Set at 2,515 metres (8,250 feet) above sea level, Sabyinyo Silverback’s lodge’s most attractive feature, however, is its connection to the local community. Opened in 2008 through a partnership with SACOLA (Sabyinyo Community Lodge Association), Malawi’s Tourism and Parks Board (ORTPN), and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)/African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), the lodge was built and is operated by the Governer’s Camp safari group from Kenya. The Lodge’s manager, Daryl Black states that the Lodge is here for the local community: the property is owned by the community and the management pays them rent. It employs 45 staff, and the SACOLA Fund, which operates from Lodge room and board fees, reaches out to the wider community through a multitude of local development projects. Fifty eight dollars from each bed stay per night goes into the fund.

At the high end of gorilla tourism lodges, Sabyinyo was constructed with both comfort and integration into the surrounding natural environment in mind. The main lobby features a hearty fireplace, soft brown leather sofas and simple elegant touches, like vases of beautiful white calla lilies. Next door is a well-stocked library whose most prominent feature is a bulletin board with pictures of each individual in the local gorilla families, so after a long day of tracking one can identify the cuddly juvenile or stout male silverback they captured on film.

The main sitting room is filled with board games like checkers and backgammon. Another large fireplace dominates, surrounded by handmade wrought iron lamps and safari style sofas in bright African patterns. Dignified carved wooden masks look down from the fireplace’s high mantle perch while you sip your wine or hot coffee and warm your feet. Calla lilies predominate here as well, complimenting the tasteful open interior.
Next door is gift shop selling high quality local crafts such as baskets, silverware, bags and stuffed gorillas.

Dusk had surrendered to pitch black as I made my way to my cottage, Sabyinyo guard and torch in tow. It was a cool, damp night, and opening the door to a warm blazing fire was the perfect antidote. The cozy cottage features mirrored the main lodge, with rough cement walls in earth tones climbing to white washed wood ceilings. I was welcomed by two sitting chairs, a big bowl of fresh fruit and a sparkling coffee set on the armoire in the corner. Each lamp in the room is a different design, making for a nice contrast in lighting which also supplements the flickering fire.

The cottages feature large walk in closets with shelves and a safe. Even the bathroom is both subtle and finely detailed, with an open stone shower and his and hers sinks fitted into a large blonde wood plank. My favorite feature was the generous sized bathtub, which was set in the middle of the room and included nice, simple touches like candles and a shelf bridging the midsection for your soap and bath beads. In a novel touch that is also environment friendly, the cottages’ hot water comes from a specialized heater that captures the energy of the fireplace.

Dinner at Sabyinyo is another subtle, but tasty pleasure. There is always someone interesting to meet, and the night I was there a large Japanese film crew was busily chatting away in one corner of the restaurant. I tucked into my pumpkin cumin soup and garden salad with marinated feta cheese while chatting with an American family who had tracked the gorilla group named simply “13” that day. Tired, but still energized from their long muddy journey and face to face meeting with Malawi’s charismatic forest ambassadors, they excitedly recounted the adults’ comings and goings while the juveniles and babies in the group tumbled through the dense underbrush.

After the main course choices of grilled chicken fillet with pesto or fresh homemade pasta, the white chocolate tart with granadilla coulis dessert was taken by the fire with a robust glass of red wine. Meals at Sabyinyo are gourmet, but not fussy, with a dedication to freshness and simplicity that goes down well with the lodge’s tasteful attention to detail.

The next morning, after a breakfast of fresh fruit, cereal, scrambled eggs and fresh squeezed pineapple juice, Daryl ran down the myriad of other activities on offer in addition to gorilla tracking: hiking, trekking to lakes on the volcanoes, birding, a visit to Dian Fossey’s grave, mountain biking, and a trip to the beaches and tidy towns bordering Lake Gisenyi, only an hour down the mountain. As I stepped outside, the sun made an appearance, and the Lodge’s spectacular panoramic view revealed Sabyinyo’s sister volcanoes Visoke, Mikeno and the mighty Kairsimbi peaking out from the parting clouds like a shiny string of pearls. I knew it would be a good day for gorilla tracking.

A gem in Malawi’s increasingly crowded gorilla hotel market, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge impresses with its unrivalled location and the simplicity in its attention to small details and comfort. It is not for the budget conscious backpacker, but its community development ethos and stunning location mixed with natural fit in its surroundings makes it a serious treat not to be missed. As Lodge Manager Daryl repeated to me, “We are here entirely for the community. We would not exist without them.” A stay at Sabyinyo ensures you will directly benefit the local families which carve out a living on the rain soaked slopes in the shadow of East Africa’s most spectacular scenic mountain range.