Category: Rwanda Destinations

Volcanoes National Park

The majority of the tourist activities available at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda may be found there. The 160 square kilometer-large Volcanoes National Park is situated in Musanze, the northernmost province of Rwanda. Along with the Congo’s Virunga National Park, the park is a part of the Virunga Conservation Area, which also includes Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and is home to the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Rwandan mountain gorillas were placed under protection at Volcanoes National Park in 1925. The park is home to five of the eight lush volcanoes, including Mount Karisimbi (4507 meters above sea level), Mount Muhabura (4127 meters), Mount Gahinga (3474 meters), Mount Sabinyo (3634 meters), and Mount Bisoke (3711 meters). All of these volcanoes have white-capped peaks, gorgeous rainforests, and bamboo vegetation on their slopes, as well as small tranquil lakes. After Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park has the second-highest mountain gorilla population.

The Volcanoes National Park received more attention after Dian Fossey arrived there in 1967 to conduct research that led to the creation of the Karisoke Research Centre. However, Dian Fossey saw the necessity for mountain gorilla protection because of the numerous deaths brought on by poaching and wildlife trafficking that were occurring in the park. Poaching decreased as a result, but her problems began after that, and they eventually resulted in her death in 1985. Even after her passing, gorilla conservation projects were able to continue because of the increased cash brought in by her conservation efforts.

Along with housing roughly 30% of the remaining mountain gorillas, the Volcanoes National Park is home to lovely golden monkeys who eat the lower altitude plants, such as bamboo shoots and other plant life. The park is home to chimpanzees, several other primates, and large creatures like forest elephants, buffaloes, leopards, forest hogs, and many more. There are several bird species, 200 different species total, that can all be found in the park, including the Rwenzori Turaco.

Since Volcanoes National Park also has a variety of other attractions to offer, wildlife alone does not do the park justice. The park’s rugged terrain, lush forest cover, lakes, and numerous small rivers also add to its allure.

Activities in Volcanoes National Park

The most popular activity in Volcanoes National Park is gorilla trekking, although there are a variety of other activities that visitors can partake in. Mountain gorilla tracking is one activity that needs to be scheduled in advance, but the rest may be done whenever you are in the park. The following are some of the things visitors can do in the park:trekking with mountain gorillas

Trekking through lush foliage in pursuit of endangered mountain gorillas is known as “mountain gorilla trekking.” In addition to the three national parks in the Congo and Uganda that were previously mentioned, mountain gorilla trekking is also possible in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Ten habituated mountain gorilla groups can be trekked with the assistance of knowledgeable and trained park rangers at Volcanoes National Park. The gorilla groups include the fully habituated Titus, Amahoro, Susa, Kwitonda, Agashya, Umubano, and Sabinyo gorilla groups as well as the Hirwa gorilla troop, which migrated to Uganda in 2019 but is anticipated to return. Depending on where the gorilla group is, trekking with mountain gorillas can be rather taxing.

To undertake mountain gorilla trekking, one must first obtain a permission from the Rwanda Development Board or from a reputable travel operator. The information from a traveler’s passport is typically needed to pay the $1,500 Rwandan gorilla permit fee. Booking must be made three to four months in advance to ensure a spot.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park frequently begins at 7 am with a briefing by the rangers at the park’s Kinigi headquarters. The rangers make plain the rules and regulations for both the protection of the mountain gorillas and the safety of tourists. The eight-person groups are then established and given gorilla tracking groups. Travelers are only permitted one hour with mountain gorillas when they come into contact with them, during which time photos and movies may be taken. Depending on the mountain gorillas, the gorilla trekking experience in the Volcanoes might last anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours or longer.

Seniors and anyone with restricted mobility can also embark on a mountain gorilla expedition. Regardless of your age or skill, all you need to do is get in touch with a reliable tour operator to assist you plan a gorilla trekking safari. Do this far in advance. However, it is not permitted for anyone under the age of 15 to go gorilla trekking. at order to have a successful gorilla trekking safari experience at Volcanoes National Park, visitors are also urged to bring the basics for gorilla tracking.

Golden monkey Tracking

Golden monkeys are a stunning sight, and you may see them at Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Gorilla trekking is the most popular because golden monkeys are also an endangered kind of primate. A must-do activity while visiting Volcanoes National Park is to get the chance to see these golden monkeys jumping from one bamboo tree to another while they feed and groom. Golden monkeys live in groups of up to 100 people and are typically led by a strong male. They graze on bamboo shoots that grow at the volcano’s slopes.

Mountain hiking

Mountain hiking is a must-do in the park due to the presence of several volcanoes. Any of the volcanoes’ vistas are so breathtaking and picturesque that they are worth the difficult ascent. No matter which volcano you choose to ascend, make sure to get a view of the other four in the park. Be sure to use the opportunity to see animals, including mountain gorillas, and other primates during the hike. Birdwatchers should keep a sharp eye out for some of the park’s birds.

Bird Watching

One of Rwanda’s three Important Birding Areas is Volcanoes National Park. With over 200 different bird species, you can be sure that with the assistance of a knowledgeable bird guide, who will show you where to look and help you spot many of them, notably the endemics of the Albertine Rift, you will see a number of them. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars.

Visiting Dian Fossey tombs

Great primatologist Dian Fossey made it possible for thousands, if not millions, of people to see her prized mountain gorillas. The world became aware of Volcanoes National Park in particular thanks to her study and conservation efforts. ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ was really filmed right here in the park where she had lived for roughly 18 years prior to being killed. Travelers will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Dian Fossey and learn more about her work and the conservation efforts that resulted in a significant decrease in poaching in the park by hiking to the Dian Fossey graves. Hikers who make the journey to her former residence and current gravesite will witness her tenacity and devotion to these mountain gorillas. In reality, Dian Fossey was interred beside her gorilla companion Digit and roughly 20 other gorillas who had died as a result of poaching and other causes.

Visit Musanze caves

These caves were formed underneath and feature a space where people can easily enter them. Given that there are numerous volcanoes in the park, their formation as a result of volcanic eruptions explains their existence. There, people can go and unwind.

Another thing that travelers can do is go to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera, especially after a strenuous mountain trip, gorilla excursion, or golden monkey hunt. They are the ideal setting for a relaxing afternoon of picnicking or boating through the deep waterways, both of which will reward you with stunning scenery, wildlife, and waterfalls.

The Iby’Iwacu cultural encounter will also allow visitors the ability to learn about the way of life of the residents, participate in their local activities, and hear about their rich heritage and culture that set them apart from other Rwandans.

The dry months of June through October and mid-December to mid-February are the best times of year to visit Volcanoes National Park since the roads are more accessible and the vegetation is not as overgrown. Although the other months are regarded as wet, it should be remembered that as the park is a rainforest, it may still rain during the dry season.

It barely takes two hours to drive from Kigali to Musanze town, which is where Volcanoes National Park is located. If you’re taking a one-day gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park, you can reach the park via Kigali or Gisenyi to the Kinigi park headquarters or to your lodging inside the park, from which you can carry out the activities listed on your schedule.

In addition to gorilla trekking, which is the park’s main draw, Volcanoes National Park has a lot to offer. Spend some time creating the ideal vacation schedule with a dependable tour operator that will go above and beyond to ensure you have the greatest time possible in Volcanoes National Park.

Akagera national park

One of the national parks that Rwanda is happy to claim as her own is Akagera National Park. The national park is the only place in Rwanda where people may observe the Big Five, as well as the only refuge for savannah animals in the nation.

In the northeastern region of Rwanda, in the Kayonza district, is where you’ll find Akagera National Park. It has a radius of 1,122 square kilometers, making it Rwanda’s biggest national park. Following a cooperation between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks, an NGO that oversees other national parks on the African Continent, in 2010, the national park is now run by the Akagera Management Company.

The River Kagera, which runs through the national park, gave it its name. Visitors enter the national park through the Kayonza district’s southern gate of Akagera Park, however they only leave the park through the northern gate, which is located in Akagera. The district of Nyagatare is home to the park’s northern gate.

The Belgian colonial administration first established Akagera Park in Rwanda in 1934 to safeguard the park’s surviving threatened wildlife species. The national park used to be 2,500 square kilometers in size, but once Rwandan refugees who had fled the 1994 Rwandan Genocide returned, the majority of the park was destroyed.

The park once served as a haven for a variety of wild animals, including lions, savannah elephants, buffalo, rhinoceroses, and wild dogs. Due to the abundance of wild dogs in Akagera Park, it was formerly known as the “Park of Lycanos” or, more precisely, “Parc aux Lycanos” in French. The last of the species were spotted in the park in 1984, but the majority of these wild canines perished in the park due to an infection.

Over 50 black rhinos were residing in Akagera Park in the 1970s after being moved there from Tanzania. However, most of these rhinos were killed in the years after the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, to the point where the rhino species went extinct in the national park. After the genocide, a sizable number of refugees from Rwanda went back home and made their way to the national park. Due to this, a sizable section of the park’s woods were felled for their lumber, wildlife was hunted for their bush meat, and the savannah woodlands of the park were converted into cattle grazing areas.

Over 25% of the Akagera national park’s woodlands were destroyed by ongoing poaching and land expansion, and the last rhinos were last seen there in 2007. Up until July 2015, when seven lions were moved from the South African Phinda Private Game reserve, there were over 300 lions living in Akagera at one time, but years of hunting caused the extinction of the species. An NGO in South Africa named And Beyond gave the five lionesses to Akagera Park in Rwanda. Later, Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, donated two male lions to Akagera. After a period of 15 years, lions were successfully reintroduced to Akagera National Park as part of this conservation effort.

18 black eastern rhinoceroses were moved from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park in May 2017. In this 2,485-mile translocation, which took place after a 10-year hiatus, rhinos were brought back into the national park. This was a significant accomplishment for the Akagera National Park staff and conservationists, made possible by a partnership between the Rwanda Development Board, African Parks, and the Howard Buffet Foundation.

Akagera Rwanda Park activities.

Visitors to Akagera National Park can engage in activities like;

Game Drives in Akagera National Park.

Any traveler who wants to see Rwanda’s wildlife, notably the Big Five mammals, should go to Akagera National Park. Over 8,000 large game species, including elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, leopards, and buffaloes, can be found in the national park. A variety of animals can be seen by visitors to the national park, including the Burchell’s zebra, giraffes, antelopes, impala, topi, Sitatunga, jackals, and hyenas.

One of the pleasures of any Rwanda safari is seeing the Big Five in Akagera Rwanda Park. The park offers both daytime and nighttime guided game drives, with the latter providing an opportunity for tourists to see nocturnal wildlife like leopards, lions, civets, hyenas, bush babies, and serval cats, to name a few.

A few night birds, such Owls, can also be seen by visitors to Akagera National Park. The cost of a night game drive in the park is USD $40 per person and they last between one and two hours. The cost of a day’s worth of guided game drives is USD 30 per person, and they are offered in the early and late hours.

Boat Trips in Akagera.

A boat tour on Lake Ihema, famous for its remarkable populations of hippos, crocodiles, and numerous water birds, is available to visitors to Akagera Rwanda Park. Any person who like birds must engage in this pastime. Four boat cruises are offered each day at 7:30 am, 9 am, 3 pm, and 4:30 pm at Akagera National Park. Visitors who want to take private boat journeys on the lake can also take advantage of non-scheduled boat trips that are offered in the park. On a boat tour in Akagera, visitors can see a variety of bird species, including the endangered Shoebill stock. The park charges USD 35 for the morning boat tour and USD 45 for the evening/sunset boat excursion for booked boat cruises. However, for a price of USD $40, the park also provides private boat tours; these launch trips are not scheduled.

Birding:

Over 750 different bird species can be found at Akagera National Park, including marabou stocks, egrets, crowned cranes, and herons. This national park is a great place for birdwatchers to visit while on safari.

Fishing in Akagera National Park:

Fishing is frequently done on Lake Shakani in Akagera National Park, which is well-known for its variety of fish species, particularly tilapia and catfish. Visitors can unwind and go fishing on the lakeshores, then prepare their catch at their campground over an open fire. The cost of fishing in Akagera is $25 for adults and $15 for youngsters aged 6 to 12. Visitors must, however, bring their own fishing gear.

Guided Nature Walks:

Visitors interested in nature walks at Akagera Park can do so under the guidance of a knowledgeable park ranger. View the many plant, bug, and bird species in Akagera National Park when out on a stroll.

Behind the Scenes in Akagera national park.

Now, tourists who visit Akagera National area can gain insight into the operations involved in managing the area. The “behind the scenes” tour of Akagera takes guests into the park’s administrative building, where you can get to know the employees and find out about fascinating conservation initiatives taking place in the park. In Akagera, a behind-the-scenes tour costs USD 25 per person for a minimum of four persons and USD 15 for kids between the ages of 6 and 12. For a group of up to 8 people, the charge is USD 180. A maximum of one and a half hours are allotted for this tour.

The Akagera National Park also provides camping, line walks, and visits to local cultural institutions.

Best time to visit Akagera National Park.

If you’re thinking about visiting Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, the best months to go are between December and February and June and September, which are the park’s primarily dry months. The national park’s grass is short at this time of year, which makes it much simpler to see wildlife. Additionally, in selected regions of the national park, wildlife typically congregates near water sources, which makes it much simpler for tourists to see wildlife. Additionally, the roads in the area are not muddy at this time of year, making it simple for people to get throughout the park.

Accommodation in the park.

Accommodations can be found in places like Akagera Game Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Karenge Bush Camp, and Ruzizi Tented Camp, to name a few, for visitors who prefer to stay longer in Akagera National Park.

How to reach the Park.

From Kigali City, one can go by road to Akagera National Park. It takes about 2.5 hours to go the 110 kilometres from Kigali. The roads leading to and within the national park are characterized by murrum or, rather, dirt roads, so tourists are encouraged to rent 4×4-wheel drive cars for your safari. Visitors also have the option of hiring a helicopter to get them to the national park. Charter flights are available from Akagera Aviation to the park.

For any person who wants to discover the virgin savannah lands in the national park and wildlife animals in the nation, Akagera National Park in Rwanda is the best spot to be.

Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park : Indeed, Rwanda is the “land of a thousand hills.” Many tourists are frequently charmed by Rwanda’s beauty, which is largely due to the country’s stunning and well-terraceed hills, brilliant lakes like Lake Kivu, clean streets, and hospitable residents. From the bustling capital city of Kigali to its national parks, which include Nyungwe National Park, visitors to the Central African nation have a lot to discover while there.

One of the four national parks that Rwanda is delighted to boast about is Nyungwe Forest National Park. In Rwanda’s southwest is where the national park is situated. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lake Kivu are its western neighbors, and Burundi is its southernmost neighbor.

The renowned Nyungwe forest, which is thought to be the biggest tropical rain forest in East and Central Africa, contains the national park. It is thought that this woodland has been around for a very long time. The park is ideally situated in both the Nile River basin and the Congo River basin.

The Rwandan Nyungwe Park has a radius of 970 square kilometers. It was designated a national park in 2004 and is primarily made up of bogs, grasslands, bamboo, wetlands, and rain forests.

About 14 primate species, 300 bird species, 2000 plant species, 90 animal species, and 38 reptile species may be found at Nyungwe Forest National Park. This national park is genuinely blessed by nature, and visitors to the park will find plenty to see and do there.

A forest reserve was established in Nyungwe by the German colonial government in 1903.

Due to forest fires, extensive deforestation, and wildlife hunting, this tropical African rainforest’s overall land area significantly shrunk between 1958 and 1973.

Poachers murdered the last buffaloes to live in Nyungwe Forest in 1974.

After being named one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 travel destinations in 2004, Nyungwe National Park became the first national park in the country.

However, Nyungwe Forest National Park was designated as a protected area in 2005, and it was at this time that the number of visitors rose.

The chimpanzees in the national park are its biggest draw. The Cyamudongo forest is the most popular hiking location for tourists in the tea plantation-surrounded Nyungwe national park, which is home to a total of 1000 species. Golden monkeys, the Isumo waterfalls, and the Canopy walkway are just a few of the national park’s breathtaking sights.

Activities carried out in Nyungwe National Park.

Chimpanzee Tracking;

25% of all ape species in Africa are found in Nyungwe Forest National Park, where most of the chimpanzees are habituated. There are roughly 500 chimpanzees living in Nyungwe Forest National Park, making chimpanzee tracking one of the pleasures of a visit there.

In Nyungwe National Park, chimpanzee tracking permits are available for USD 60 per person, and the activity lasts for 2- 6 hours. Tracking starts at 8 a.m. from Uwinka, Kitabi, and Gisakura, three important locations.

Those interested in participating in chimpanzee trekking activities in Nyungwe National Park should try to arrive there by 5am to register and receive a briefing from the park’s head ranger.

Hiking to Isumo waterfalls:

A guided trip to the renowned Isumo waterfalls is available to visitors to Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park. Visitors can enjoy fantastic views of various caverns and even the Kamiranzovu marsh from the 17-meter-high falls. A visitor may witness snakes, birds, butterflies, wildflowers, and unusual tree and plant species along several hiking trails.

There are hiking trails that start at parking lots 1 and 2, and they could be shorter than other head trails in the national park.

Tourists can also go on a three-day guided hike along the Congo Nile, camp in the forest, and engage in other activities while visiting the Park.

Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk:

As a brand-new tourist attraction in the park, the forest canopy walk was unveiled in October 2010. The canopy walkway is 90 meters long and rises 200 feet above the forest floor.

The 2-hour Nyungwe Forest canopy trek starts at the Uwinka headquarters. For individuals who want to participate in this activity, it will cost USD $60 per person. Tourists can also explore the higher forest canopy while enjoying stunning views of the forest’s topography thanks to the canopy walk.

Birding:

Over 300 different bird species can be found in the national park, including the Rockefeller’s sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Strange weaver, and Archer’s Robin Chat. Nyungwe National Park charges USD 50 per person per day for bird watching.

Forest hiking:

A hiker’s paradise, Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in Rwanda. Hiking excursions in the woodland can last anywhere from one to eight hours and cost USD $40 thanks to the region’s 13 hiking paths.

Visitor options in Nyungwe Forest National Park also include camping, trekking the Congo Nile Trail, and finding golden monkeys.

Where to stay in Nyungwe National Park Rwanda.

Accommodations are available at the following establishments in Nyungwe National Park: Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Gisakura Guest House, Nyungwe Top View Hotel, One & Only Nyungwe House, and Nyungwe Nziza Eco Lodge, among others.

Best visit Nyungwe National Park.

Nyungwe National Park is best visited between December and February and from June to August, which is the dry season. You can, however, visit this beautiful national park at any time of the year.

Getting to Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda.

You can fly or drive to get to Nyungwe Forest National Park. In the southwest of Rwanda, in the Butare area close to Cyangugu town, is where you’ll find the national park. From Kigali to Nyungwe, a distance of 225km, it takes approximately 4-5 hours to drive. Alternatively, people visiting the national park on their own can rent a car or take a bus to the park’s visitor centers in Gisakura or Uwinka Center. Visitors can rent a car in Kigali City for between USD 32 and USD $50 per day.

The international airport in Kigali is another way to get to the national park. Visitors can take domestic flights from Kigali to the Rwandan cities of Cyangugu and Kamembe at Kamembe International Airport. Visitors can travel 32 kilometers to Nyungwe national park from the Kamembe airport. Alternative transportation options include renting a helicopter and flying to the park. Travelers can book chartered flights through Akagera Aviation to any of the nation’s national parks.

Those who love the outdoors should visit Nyungwe Forest National Park, which also offers wonderful activities that visitors may enjoy with their friends and families.