Luxury Hotels Atlas / The Maison / Volcanoes Safaris
Volcanoes Safaris hotels
Small lodges place gorilla and chimpanzee trekking at the heart of an East African journey.
Volcanoes Safaris makes intimate lodge stays around gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda and Uganda. Founded by Praveen Moman, the specialist collection places its lodges close to those habitats, with addresses including Virunga, Bwindi, Mount Gahinga, Kyambura Gorge, and Kibale.
2 Volcanoes Safaris hotels in 2 countries on the Luxury Hotels Atlas, each placed on the six LHA Tiers.
- Founded by Praveen Moman
- Worldwide: 5 lodges, in Rwanda and Uganda. The public atlas files 2
- On the atlas: 2 High Luxury
History
Volcanoes Safaris developed its lodges around gorilla and chimpanzee habitats in Rwanda and Uganda. Community work became part of that geography, including Mount Gahinga’s Batwa village project and Bwindi Bar. At Kyambura, the gorge and a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute connect the lodge to the wider conservation story.
Timeline
- 1997 — Praveen Moman founds Volcanoes Safaris, aimed at restarting travel on the Virunga and Bwindi forests.
- 2004 — Virunga Lodge opens on a ridge above Kinigi, Rwanda. Twelve bandas. The Virunga volcanoes on one side, Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo on the other.
- 2017 — The Dian Fossey Map Room opens at Virunga Lodge.
- 2022 — The 25th anniversary is marked at Mount Gahinga Lodge. The Albertine Apes Alliance is formed there with the Jane Goodall Institute, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and Empowers Africa.
- 2024 — Kibale Lodge opens on 1 July, eight bandas on the edge of Kibale National Park, the company's first lodge built for chimpanzees in that forest.
The houses to know
- Virunga Lodge, Kinigi, Rwanda — Twelve bandas on a ridge above Kinigi, opened in 2004, volcanoes one way and the twin lakes the other.
- Volcanoes Safaris Kibale Lodge, Kibale National Park, Uganda — Eight bandas opened on 1 July 2024, the chimpanzee lodge on the edge of Kibale.
Newest openings
- Volcanoes Safaris Kibale Lodge, Kibale National Park, Uganda, opened on 1 July 2024. Eight bandas, private decks, a pool, and a spa, on the edge of the forest the company calls the primate capital, where habituated chimpanzee groups are the reason for the drive. The company's own awards list has named it among new hotels of its year.
Opening next
- No confirmed announcements were identified in the sources reviewed through 2026-09-25. The company describes five lodges and a circuit among them. No sixth lodge, with a park and a year, was announced.
Every Volcanoes Safaris hotel on the atlas
Rwanda
- Virunga Lodge — Kinigi · High Luxury
Uganda
- Volcanoes Safaris Kibale Lodge — Kibale National Park · High Luxury
Open The Maison in the atlas for Volcanoes Safaris's full dossier, with prices and maps.