Nyungwe Forest, Gorilla, Chimpanzee Tracking African Safaris – Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival Kigali International Airport
Arrival at Kigali International airport (Kanombe) where you will be met by the Embrace Africa Gorilla Vacation Driver Guide and transfer you to your lodge in Kigali. Five to five lodge
Day 2: Kigali City Tour – Volcanoes national park
Morning after breakfast, go a city visiting Kigali genocide museum. The museum, was opened in 2004 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Whilst the genocide occurred as a result of a complex series of factors it can only be seen as an absolute tragedy to Rwanda and it’s people. Time spent at the genocide museum will be emotionally moving and an important way to understand the absolute courage and resilience of this beautiful, tiny country. Later transfer to volcanoes national park. The drive takes through the lush rolling hills of Rwanda to the the north western part of country. Afternoon go for cultural walk or village walk. Overnight Davinci lodge or Muhabura lodge
Day 3: Gorilla Tracking Day
You will have a short drive to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla tracking does and don’ts, you will then embark on your gorilla trekking experience in the volcanoes national park. Volcanoes national park is 160km2 national park that protects the Rwanda sector of the Virunga Mountains, a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes which stand across the common border of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla tracking is a highly controlled activity with limited gorilla tracking permits available each day. After encountering your gorilla family, you will watch them for only one hour and then return back to your starting point for debriefing and award of gorilla trekking certificates. The tracking can be strenuous and may reach altitudes of 3000m above sea level. The walk will be slippery and the paths are never defined but the end result is one you will forever cherish. To stand within close proximity of these amazing primates is a truly emotional but memorable experience. To gaze into their liquid-brown eyes is so breathtaking experience that you will live to forget. After trekking return back to the lodge for your overnight.
Day 4: Options Day
Today is a day for options, you may choose to track the endangered Golden Monkeys or hike to the grave of Dian Fossey and the remains of the Old Karisoke Research Station. Over the course of the morning you follow in Dian Fossey’s footsteps as you’re tracking to her grave and the many graves belonging to the poached gorillas, including that of Digit. You will be guided around the area where Old Karisoke was set by a parks guide. Although very little of the station exists now, the setting is incredible and the life led by Dian Fossey in these isolated mountains becomes even more wonderous. For a more leisurely but really unique experience, tracking for the Golden Monkeys is highly recommended. A walk to the edge of the forest to see the endangered Golden Monkeys is a rare treat. Watching these unique primates play and perform in the forest is compelling.
Day 5: Transfer to akagera national park
You will tranfer to akageri national park and on arrival you can do an afternoon game drive.over night
Day 6: Akagera national park
You will go for the morning game drive and afternoon boat ride
Day 7: Transfer to nyungwe forest
The drive takes you through but are Rwanda’s second largest city, Butare. Here, we visit the Butare Museum before continuing onto our Gisakura guesthouse at Nyungwe. Butare situated in the south west of the country, is regarded as the intellectual capital of Rwanda as it is home to the National University of Rwanda. Located here is the National Museum of Rwanda – widely regarded as the best museum in Eastern Africa. It is an excellent source of the cultural history of the Rwandese people as well as the Rwandan genocide of 1994. As a primarily Tutsi region Butare was safe from the mass killings for the first two weeks of the Genocide and many Tutsi’s fled from other regions to Butare as it became their new sanctuary. However in the remaining eight weeks of the genocide 220,000 people would lose their life here – over 20% of the final toll. This visit lets you understand and appreciate the incredible resilience and beauty of the Rwandan people one must understand the absolute dismay and brutality of the genocide.
Day 8: Chimpanzee Tracking and return to Kigali
Today we have an early start as we join the park rangers of Nyungwe Forest National Park at 6am to start tracking to the chimpanzees in the forest. These primates share more genetic hormones with humans than they do with gorillas or orangutans. The chance to walk under the draping canopies and along the soft mulch of the forest floor amidst these primates is unforgettable. The cacophony of sound is staggering as these vocal primates communicate whilst banging and crashing through the undergrowth and canopies!. After return back to Kigali for your flight back home
EXTRA INFORMATION
Our safaris always include:
– All meals and accommodation mentioned in the Itinerary
– Mineral water per person per day
– All entrance fees required
– Professional driver/guide Germany or English speaking
– All activities chosen at the destination areas
– All ground transportation in 4WD vehicle, also air port pick up and drop offs where need be
They exclude:
– Tips
– Charter fees and air tickets
– Telephone calls
– Internet fees and any other items of a personal nature
We highly value your interests and our services are custom-made to meet all clients needs, therefore, do not hesitate to seek your satisfaction
Reach us on WhatsApp