Rwanda Honeymoon: Luxury Gorillas & Lake Kivu

Today you journey north from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, through the glorious scenery of the Land of a Thousand Hills, past endless terraced slopes, banana groves and neat villages, with the misty Virunga volcanoes rising ahead; for a truly romantic flourish, a private helicopter transfer over the hills and lakes can be arranged. On arrival you settle into a sumptuous forest lodge at the foot of the volcanoes, with roaring fireplaces, a deep bathtub, a private terrace and gourmet cuisine, the perfect honeymoon sanctuary. In the afternoon you might enjoy a couples spa treatment, visit a coffee cooperative, or simply relax together by the fire as mist drifts over the peaks. As the day ends, you share a candlelit dinner at your lodge, filled with anticipation. Rest well tonight, for tomorrow brings an unforgettable morning together with the mountain gorillas.

Today you share the profoundly romantic centrepiece of your honeymoon: tracking wild mountain gorillas together. After breakfast and a briefing at park headquarters, you set out with expert rangers and trackers into Volcanoes National Park, climbing through bamboo and dripping montane forest on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes; porters carry your things so you can simply savour the adventure. When you reach the group, your permitted hour begins: a mighty silverback at rest, mothers cradling infants, youngsters tumbling and playing just metres away. To sit side by side among these gentle giants in the wild is a shared moment of wonder you will treasure forever. As the day ends, you return to your lodge for a warming soak, a couples spa treatment and a celebratory candlelit dinner by the fire. Rest well, glowing from an unforgettable day among the volcanoes.

This morning you share a gentler, easier trek to find the rare and playful golden monkeys, endemic to the Virungas, leaping through the bamboo in flashes of amber fur, a delightful and romantic morning together in the forest. In the afternoon you are transferred down to beautiful Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Lakes, through more glorious terraced scenery, arriving at an elegant lakeside sanctuary. You settle into your romantic lakeshore suite as the sun sinks over the water and fishermen paddle home singing, trading the cool mountains for the warm, dreamy atmosphere of the lake. As the day ends, you share a candlelit dinner by the water, savouring fresh lake tilapia and a glorious sunset. Rest well tonight, for the coming days on Lake Kivu are yours to spend together in blissful, secluded relaxation.

Today is yours to enjoy together on beautiful Lake Kivu, a blissful honeymoon day of pure relaxation. The lake is vast, calm and safe, fringed by green hills, sandy coves and quiet beaches, and its warm, bilharzia-free water is perfect for swimming. You might take a private boat among the little islands, indulge in a couples spa treatment, swim from a secluded cove, or simply laze on a lounger with a good book and cool drinks, watching the graceful fishing boats glide by. As the afternoon fades you enjoy private sundowners on the water as the sky turns gold and the volcanoes glow on the horizon. As the day ends, you share a candlelit dinner by the shore. Rest well amid the peace, beauty and romance of Lake Kivu, with another blissful day together to look forward to tomorrow.

Another blissful day on beautiful Lake Kivu awaits, to spend exactly as you wish. You might kayak together along the shoreline, cycle or stroll a scenic section of the Congo Nile Trail past coffee farms and welcoming villages, visit a lakeside coffee estate to taste Rwanda's celebrated beans at source, or take a private boat to a quiet island for a romantic picnic. Equally, you might simply do nothing at all, savouring the seclusion, the spa and each other's company in this glorious setting. As the afternoon fades, you enjoy a final round of sundowners on the water, the lake shimmering gold beneath the hills. As the day ends, you share a special candlelit farewell dinner by the shore, reflecting on your honeymoon. Rest well amid the beauty and romance of Lake Kivu, ready to return to Kigali tomorrow with a treasure of shared memories.

After a final, relaxed morning by Lake Kivu, perhaps a last swim or a lakeside coffee together, you are transferred back to Kigali through the glorious Land of a Thousand Hills, winding past terraced ridges, misty valleys and busy roadside markets, a final immersion in Rwanda's green beauty. On arrival in the capital you have time to explore a little more together, revisiting the craft markets for keepsakes and Rwandan coffee, or visiting the moving Kigali Genocide Memorial if you wish, before relaxing at your stylish hotel. This evening you share a final romantic dinner in one of Kigali's excellent restaurants, reflecting on the gorillas, the luxury lodges and the dreamy days on Lake Kivu. As the day ends, you gather your shared memories of this beautiful, moving country. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, glowing from an unforgettable honeymoon in Rwanda.

After a final morning in clean, calm Kigali, perhaps a last coffee together or some keepsake shopping in a craft cooperative, you are privately transferred to Kigali International Airport for your onward departure. You leave having shared the most romantic of beginnings to married life: a profoundly moving morning among wild mountain gorillas in the Virunga volcanoes, the playful golden monkeys, the comfort and indulgence of Rwanda's finest lodges, and dreamy, secluded days on beautiful Lake Kivu, all amid the emerald scenery of the Land of a Thousand Hills. The images stay vivid long after you land: the calm eyes of a silverback shared side by side, the firelit forest lodge, and the golden sundowners on the lake. Rwanda offers wonder, romance, luxury and warmth in abundance, and you depart hand in hand, already dreaming of a return to this beautiful land together.