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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSettling In: Munazi Lodge and the Charm of Inkomo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our chalet was called Inkomo, meaning Colobus Monkey in the local dialect. It sat slightly apart from the others, surrounded by thick greenery that seemed to hum with life. There\u2019s something deeply grounding about staying somewhere that feels both remote and intentional, where the design doesn\u2019t compete with nature but quietly complements it. Inside, Inkomo struck a balance between rustic and refined, with a warm wooden interior that held onto the cool mountain air, large windows that framed the forest like a painting, and a small terrace where mornings began with birdsong. The bed was set high up on a mezzanine level, giving a warm, intimate feel to a otherwise large space. Hot water bottles were a welcome surprise as you climbed into the large bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evenings at Munazi Lodge were relaxed and atmospheric. A large terrace with firepit offered wonderful views down over the valley. Inside, the chimneys in the lounge were double sided meaning that all guests had their own log fire to sit in front of. Dinner was unhurried, often shared with other travellers swapping stories of muddy boots and unexpected wildlife encounters. The staff carried a quiet pride of the lodge, and conversations drifted easily between English, French, and Kinyarwanda. It felt less like checking into a hotel and more like being welcomed into a place that knew exactly why you had come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 6AM Start: Into the Forest for Chimpanzees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The alarm went off at 5:15 am, though I was already awake. There\u2019s a kind of anticipation that doesn\u2019t let you sleep deeply, the quiet excitement of knowing you\u2019re about to do something unique in your life. We reached Uwinka Visitor Centre just before 6 am. The mist was still hanging low, wrapping itself around the trees and softening the edges of everything. Our guide greeted us with the calm efficiency of someone who has done this many times before but still exudes enthusiasm for the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The drive that followed was part of the adventure. For over an hour, we bumped along muddy tracks in a 4×4, slipping and sliding along, gripping handles as the vehicle tilted and corrected itself. It wasn\u2019t comfortable, but it was thrilling in a quiet, shared way, everyone aware that the journey itself was a kind of initiation. Eventually, the road ended and from there, we walked. The forest quickly swallowed us. The path was narrow, the ground soft, and the air thick with moisture. Every now and then, our guide would pause, listening and interpreting. It felt like he was using a language we didn\u2019t yet understand. After about an hour, he found the spotters. They had already located the chimpanzees, on the move after a night high in the canopy in nests they had built to be used only once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forty Minutes with the Wild<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first sound I noticed was movement around us, a rustling that didn\u2019t come from the breeze. Suddenly, they were there. A family of chimpanzees, moving through the trees with a kind of effortless confidence. Some paused to look at us, others carried on feeding, completely uninterested in our presence. For forty minutes, we followed them. Not too close, not intrusive, but close enough to feel that we were sharing their live with them for those few precious minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a strange recognition when you watch chimpanzees, not just because they resemble us, but because their expressions, curiosity, irritation, playfulness, feel familiar in a way that\u2019s difficult to explain. A young chimp clung to its mother, peeking out at us with wide eyes, while another swung between branches with surprising speed, disappearing and reappearing like a shadow. The locals believe that chimpanzees are humans who thousands of years ago decided to move back to the forests and have adapted to life there. They will not hurt them and have learnt which plants and mushrooms are edible by watching what the chimps eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone. They moved through the thick forest at a pace we couldn\u2019t match, our way blocked by undergrowth, fallen trees and small streams. It was as if they had decided they\u2019d had enough of the morning\u2019s entertainment of human watching and had decided to move on. The forest closed in again, and the silence returned. It didn\u2019t feel like something that had ended, more like something we had briefly been allowed into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/explorersagainstextinction.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Lodge-combined-1024x606.jpg\")
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