Go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda Volcanoes
Whenever Rwanda is mentioned, many peoples mind rush to the endangered mountain gorilla, its true this small country with the most densely population in the world, is gifted to be among the few countries in the world to house the rare mountain gorillas. not only housing but regarded as the best destination for gorilla tracking. There is no word that can describe mountain gorilla tracking in the world but those who have got a chance to meet these apes in the wild say, ‘’there is no magical experience in the world than an encounter with the rare mountain gorillas’’. Many people in world come to Rwanda specifically to see these endangered apes in the wild for at least 1-2 days while studying their behaviors as well as taking photography for a period of an hour with the animals.
There are only about 1060 of the remaining mountain gorillas that are left in the wild and a big number live in Uganda, Rwanda and the rest live in Democratic Republic of Congo. Many travelers prefer tracking in Rwanda since the gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park are easy to track as compared to gorillas of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, within one hour you can meet one of the gorilla groups and by 1.00pm you are at the lodge for lunch and due the park’s proximity, one can easily track and come back to Kigali or depart within one day. This means that its just 2-3 hours’ drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and largest city to volcanoes national park in Ruhengeri Musanze district,
If one is interested in a one day gorilla safari , one has to drive very fist from Kigali(accommodation) to kinigi park headquarters for a briefing from the park wardens before 7:00am about the dos and don’ts while with gorilla and then after follow the ranger guide to the forest to begin the activity. After tracking you drive back to Kigali or at the airport to meet your departure flight back home. This is very difficult in Uganda and DR Congo due to a long distance involved reaching the park (Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda or Virunga national park in DRC).
Rwanda has 12 habituated gorilla families (habituated means they are used to short visits by humans.) 10 gorilla families are ready for tracking and the two are used for research purpose. In each gorilla family 8 members are only allowed to track meaning that 80 people track gorillas every day. These apes are fabulous fan to watch in their natural habitat meeting eye to eye with the silverback gorilla is a memorable moment in life very difficult to forget.
Rwanda gorilla tracking is regarded as the most expensive done activity, but it’s regarded as the most done Rwanda’s tourist activity over 80% of travelers to Rwanda go gorilla tracking this has generated a lot of revenue to the government of Rwanda and hence improves the well being of the people especially those that live near the park. Rwanda gorilla permits costs US$1500 per person per tracking and this fee includes park entry fee and a ranger guide and permits are sold at the Rwanda tourism board Offices (ORTPN) found in Kigali (close to the PNV). For any gorilla tours and permits contact us we shall get back to you swiftly.
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Day Trip to Rwanda Gorillas
Rwanda is a very beautiful Africa country with a lot to see and discover but just a day in Rwanda is enough for one to enjoy the best country attractions and adventures. Are you a first time visitor or you got less time? If you’re planning unforgettable Rwanda trip outside the city, a One Day Rwanda gorilla safari is that you must not miss in Rwanda especially for saving and limited time travelers.
This trip simplifies life for many travelers with fixed travel schedules and budget because, you experience the most loved wildlife encounter and also maintain your work or travel schedules. Less is spent on this trip and travelers save much on accommodation, transport and the entire holiday than those who go for long Rwanda holidays. The amazing thing is that it converts many from city noise and hassles to the wild and the breathtaking jungle tiled in bamboo trees and green vegetation. The one day Rwanda trip to Volcanoes national park and the finest gorilla tracking destination in Africa fulfills all human imaginations of Africa gorilla safaris as well as offering impressive jungle experience.
Volcanoes national park location is for history because it qualifies as the nearest mountain gorilla tracking destination for everyone visiting Africa for gorilla tracking holidays. Travelers have breakfast very early before leaving there lodge of residence in Kigali and also enjoy a morning cup of coffee before briefing in company of Rwanda cultural dancers.
After the gorilla trek you can have lunch in any of the gorilla lodge around the park or drive back to Kigali city and have it done in complete comfort and relaxation. No entrance fees are paid and the trip permits one to explore Kigali city as well because the Rwanda gorilla trekking adventures end a little bit early than expected.
Please be aware those Rwanda gorillas permits are on high demand year round so book your gorilla pass as early as possible in order not to be disappointed. However, lucky travelers book last minute Rwanda gorilla tracking tours and still find gorilla permits available though some ones luck can never be yours. The one day trip does not need one to book accommodation at the park on the day for the trek since you will leave immediately.
All you need is only, the valid passport, Rwanda gorilla permit,tracking gears, some little cash that is you want to tip or donate to any local community project around the park.Some times its tricky during the high season so would highly recommend travelers to book their gorilla permits, transport and other essential through a trusted and genuine Rwanda travel agent.
Those with more time in the country can engage in other park tour activities like golden monkey trek, hiking, birding, community visits, Dian Fossey visit, forest walk, hiking, or visit other Rwanda tourist attractions near the gorilla park like Lake Kivu, Nyungwe forest, Akagera national park among others.In Africa its only Rwanda with perfect tour destinations and spots to unwind, rejuvenate and also enjoy the fresh atmosphere.
Read MoreEnjoy an Authentic Cultural Experience in Rwanda
Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes national park is one of the outstanding adventures in Rwanda though the country is also rich in history, culture and traditions and when it comes to wildlife Rwanda is packed with other wildlife and nature which makes it unique tourism destination in Africa. Get a chance to experience not only the nature but also the daily life, habits, cultural traditions & local community efforts will opens the beauty of Rwanda to the world. It’s good to explore the countries culture in depth in a very new destination you visit, see what Rwanda has when it comes to a culture tour in Rwanda.
Kigali City
Rwanda capital has always been a start point for all culture tours in the country. The cleanest safe city is surrounded by green hills which embrace the natural beauty of the land of 1000 hills. Many cultural sites are found in Kigali one of the reasons as to why many visitors to the country can’t miss to take a ride around the city. Cultural attractions in Kigali include the 1994 Gisozi Genocide Memorial site a centre of genocide memories, Kigali Museum a place of history, the artisan shopping centre feel at home with locals. By any standard Kigali is an excellent city to dine in style since it supports numerous restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets.
The famous King’s Palace in Nyanza
This was a residential home of King Mutara III Rudahigwa found in Nyanza 87kms from Kigali the city centre. Get fast hand details of the Rwandan traditional seat of their monarchy plus its remarkable museum. Stories confirms that the palace was rebuilt in the old version state of 19th century as assign of keeping cultural norms for the future generation.Traditional Cows known as Inyambo are also found out side the palace as assign of royalty. Visit the burial grounds of King Mutara III and his wife Queen Rosalie Gicanda at Mwima hill if time permits. The art museum at Rwesero is another place to unveil more within the Rwanda culture without forgetting the National Museum of Rwanda, which provide you with a deeper insight into Rwandan history and culture.
Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
A village of unity in Rwanda full of different cultural activities like,interactive experience, learn all about Rwandan traditions, culture, song and dance, participate in local dances and drumming, wear traditional local “Umushanana” dress; shooting arrows,attend a traditional healer’s medicine show, sample local foods and banana beer , visit a local household or school. Among others.All this is done just at the footsteps of Volcanoes national park famous for mountain Gorillas. However if the culture experience is joined to other adventures like Chimpanzee tracking, birding watching, Gorilla tracking your visit will make a difference not only to you but to the entire community of Rwanda.
Read MoreEcotours in Rwanda
Would you like to experience Rwanda differently? Why not go on a tour through Rwanda’s ecotourism destinations.
A Typical Itinerary in Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the famous countries inhabiting mountain gorillas. With arrival to Kigali City then proceed to Parc National des Volcans Rwanda. Head to hotel for dinner and rest for the next day. On day two, after early breakfast, we head for a briefing about Gorilla trekking in Rwanda at the Kinigi Station, then head straight to the slopes of the Forest. Gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda is no-longer quite strenuous, we send an advance team so you can move direct to the spot where the advance team has located the Gorillas.
Go Gorilla Trekking
Maximum permitted time with the Gorillas is a one hour, return to the lodge and rest. You can choose to go gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans with no advance team. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience. If you are lucky you can get to the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch! Some gorilla families however are more elusive, and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy then back to the lodge for dinner and rest for the next day as you wait for your flight to your next destination for wildlife experience.
Iby’wacu Cultural Village
If you wish, you can visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, which will give you a fascinating insight into the traditions and history of Rwanda’s people. Rwanda Gorilla Safaris gives you all the pleasure to travel to Rwanda and enjoy all the gorilla families and wildlife at a relatively cheaper prince hence enabling you achieve your life time dream. Book now and experience the Rwandan gorillas,wildlife, birds and all other primates including the unique cultures in Rwanda.
With very early have a cup of tea / coffee and proceed for a morning game drive to catch up with early raisers and predators returning to their hideouts. The game drive will reward you with chances to see a variety elephants, buffaloes, lions, Maasai giraffe, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel’s zebra, topi, bush baby, leopard and bush buck among others. Return to the Lodge and relax to lunch time. In the afternoon, you take a nature walk with a guide from the park, learning about the flora and fauna of the forest. Alternatively, you could go on a short trek to search for one of the troops of golden monkeys which inhabit the forest (this would need to be pre-booked, and is an additional cost).
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See Lowland Gorillas and Chimpanzees on Single Safari!
Low land Gorillas in Congo and Nyungwe Chimpanzee present an opportunity to explore the two of the Big Apes. Take time off your schedule to get lost on a Rwanda safari that combines the breathtaking Nyungwe forest and the Kahuzi Biega that has great sights and sounds of a rain forest. Nyungwe harbors more primates and attractions that you can choose to visit if you spare more time. Kahuzi Biega is one of the existing national parks with lowland Gorillas and is situated in the southern side of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kahuzi Biega National Park
Kahuzi Biega National Park is the only place in the whole world where you can track the critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas; the park is home to about 300 lowland Grauer’s Gorillas.
Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park
The biggest attraction to travelers who visit Kahuzi Biega Park is also the world’s biggest primate the eastern lowland gorilla. There are three habituated lowland gorilla families available for trekking every day namely the Bonne Annee family with 8 members, Pungwe family with 23 members, and Chimanuka family with 19 members.
Most tourists who go to Kahuzi-Biega National Park do so to spot Grauer’s gorillas. Eastern lowland gorillas are larger than the mountain gorillas. The specie is making one of its last stands here and faces the possibility of extinction. The census of 2013 discovered 145 individuals in the highland sector of the park, a great decline from the 600 first counted in 1990.
Grauer’s gorillas face threats from poaching (young gorillas for trade), illegal cutting down of trees, encroachment on land for farming and mining coltan. Three Grauer’s lowland gorilla groups are fully habituated and open to tourists in the highlands. Kahuzi-Biega National Park Congo Tracking the gorillas involves hiking though the dense tropical rain forests, swamps and even highlands depending on the last location of the gorilla group.
While tracking the gorillas, it is important to listen to the instructions of the rangers at all times. Tracking can take anywhere between thirty minutes to 6 hours. You are only allowed one hour with the gorillas. Use this time to observe the family keenly. You should be able to spot juveniles playing, females nursing the young ones and the dominant silverback looking out for any danger to the family.
You should also be able to identify the different individuals, personalities and group dynamics. By the end of the activity you will realize just how similar human beings are with gorillas and the more reason why we should protect them at all costs. Permits for gorilla tracking cost $400.
How to Get There and Away
Travelers to Kahuzi Biega National Park can access the national park by road or air transport, visitors can opt to fly from Kigali International Airport to Goma International Airport then transfer by road to the Park for about 6 hours, alternatively visitors to the park can embark on 6-7 hours drive from Kigali International Airport to Kahuzi Biega National Park via Rusizi border.
Where to Stay
There are many accommodation facilities to choose from for visitors who want to trek lowland gorillas in their natural habitat namely Hotel Begonias, Orchids Safari Club, Guesthouse Formulac, Guesthouse de Lwiro, and Mount Kahuzi Hotel among others. For more info about Gorilla Trekking trips in the Democratic Republic of Congo, kindly contact Gorilla Tracking Africa so we tailor your remarkable trip to Africa.
Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe forest national park is one of the top destinations in Rwanda is that receives a number of visitors and second popular national park after volcanoes national park. It is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Africa which is situated in south western region of Rwanda.
Nyungwe forest is the best popular and famous for the chimpanzee trekking experience in Rwanda although it is a home to a number of wildlife animal species and birds.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe National Park
Chimp trekking safaris in Rwanda are the second most sold primate activity in Gorilla trekking. Chimp trekking in Rwanda is quite the unique activity and it gives visitors memorable life time experiences of stay in the country. Chimpanzees possess close to 99% of the human DNA making them our closest living relatives and thus chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe can be considered a journey to self-discovery and worthwhile.
Chimpanzee trekking experience, there are over 500 chimpanzee populations in Nyungwe forest national park 90 habituated chimpanzee communities that are open for tourism throughout the year. The habituated chimpanzee communities are found in the different locations within the park such as Nyungwe forest that has about 60 habituated chimpanzee community and Cyamudongo forest that harbors about 30 habituated chimpanzee communities.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is an early morning activity that starts at 5:00 am with a briefing at the park centers. Nyungwe forest national park has about three sections where the chimpanzee trekking starts from such as kitabi section, Gisakura section as well as the uwinka which known as the park headquarters. During the briefing session visitors are divided into groups of 8 people and they are assigned to different park ranger guides that will guide them as they go for chimpanzee trekking in the forest.
To a chimpanzee community in Nyungwe forest national park will take travelers about 2-6 hours due to the fact that chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park are found of moving from one place to another from tree to tree as they search for food of the day in the forest. Visitors who go for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park are allowed to spend only one hour with the chimpanzee community from the time they have met it. In the one hour experience, travelers are allowed to take photos and with chimpanzees as they de-nest, beast-feed, as well as with the juvenile monkeys.
The habituated chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park are so friendly, calm, playful and they are used to the presence of human being they therefore come done from trees when they see people and they will sometimes walk towards them thus give you an opportunity to take clear photos and videos of them.
While trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest travelers will have an insight to encounter with other primate animals such as red tailed monkeys, the olive baboons, silver monkeys, golden monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, the grey checked mangabey among others. Travelers will as enjoy viewing different bird species such as the Rwenzori bats, purple breasted sun bird among others due to the fact Nyungwe forest national park is one of the birders paradise in Rwanda.
There is an age limit of for one to go chimp trekking in Rwanda and you must be 16 years and above.
How to Reach the Park
It takes four hours of driving by road to reach Nyungwe forest from the capital Kigali. One can also take a domestic flight from Kigali to an airstrip close to the park office.
Accommodation
- Nyungwe House
- Gisakura Guest House
- Nyungwe Top View Hotel
Conclusion, Nyungwe Forest and Kahuzi Biega is one of the amazing Rwanda and Congo safari packages aimed at exploring the Chimps in Rwanda and Gorillas in Congo. This trip favors Chimp and Gorilla lovers who have short time in the country.
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