Description
Mikeno Lodge is the only luxury accommodation in Virunga National Park. This is Virunga National Park’s first lodge opening for tourists in July of 2011. Centered between three main tourist attractions, it is a perfect location to begin treks to see the gorillas, chimpanzees, and Nyiragongo volcano. Nestled among the trees of a virgin forest, the weather is cool, the views spectacular, and the lodging luxurious.
Despite its outstanding lodging facilities, visitors can also enjoy the hidden natural wonders around this accommodation facility. Mikeno Lodge is a spacious, luxurious and private facility that comes with the most wonderful valley views for visitors who get into the Virunga National Park for various reasons.
Location
The Lodge is a one and half hour drive from Goma town and it provides large bungalows and incredible restaurant. It is located on a forested hillside at Virunga National Park headquarters of Rumangabo. To the east is the Mikeno Gorilla Sector, and to the southwest is Nyiragongo Volcano. To the west, the chimpanzee treks begin in the forests of Tongo.
Facilities
The Lodge and restaurants are situated around the forest and they provide wonderful views of the rift valley and Nyiragongo and Mikeno volcanoes. While at Mikeno, higher chances are that visitors encounter the best experiences especially during nature walks and community visit.
Dining, Bar, and Lounge:
As you enter the main lodge you will receive a warm welcome before descending steps into a spacious lounge and bar. Adjacent to the lounge, the dining room offers full-course meals included in the price of your stay. Both the bar and dining area open onto a large terrace providing the perfect location for a relaxing drink and sharing of the day’s activities.
Accommodation:
Your private bungalow is made from lava stone with a natural thatch roof and a mahogany deck. The roomy interior includes cozy lounge seating around a stone fireplace, comfortable bedroom area, and a large bathroom equipped with hot-water shower and bath. On cool nights, the fireplace warms the bungalow, while on warm afternoons your private terrace provides a prime position for spotting the Blue and Colobus monkeys or baboons that use the surrounding trees as their playground.
Each of the 12 bungalows contains either a double or two single beds, giving the lodge a capacity of 24 guests. When combined with the use of a boardroom at the nearby park headquarters, the lodge is a perfect location for small conferences in a peaceful setting.
Activities:
The close proximity of the lodge to the Senkwekwe Center means guests have the opportunity to visit the four orphan gorillas living in a spacious natural enclosure with viewing platforms around the periphery. A 30-minute nature walk along a forest trail that encircles the hilltop is available for those who enjoy stretching their legs.
Whether your stay is the starting point for gorilla, volcano, and chimp adventures, or purely for a relaxing time-out in a peaceful location, Mikeno Lodge provides an indulgent experience among the wildlife and beauty of Virunga National Park.
Nature walks and community visits are one way that visitors can perfectly explore in depth the hidden natural wonder that are in and a round Virunga national park.
Among other unique things for visitors’ discovery include; bird species, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, colobus monkeys and baboons. Mikeno Lodge is just more than decent lodging facilities and services but a place to explore the hidden wild creatures in Virunga National Park.
