It’s like having your own private home with a large garden on the doorstep of one of Rwanda’s greatest national parks and the epicentre of mountain gorilla trekking. The stone cottages at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge are well spaced, topped with Rwandan terracotta tiles and built among the flourishing foliage with the famous Virunga Mountains as a backdrop.

Community-owned and very near the entrance to Volcanoes National Park, the lodge is an unbeatable choice for gorilla trekkers, giving you proximity to the starting point of your trek but also space to unwind once that life-changing moment is under your belt. Rooms are an elegant combination of airy and cosy, and the crackling fire is welcome while you savour your post-trek in-room massage.