Adventurous outings, farm-to-fork dining, and memorable communal experiences combine with sustainable tourism practices on a virgin lakeside teeming with birds and plant life, in a little-known landscape in Rwanda. If that’s not motivation enough to explore this newly minted, waterfront eco-lodge, add to the list the moxie of its young, entrepreneurial founders who constructed and launched their project despite the pandemic, using all-local materials and labor.

Named for a Kinyarwanda word meaning 'listen, feel, taste' that is used frequently in conversation by Rwandans to capture someone’s attention, this thoughtful, new small luxury hotel in Rwanda indeed demands that travelers take notice. A youthful, contemporary version of the luxurious, waterfront hotel, the property is made up of a series of freestanding, design-forward structures. It’s one part boutique hotel; one part eco-lodge and conference center, and one part locavore dining destination.

Created by young entrepreneurs to attract similarly young, active travelers with a taste for adventure, a passion for nature and design, and a love of good food around shared tables, UMVA began when an initial trip to the lake found the lodge’s owners looking for a place to stay. Knowing they’d return, their initial idea was to build a private lake house. But their vision soon expanded, ultimately creating over 600 local jobs, almost half of which were filled by women, to complete the eco lodge using almost entirely locally-sourced materials.

Built of beautifully textured waves of local rammed earth joined by glass, steel and native woods, the modern cabanas sit perched over the water and feature walls of windows, bold geometric rooflines, and two-story volumes designed for maximum comfort in a minimal footprint. Each one is sleek and stylish—ultra influencer-styled and design mag-worthy—with lofted beds, solar power, lakeview decks, elemental furnishings and textiles by local artisans. The property also features an open-air lounge, outdoor yoga studio, and a dedicated creative studio space designed for conferences or workshops.

Fueled by the philosophy that food brings people together, UMVA’s signature experience is its compulsory, garden-to-fork communal dining service. A multi-course, multi-sensory dinner created by the property’s Master Chef, each evening’s meal is crafted from locally-sourced ingredients, some grown on site, that offer a culinary exploration of Rwanda’s varied ecosystems.

AROUND

This small luxury hotel in Rwanda is located on Lake Muhazi. Located about an hour and half from Kigali, Rwanda’s largest city, Lake Muhazi is a largely unexplored area of the country, a short drive from Akagera National Park and Umusambi Bird Village in the Great Rift Valley. An off-the-beaten track destination, Rwanda lies just south of the equator, and the landlocked country is known as “the land of a thousand hills". 

Home to astounding biodiversity and perhaps best known for its magnificent gorillas, Rwanda boasts four national parks with epic scenery, the territories of iconic species such as chimpanzees, golden monkeys, brightly colored birds, glorious butterflies, orchids, and rich plant life. Adventurers to Lake Muhazi will be rewarded by abundant plant and animal life, including 50 species of nesting birds around its shores, and some 2,000 local plant species. 

The lodge offers multiple on-site adventure experiences ranging from relaxing yoga to thrilling mountain bike rides. Tour kayaking and SUPs are available for getting out on the lake’s smooth waters, and there’s a clay tennis court and planned outings into local Rwamagana communities.

LOCATION

Lake Muhazi, Kabare, Rwamagana, Rwanda. Nearest airport: Kigali (90 mins).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to May for green landscapes and clear skies. June through August are the hottest months.