In September 2013, I joined nine other photographers and cinematographers for a 4,000km photographic road trip from Nairobi to Bujumbura and back. This was a scouting mission of sorts to see if Africa is truly what we have been told it is. Check out #OnetouchLive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what we found.
During our road trip, we stayed at all sorts of places: hotels, campsites, lodges, beaches… The best experience we had was at Nyungwe Forest Lodge in Rwanda. This ecological gem of a lodge is built to blend with the environment and is located at the edge of Nyungwe Forest.
That’s the main building that houses the restaurant, lounge and offices. The rooms, gym and pool are located a couple of metres from here. See the tea? It is owned by the lodge but is harvested by farmers who live near the lodge. The farmers get to keep all the profits from the sale of the tea leaves!
Sunrise at Nyungwe.
Once you go through the doors, you get to know why presently, Nyungwe is the only 5-star lodge not just in Rwanda, but in Eastern Africa! I’ll let the photos do the explaining.
Hanging from the ceiling in the lounge is this chandelier that is made of tea sieves.
While this chandelier in the reception area creates interesting patterns on the ceiling.
Evidence that we were actually here!
While at the lodge, we decided to do some portraits of the awesome people who work here. So awesome were they that they threw us a welcoming barbecue on the night we arrived! When shooting the portraits, we ran out of time and managed just a few. These I shot with Amunga Eshuchi, Paul Obuna and Naomi Katetei.
Swaleh.
Alice.
Lydia.
Alice and Lydia.
Lightning lights up the dark skies over Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
To make reservations visit the Nyungwe Forest Lodge website.
Wow Mwarv…wow some of the very best photography I have seen so far…good work my friend
*JAW drops * I am not sleeping.
Favourite shots: sunrise in Nyungwe and the Lightning lights up Nyungwe Forest lodge
Not only do I feel tea-ish but more, what accompanies the tea….i.e. serenity.
Great works bro.
Excellent shoot. Brilliant compositions and framing and the lighting is in point. Makes someone want to go there.
Budaa…hii ni uchokozi sasa..aki I miss this place. Fantastic shots you have bana.
Excellent Shots Bwana Mwangi. We must return.. Haha. Awesome photos man. Love the lightning shot especially. You are that guy.
Amazing!! Your talent is mind-numbingly off the charts bro. I look forward to seeing where this leads.
I LOVE the photos!! Fantastic stuff Mwarv. I think you should consider doing more hotel/interior photography. Keep up
Eish! Aki the things I missed on this trip.
And that Swaleh… (lemme just say what everyone is not saying!)
He can gerrit!
Super awesome photos. makes me feel like I was on this trip with you guys. Envious to the max 🙂 Adding Nyungwe to my bucket list
woooowww!!!!! amazing photography! this place is absolutely beautiful and you captured the real pure radiance of this magnificent paradise!
Amazing photos and portraits!