Western Rwanda
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is a relatively new four-star property with modern facilities that still retains an intimate ambience. Attractions include a large swimming pool, sun lounging area and beautiful sandy beach on the shore of Lake Kivu. The hotel is used by a mixture of NGO workers, ardent naturalists, wealthy Rwandans and foreign tourists.
There are sixty-six rooms including twenty-three family rooms and six suites. All the rooms are clean and comfortable and are well furnished. Each room is equipped with air-conditioning, satellite TV, direct-dial telephone and en suite bathroom with both shower and tub.
There is a large dining room with additional outside seating where both buffet and a la carte meals are available. The food is good and samples both regional and international cuisine. There is also a well-stocked bar and terrace where evening entertainment is available most nights. Boat trips to watch the emergence of thousands of fruit bats at dusk are popular with the guests.
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool, beach chairs, 24 hour room service, gift shop,
Optional Activities
Boat trips and water sports on the lake and trekking in the local hills.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
Only around 90 minutes’ drive from Volcanoes National Park, Lake Kivu Serena Hotel can be used as a good base for gorilla watching. It means an early start, but the reward is that you can watch gorillas in the morning and relax on the beach in the afternoon: a truly unique combination.
If you have any questions regarding our Rwanda tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Everyone we ran into in Rwanda was so friendly, kind and proud of their country. The service they provided was excellent. We had a wonderful time getting to know them better.
Our guide was AMAZING. We got to know more about Rwanda and its people because we spent so much time with him. He stopped frequently to point out all the different birds to us or show us a particular view. He helped us get on the gorilla hikes that suited our fitness and interests. He let us know exactly how each day was going to play out so we could be ready with the right clothing and water / snacks.
All the guides for the tours were very knowledgeable and quite entertaining. They were concerned with our enjoyment and our safety. The porters were invaluable – they not only carried your pack (filled w. camera equipment & water) but also helped us up the steep grades and along ledges.
The landscape was as spectacular as the wildlife in Rwanda. Pictures do not do it justice. Seeing three different gorillas families was the highlight but there was so much more to see. The Golden monkeys were gorgeous. Nyungwe was a beautiful park filled with primates and birds. We saw chimps, mona, vervet , blue, mangabeys, mountain and colobus monkeys.
We changed one of the tours (the waterfall one) and went birding for an entire day instead. We saw tonnes of birds including a Great Blue Turaco and many different kinds of sunbirds and hawks.
One day we will get to the UK and actually the meet the wonderful people who plan these incredible vacations for us. Thank you for all the help you give us.