The safari explores the renowned Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Bordering Congo and Uganda, the park encompasses 4,507m-tall Mt. Karisimbi and 4 other forested volcanoes. But first, we’ll take the adventure spirit the beautiful Kigali city, the nation’s sprawling capital that has a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene.
Then later the excitement will be will be tested on a gorilla trekking Ruanda adventure up the jungles of Virunga mountains.
Upon arrival in Kigali, Rwanda, you will be welcomed by a company representative. Get to learn more about Kigali by embarking on a tour of the city of Kigali with a visit to the Genocide Memorial Museum. The museum is built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried after the massacre and exhibits the story of Rwanda, its history and the unfolding genocide. What an intense moment this will be when one of the guides relives those moments. Included are touch screens which have on them the testimonials of some of the survivors present during this turbulent time. Have lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to your lodge near Ruhengeri, in the northwest part of Rwanda.
We will drive you north later to embark on the planned gorillas in the mist adventure, driving through beautiful rolling hills towards Volcanoes National Park amidst forested slopes of the Virungas form a dramatic setting for the most poignant and memorable wildlife experience of a lifetime : gorilla trekking. The exhilarating climb to the gorillas’ habitat of shady bamboo forest offers fantastic views in all directions, before trekkers are immersed in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with the calls of colorful birds and the chattering of the rare golden monkey.
After breakfast at the lodge, your private safari guide will transfer you to the Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans) Headquarters, to meet your gorilla trekking guides and fellow trekkers. During your briefing sessions, you will be assigned to a group with a maximum of 8 people to trek. Depending on how far in the mist the gorillas have moved, the length of the trek will vary from 4-8 hours passing through the open fields to the terraced slopes to the forest of bamboo and thick undergrowth that defines the park boundary. At times the walking becomes steep and can be quite strenuous through a determined path or create a path through the brush with the help of the ranger guides.
After locating the gorillas, you will spend 1 hour with them due to conservation purposes, take time with your camera with capturing the gorilla moments as they move around the bush, and you may have to follow them in order to stay with them. You may witness the staring deep liquid brown eyes of these gentle giants, which share some 97% of their genes with humans. Return to the lodge and enjoy lunch. The remainder of the day is at leisure. An excursion to visit to the volcanic lakes is an option (time permitting). (B, L, D)
Breakfast and enjoy the beautiful scenery one more time as we calmly transfer back to Kigali arriving in time for lunch. Depending on the time of your international flight you will be dropped at Kigali International Airport. (B-L)
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