Rwanda has always had the sort of scenery that makes a person reconsider every holiday previously spent beside a hotel pool reading a novel about people having better holidays. Now The Lux Collective has arrived, opening LUX* Lake Kivu and SALT of Akagera, the first two properties in an ambitious five-resort tourism circuit across the country.
Rwanda’s Wild New Luxury Arrivals
The debut is significant, although “debut” feels slightly inadequate when it involves mountain gorillas, fruit bats, vervet monkeys, swimming cows and a national park containing the Big Five. Most hotels are pleased if they can offer a pillow menu.
LUX* Lake Kivu sits on the shores of Lake Kivu in Karongi, Rwanda’s western region. With only 14 suites and a private villa, it has been designed for travellers who believe calm should be spacious, beautifully furnished and ideally accompanied by a lake view. The interiors are contemporary and restrained, allowing the surrounding hills and water to do the decorative heavy lifting.
Guests can practise sunrise yoga, submit themselves gratefully to the LUX* ME Spa or spend an afternoon at Maison LUX*, the café and bar. Dining is spread across Cleo, the international restaurant, and Riva, where lakeside meals come with the sort of view that makes conversation temporarily unnecessary.
Napoleon Island and its thousands of fruit bats
The experiences, however, are where things become properly memorable. A dawn or dusk trek up Napoleon Island ends with thousands of fruit bats taking flight at once, presumably without any concern for luggage allowances. Private boat trips explore nearby islands, including Blue Monkey Island, home to vervet monkeys, and Swimming Cows Island, which sounds like a children’s book but is apparently an actual place.
Rwanda’s coffee journey
There are also coffee journeys tracing Rwanda’s beans from plantation to cup, and full-day excursions to Volcanoes National Park for encounters with mountain gorilla families. The resort is positioned within reach of Nyungwe Forest and the wider western tourism corridor, making it both a retreat and a base for travellers who dislike choosing between adventure and excellent linen.
Across the country, SALT of Akagera overlooks Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only Big Five reserve. The 60-room lodge is the world’s first SALT safari property and offers a more earthy, eco-conscious kind of luxury. Natural materials, local craftsmanship and warm tones reflect the surrounding wetlands, woodlands and savannahs, while the hospitality remains unmistakably polished.
Food is guided by a zero-waste, farm-to-table philosophy, using lake fish, honey, coffee and produce from nearby farms. Root to Table explores Rwanda’s agricultural traditions, while Boma Nights brings regional flavours to open-fire dinners beneath the stars. Beyond the Gate offers a closer look at Akagera’s conservation work in one of central Africa’s largest protected wetlands.
SALT of Akagera
Both properties place local culture at the centre of the stay through community partnerships, artisan collaborations, responsible sourcing and conservation initiatives. At SALT of Akagera, programs such as SALT Shakers and Skill Swap connect guests with local makers, communities and environmental projects. It is hospitality with a conscience, but without the hair shirt.
Three further resorts are planned for 2028 in Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park, completing The Lux Collective’s Rwanda circuit.
Launch offers are available for new bookings made from 15 June to 15 September 2026, for stays through 15 June 2027. LUX* Lake Kivu includes breakfast, spa privileges and an afternoon tea or coffee experience. SALT of Akagera includes breakfast, afternoon tea or coffee and a room upgrade, subject to availability.
Which means the only remaining difficulty is deciding between gorillas, lions, fruit bats and swimming cows. Rwanda, rather unfairly, has made all the other holidays look underprepared.
