your stay.

There is a reason Sasakwa is considered one of the best lodges in Africa.

If you have any questions about the lodge or anything else (including cost), or you are interested in visiting this incredible place, fill in the form below.  Pricing is listed below the form

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