Reviews of Mountain Gorilla View
Wildlife sightings and reviews
114 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Mountain Gorilla View and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
100% success
24% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
"2nd stay at MGVL"
Would stay there again." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 5n in Rwanda; 3n in Zambia
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
The room itself was comfortable and large, with a nice view. It felt very private even though there were other bungalows nearby. It was a little bit of a long walk to the lodge, and when we wanted to ask for more firewood, we had to walk all the way back to the lodge since there is no way of calling the front desk.
We had a very pleasant time. The food was good -- buffet style." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 4n in Rwanda
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
Large bed/lounge area with open fire which was lit for us by one of the staff. There was an electric kettle of sorts; not a type seen before - a small jug which only just warmed the water. The shower/wash room, which was huge, left quite a lot to be desired; the shower head was mounted close to the corner of two walls and as a result you could not adequately cover yourself with water. The shower area floor should have anti-slip paint applied or mats to prevent possibly slipping. The wash basin had no plug.
The choice and quality of the food was just about average. Have not previously had the pleasure of eating cold toast - not to be recommended." See all these reviews: 6n in Rwanda; 6n in Kenya
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
The food was excellent. We had lots of vegan options which was wonderful.
The staff were all very accommodating. The fact that we could rent gaiters (prior to trekking) was great. Perhaps knowing this prior to the trip would have been helpful as I wasn't sure whether or not to pack our gaiters - which would take up valuable suitcase space.
It was also wonderful that the staff cleaned our hiking boots after our very muddy trek!" See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 4n in Rwanda
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
We would recommend people visiting the nearby lakes on a birdwatching trip." See all these reviews: 6n in Rwanda
"A sprawling hotel in a fantastic location"
Food was buffet style but a huge choice and all very tasty and freshly cooked. Staff were very polite and attentive.
Lovely coffee bar and a roaring fire in communal areas at night and brilliant wifi.
We loved the boot cleaning service and the after trek foot massage!
Plenty of grounds to relax in and a daily local dance show" See all these reviews: 11n in Rwanda
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge"
The meal service is buffet style with plenty of choices and all very good." See all these reviews: 5n in Rwanda
"Mountain Gorilla View Lodge review"
There are now over 40 cabins, so it's not a small lodge, but having spent 5 nights there, it was nice to bond with other giuests, some of whom we later saw during our subsequent travels in Rwanda (which allowed us to have mini-reunions, of sorts). They are constructing some new units (numbers 40 and above, as I recall), and these are not nearly as charming as the single cabins with fireplaces that comprise the older part of the grounds. I would avoid these.
The chefs worked very hard, the buffets contained a bountiful assortment of foods, and we especially enjoyed the coffee bar, where cappuccinos and lattes could be ordered.
We did have one day where we lost water pressure, but management worked diligently to get things running again. In the evenings, we had a few extremely brief power outages, but nothing that lasted long. The bathrooms aren't luxurious, but they are perfectly functional, and the beds were very comfortable.
All in all, we'd be happy to stay again at Gorilla Mountain View Lodge." See all these reviews: 13n in Rwanda
"Gorilla Mountain View Lodge review"
Being close to the start of the trekking is a plus.
A slight downside for us was that the meals were buffets rather than a la carte, but the food was good and there were lots of options, including local options which we very much appreciated experiencing. Being able to order a freshly made omelet at breakfast was also a plus.
The staff was friendly and helpful. We appreciated the extra touches of a nice fire being built for us in the room and the hot water bottles in the bed. We were also traveling with an elderly friend us who had sprained a knee in a wheelie bag incident in Charles de Gaulle airport, and had some difficultly getting around. So for one night and one breakfast we asked if someone could bring the meal to her room. So one of us worked with a staff member to pick out what we wanted, and they delivered everything for the three of us to her room and came back to pick up later. It was quite lovely!
These travellers trekked up to see the gorillas, and commented:
Fabulous!
We were very fortunate to have the well known and entertaining guide Francoise. He is very knowledgeable about the gorillas having been working with them since Dian Fossy's time. We had a great time with him.
Our group was Kwitonda, a large group of 29, which we saw probably a dozen of including lots of young ones who were very actively playing and generally showing off. It was so amazing to be so close to them and them completely unconcerned. In fact we had to keep backing up to avoid making physical contact.
We reached them fairly easily, which was great since one of our group was elderly and had sustained a sprained knee on the way to Rwanda and had to be carried the entire way in a litter. The porters did a wonderful job getting her up and back while also giving others a hand as needed.
All in all we couldn't have hoped for a better experience." See all these reviews: 3n in Rwanda
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