About UMVA
Adventure, good food and community on Lake Muhazi
Who we are, what we believe in, and the community around the lodge.
Our story
It started with a lake house and a big dining table
UMVA was started to bring a new type of hospitality experience to the forefront, combining adventure, great food and community. The original idea was a lake house with a big dining table, but one thing led to another and we decided we wanted to host more people.
Great design has always been a driving value for us. We wanted you to feel closely connected to the natural environment, with a seamless move from indoors to outdoors.
Now we want to share it, and everything it has to offer, with you. We hope you find what you are looking for here, whether that is a place to relax, to be active, to work, to connect, to find an adventure, to read, or to meet and eat together.
We believe the most memorable experiences are made better by the people you share them with.
Our philosophy
Five things that shape how we run UMVA
01
Turikumwe, we are together
Community is a large part of UMVA. Everyone joins us for the communal dining experience, where we get to meet people we may never otherwise meet. We believe the most memorable experiences are made better by the people you share them with.
02
Sustainable tourism
We support the new generation of responsible operators that hold sustainability as a key value. From the moment we broke ground and chose rammed earth construction (30 to 40% less carbon emissions) to not using single-use plastics, we always look for ways to reduce our footprint on the ecosystem.
How we do it03
Streamlined, good value
UMVA is a young experience brand that reinterprets classic accommodation. Our guest services focus on the essentials. We do without the unimportant, such as a room telephone, room service, a minibar and a reception desk, which keeps our pricing competitive. UMVA is for the young and young at heart: active people who love nature and like to be around others who do too.
04
The next generation of leaders
We love working with entrepreneurs. Over 80% of our team are entrepreneurs with business plans ready to go. We see UMVA as a training ground for future ideas, and we have built ways to invest in our employees’ future businesses into our incentive structure. Get in touch if you would like to support.
Get in touch05
Tennis for our neighbours
Since September 2024, the UMVA Muhazi Tennis Programme has opened tennis to children from the neighbouring community, many of whom had never held a racket. Today 24 young athletes aged 6 to 14 train with us every week, with school commitment as part of the deal.
The tennis programme
Community
The UMVA Muhazi Tennis Programme
Weekly training sessions with our local coaches Boris and Jado, periodic sessions with Coach Eric of the Rwanda Tennis Federation, and a clear expectation that school comes first.
Meet the programmeMore about UMVA