Singita Kwitonda opened on 1 August 2019 as the conservation-focused group's first Rwanda property, occupying what is arguably the most consequential piece of land among the Volcanoes lodges.
178 acres of former agricultural land sitting directly on the park boundary, functioning simultaneously as a guest property and an active buffer zone in the ongoing expansion of gorilla habitat. The lodge takes its name from Kwitonda, a well-known silverback recognised for his gentle, cautious temperament.
Rooms
Eight one- and two-bedroom suites plus Kataza House, a four-bedroom exclusive-use villa suited to families or private groups. Every suite includes a heated plunge pool and outdoor fireplace, with views toward Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura. Construction drew on more than 500 local artisans and builders, with volcanic stone walls, woven ceilings and hand-fired terracotta brickwork sourced and executed locally rather than imported.
The land itself
What distinguishes Kwitonda most clearly is the working conservation function of its own grounds. Since opening, the property has been actively rewilded, with the boundary between private land and park forest increasingly merging — buffalo, forest elephants and golden monkeys now venture onto the grounds with some regularity, alongside forest bird species not typically seen outside the park.
The on-site Akarabo Nursery grows both food produce for the kitchens and tree saplings for the broader reforestation effort, doubling as a genuinely engaging space for meals or sundowners.
Beyond trekking
Guests have access to the Singita Community Culinary School, nature walks and birdwatching led by resident conservationists, and visits to the nearby Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund campus and Karisoke Research Center.
Who it suits
Travellers already drawn to the Singita brand from East or Southern Africa; conservation-focused guests wanting a property whose own land is doing active restoration work rather than merely funding it elsewhere; and families or groups of up to eight, given Kataza House's configuration.