This Rwanda safari will take you to Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park. In Volcanoes National Park, you will be able to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. When it comes to Nyungwe Forest National Park, you will be able to see chimpanzees and many more in this park.
Rwanda is one of the three countries that host gorillas in their natural habitats. It is in volcanoes national park that you will be able to experience the best of these apes. For you to be part of the Rwanda gorilla trek, you have to book in advance since the gorilla permits tend to be competitive. They go for $1500 which must be paid six months before the actual date of trekking.
You have to wake up early morning, meaning that you must find accommodation closer to the park entrance. Attend the briefing at 7 am about safety precautions as well as the etiquette presenting all the necessary documents before the actual time to start trekking.
Depending on your level of fitness, you will be in groups of eight people to visit a single gorilla family. Together with other members of the group, you proceed to the forest and start the hike which may be tiring depending on your physical strength. Remember they are called mountain gorillas so an element of hiking is a must. It takes anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours.
Once you approach them, they will be scattered over a small area of thick vegetation. They will carry on with their interactions and even feed without any concern of their human visitors although they will be observing you with interest. At times, normally a playful youngster, will boldly approach you with inquisitiveness, at times coming really close that you will need to move away. In the one hour with them target for the good photo views as well as learning their behaviours.
While in volcanoes, you can not miss paying homage to Dian Fossey who is the back bone for the survival of these apes. She let the world know about the mountain gorillas and fought hard to end poaching. She introduced new approaches to habituating mountain gorillas by learning their mannerism, staying in their midst and gaining the acceptance of the dominant Silver back.
Hiking to the grave of Dian Fossey is one way of paying homage and learning about the work of this great primatologist. Gorilla conservation initiatives were pioneered by Dian Fossey to save the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
Golden monkey trekking is yet another interesting activity to take on while in volcanoes national park. These beautiful primates live in the same areas as the mountain gorillas. They survive on bamboo shoots, insects and will occasionally raid farms for potatoes. Golden Monkeys are very playful primates with their only real enemies being man and the African eagle.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda starts at the same time as golden monkey trekking and permits cost $100. Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda is not as strenuous as gorilla trekking because the monkeys live in the lower slopes of the volcanoes.
The choice for the activities to add on will depend on the time you have as well as your budget for the trip. Once you are done with volcanoes, you will transfer to Nyungwe national park for chimpanzee trekking.
Nyungwe is an ideal destination for lovers of primates. Sightings are as reliable or as clear and relaxed as you’ll get with gorillas, since the chimps often remain in dense forest, so the experience can vary significantly. However, the playfulness and human-like characteristics of these primates make the trek worthwhile. The best chance of seeing them is when they’re high up in the trees before they come down to forage for food, so make sure you bring your binoculars!
Each trekking group has a maximum of eight people, accompanied by a guide and an armed park ranger. Invariably you’ll have the opportunity to hire a porter to accompany you, which can be useful if you have a bag, or camera kit, or if you want someone to help you along the muddy paths.
You’ll head down to the forest with the rest of the group at around sunrise. With rugged terrain and dense vegetation, the trek can be quite strenuous but the pace is slow and the rain forest environment – with its array of birds and other wildlife – is captivating. Your guide will be a wildlife specialist, and you’ll have plenty of time during the trek to ask questions.
The duration of your trek depends on the location of the chimps; although trackers go out ahead to locate the troops, it can take from 30 minutes to two hours to find them. Once you encounter the chimpanzees, you’ll normally have an hour to observe them, maintaining a minimum distance of about 7m, and with any conversation kept to a whisper. If the chimps are on the move during your hour, you may be able to follow them a short way, before trekking back to the park HQ, and returning to your lodge in time for lunch.
You can also go for a canopy walk after lunch. The canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park is a must-try experience for nature and adventure enthusiasts. The walk is 160 meters long and is suspended 50 meters above the ground, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the forest and the diverse wildlife below. Visitors can look out for various primate species, colourful birds, and unique flora during the walk.
Being the first of its kind in East Africa and the third in Africa, the canopy walk adds significant tourism appeal to Nyungwe Forest National Park. It offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the forest from a different perspective and appreciate its rich biodiversity.
To obtain a permit for the canopy walk, visitors can do so at the park headquarters or through their tour operator. The walk starts at the Uwinka Visitor Centre, and the entire experience typically lasts around 1-2 hours, including the time for orientation and the actual walk.
