Activies In Volcanoes National Park

Gorilla trekking safaris

Volcanoes National Park is a very popular Rwanda safari destination because of Mountain gorilla trekking expeditions. Mountain gorilla trekking is probably the best wilderness adventure activity on the African continent that gets travelers more personal than ever to wildlife. Mountain gorilla trekking safaris into Rwanda are adventurous, exciting, fun and educative.

During gorilla trekking you will embark on your hikes to the different virunga mountains depending on the different gorilla groups that are assigned to you, for instance, the karisimbi gorilla group is found on mount karisimbi, the Ugenda gorilla family is usually found along the slopes of mount sabyinyo among other gorilla families.The gorilla trekking process in the park is quite interesting because you will get to see a number of attractions including the different bird species, the golden monkeys among other species. In the park, you will get to the bamboo trees where the gorillas are found, you will get to see the behavior of the gentle giants while in the wild, for instance, their feeding patterns you will see infants suckling the breasts of their mothers for food, you will also see them eating the bamboo trees which is quite an exhilarating experience to come in contact with the primates which you will see in an hour you get to spend with the gorillas, photography can also be carried out to keep exciting memories of your experience with the gentle giants.

View Gorilla gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park

Bird watching

Volcanoes National Park is an Important Birding Areas (IBA) in Rwanda with some unique bird species that are a lot harder to spot elsewhere. It is a poular Rwanda birding safari destination with rare Albertine rift endemic species. Teams of birding enthusiasts set out early morning, wander into the rainforest in search of priority forests birds hidden in the canopy or forest floors. Quite often, they get an opportunity to spot their prefered bird species.

Golden Monkey Tracking

Golden monkey is another primate species resident in the larger Virunga volcano region and Volcanoes National Park in particular for Rwanda. Study and research into the lifestyle of Golden Monkey are not as pronounced as Mountain gorillas, but in reality, the two wildlife species are equally threatened. Golden monkey tracking expeditions set out early morning at Kinigi tourism office and traverse the valleys and wetland vegetation in search of feeding areas; thick bamboo forest. Bamboo shoot is Golden monkeys’ chief diet and rarely go beyond bamboo zones. The Golden monkeys are beautiful, charming, very active and very entertaining to track. The golden monkeys are highly social creatures that live in different groups depending on the elevation that is to say the size of the group is dependent on  food where food is readily available, you will get to see a high concentration of the monkey species.

Hiking

Hiking: The entire Virunga volcano region is beautiful with steep mountains touching the skies. Lush, mist covered rainforests surround their berries. Travelers on safari into Rwanda gets enticed to drown in the greenery and discover what lies underneath.

Mt Karisimbi 4,507m is a dormant volcano along the borderline with DR Congo. It is the tallest of the Virunga volcanoes and eleveneeth highest ground on the Africa continent. Hiking to the white capped summit of Mt Karisimbi is a 2-day exciting activity that involves encounters with beautiful land features, unique alpine and forest bird species, primate species; some lucky hiking teams have met Mountain gorillas. The hiking gives travelers magnificent sceneries of landscapes below and beyond. The going to Mount Karisimbi is quite steep and good navigation is required not only through the lower slopes, but also on the mountain itself. It consists of secondary jungle and in the most gives an aerie appearance.

Since mount Karisimbi is the highest and the steepest mountain among the Virunga Mountains in the park that will offer the most amazing experiences it is important to know the best time to visit the park and carry out the Karisimbi mountain hike. If you’re interested in hiking the mountain, it is better to carry out the hike during the dry season when the ground in the park is not slippery.Therefore the best time to participate in the mountain Karisimbi hike is during the dry months of December to February which is the shortest dry period and from September to mid-December which is the long dry season where you can still carry out the activity.

Mt Bisoke3,771m is an inactive volcano and a popular 1-day hiking expedition destination on tour into Rwanda. Mount Bisoke, like the rest of the volcanic mountains has covered in thick rainforest. It is habitat to unique wildlife species. The Karisoke Research Centre, where Mountain gorilla habituation started from is in Bisoke foothills and is home range for Mountain gorilla families.It is an dormant volcano with a crater lake on its top and it’s located just adjacent to the Lake Kivu but inside Volcanoes National Park at the boarder of Rwanda and Congo therefore you can access it from Congo’s Virunga National Park.

During your Safari in Rwanda, to hike this mountain, you will walk along steep slopes which are densely covered by the equatorial rainforest and also some alpine meadows. Around this place, you can find some endangered gorillas. Interested hikers should know the hike is not that tough though might be very hectic for the inexperienced hikers because this high elevation requires you to have a lot of strength to climb and also to walk through that whole excursion.This may be a whole day adventure depending on how frequent you are stopping and your speed but at the end of it, you will realize that it was worthwhile. There are 2 cones on the northern side, just 11km away from the peak and these were formed by an eruption that happened in 1957. Also, no hiker should ever miss the walk along the crater edges, visit Lake Ngezi which is a small and shallow crater lake. While hiking, you will go through different vegetation covers beginning with the bamboo forests, from there you will climb higher and go through the Hagenia – Hypericum forest and then at the top, you will find the Senecio – Lobelia bush, at this point you will be very close to the peak. You can go for the Bisoke mountain hike after gorilla tracking in Volcanoes national park. Reservations should be made prior to your arrival like the day before so that necessary arrangements are made so if you are tracking gorillas before, payment should be done on that day.

Nature Walks

Nature walks: The cool breezes and the excitement of the tour into Rwanda raise the adventure adrenalin. Most travelers on safari into Rwanda are enticed to drown into the greenery of lush vegetation, wander into the wilderness and discover the beauty beyond many peoples reach.

Musanze Caves;

a trail leads into the rainforests and the underground caves formed in ancient history by volcanic erruptions. The size, the beauty and the ambiance of 2-kilometre long Musanze caves mesmerize travelers on tour into Rwanda. A walk into Musanze caves that have stairs and walkway, is an exciting way travelers on tour of Rwanda maximise their adventure into the wilderness and appreciate the geographic forces of nature. Caves do include smaller underground spaces like the sea caves or rock shelters and even the grottos. The Musanze caves which you will have an opportunity to see on your safari in Rwanda are the results of volcanic activities that took place around virunga volcanoes which is so close by these caves. They are found in Musanze district particularly in Ruhengeri and they are a new addition to Rwanda’s tourism sites so hopefully they will turn out to be a great attraction in the near future. Underneath there, the y cover a distance of 1.25 miles and it is believed to have been formed by lava basaltic layers that came from both Bisoke as well as the Sabyinyo volcanoes. Musanze is now commonly a visited cave since it is almost ready for all visitors. They have set up walkways and stairs where they are needed, set up trails, as well as safety measures to avoid accidents while down there. The cave’s entrance is big enough covering more than 10 km and well proportionate with a number of other small passageways that lead off the main cave.

When you walk in, you will notice that this place is a home to a huge population of bats and you will see them hanging usually upside down in every one of those so many small rooms within the cave. On the walls, there are also different plants species that have grown on to them and that greenery spill makes it beautiful for photography. Though this place is a tourist’s attraction now, it used to be shelter for the locals during the war times even during the modern era when the Rwanda genocide took place. Out of respect to the local residents the visits in the caves are guided taking 2 to 3 hours explaining more about the history of the caves. Scientists have expressed the desire to carry out their speleology which simply means the study and the exploration of all the different aspect of caves as well as the surrounding environment. Also caving or potholing may mean the act of exploring a cave for the purposes of recreation or science.

Dian Fossey trail;

Mountain gorilla expeditions are possible primarily because teams of researchers carry out scientific work, identify their behaviours and characters, their home range and habituate the Mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. Dian Fossey, a conservation primatologist pioneered studies and research of the Mountain gorillas in Rwanda basing at Karisoke Research Centre in the foothills of Mt Bisoke. Travelers on tour into Rwanda walk the Dian Fossey trail to explore the wilderness, learn more about wildlife conservation and Mountain gorilla habitat. The trail system is in memory and appreciation of the conservation efforts of Dian Fossey and the Teams at Karisoke Research Center.

Gorilla guardians’ village /Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour

The Mountain gorillas have coexisted all the time with the indigenous Rwandan people in both positive and negative ways. On the edges of the Volcanos National Park, an indigenous community have mobilised into a Mountain Gorilla Guardians’ formerly Iby’wacu Cultural Village to highlight the benefits of wildlife conservation and gorilla protection. Travelers on tour into Rwanda visit the community to get into close touch with indigenous community and share life experiences. The exciting tour engages the travelers into songs, dances, storytelling, art, cultural rituals and ceremonies, passtime games, homestead structures and other mediums. The travelers learn a lot about the African culture and lifestyles. Note that fees paid for the visit empower the indigenous communities; reduce on tensions and wildlife conflicts and ultimately minise pressure on wildlife resources. What is unique about the Iby’iwacu cultural village is that a great majority of the men in this village are reformed poachers, who are now taking part in the conservation projects within the national park. Visitors who pay a visit to the Iby’iwacu cultural village are entertained by the traditional Intore dance group through dance performances, folk tales and songs. Visitors also get to take part in tradition cooking classes, preparation of local banana brew, milking cows and making products such as local ghee. Tourists can visit the Iby’iwacu cultural village after trekking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

Activities to Do in Iby’iwacu cultural village

There are so many activities that you can engage in with the local ladies and other activities have to be done with the guidance of a trained tour guide.

Community walks

There are community walks and together with your guide and your host in the community can start your day with visiting to the community. Your host will take you to different tourism sites in the community. A community walk is the best chance you have to see how different families live their everyday lives in the home.

Visit the King’s hut

You can opt to go for a visit at the king’s house and when you get there, you will meet the care takers, get a local guide who will tell you a lot of amazing stories about the place and the kings, you will learn about the different meanings of every symbol within this palace from the local guide. You may, if you are willing be king for some few minutes or hours and so you will have the village leader through some sort of village ceremony enthroned you to the throne and you are free to exercise kings’ powers for that while.

Participate in traditional dances and music

Rwanda has about 8 different types of traditional dance and music. When it comes to music and dancing, everybody including the women, kids, men and the youths find this really interesting. They can always teach you how to dance a few styles like the Intore dances, learn about the Agakenke drumming styles and many more others. There are some popular songs they call the songs of the gorillas and you can learn about them too.

Visit the Batwa community

The Batwa are the indigenous people of most the forested areas around the volcanoes and you can visit their families to learn all you need to know about them. While they were originally gatherers, they are adopting modern means of living and so have started different income generating activities like pottery making so if you want some lessons, get engaged in pottery making sessions when you will go visit these Batwa people. Besides pottery, you can get involved in the everyday work if you wish to know better and you can certain to have a wonderful time. There are so many other activities that you can engage in like visiting the different local schools or check out the women when they are making their craft piece ore even join them in the kitchen while they are making lunch and then later share that meal with them. You can participate in food preparation process which may include millet grinding with just stones, you may help carry the food from the garden and water from the wells on your heads and then later enter the local kitchen to start cooking with firewood.

Cultural tours can be very amazing because you have to directly interact with different people if you are to have different amazing cultural experiences from different people of different cultures. Getting involved in their daily activities is the best way you can ever get to understand people’s cultures and ways of livelihood. Agricultural tourism is also an activity because in some case, the tourists join the local people in their garden when they go planting, weeding or harvesting and in this case, they learn how it is done. The climax of your visit may be being part of the Igitaramo which an event where you all have to come around a fire camp just before sunset for some entertainment through dance and drummer. There will be a lot of storytelling, riddles from the storytellers who are often old people. It is fun and educative experience.

Baby gorilla naming/Kwita-Izina-The-Rwanda-Gorilla-Naming-Ceremony;

Mountain gorillas live in families and each individual has a databank with its bio records; names, age, gender, family, biological parents, health status, deformities, characters and the like. Each Mountain gorilla trekking team visits a particular family in the rainforest. Baby gorilla naming is a periodic cultural ceremony held to cerebrate birth of new members in Mountain gorilla families. Music, dance, songs, drama, story telling, eats and drinks accompany the ceremony. Select international celebrities with an attachment to wildlife conservation always participate in giving names the baby gorillas.Closely modelled on a tradition that has been part of Rwandan culture for centuries, the ceremony is a reminder of our close relation to these great apes who share 99% of our DNA. It was adopted in 2005 to create awareness of conservation efforts for the endangered mountain gorilla. “A names professes the aspiration parents have for their children” explained the Rwanda Development Board Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza. “So we determine our own destiny through the names we give our children. In a way we are defining our common destiny through Kwita Izina – we are defining where we want to go.”

This is exercise of gorilla naming is a traditional practice that was done by Rwandans now introduced in mountain gorilla family as one way of promoting conservation of these endangered animals worldwide. This would never happened without the help of the local community that is why there is the  5% contribution from the revenue sharing scheme of the tourism sector that is sent back to help them in their development activities. Among the projects done through revenue sharing scheme is the set up of  Imbaraga Farmers Cooperative which is an agriculture and livestock farming cooperative and the main reason it was to help farmers with the different agricultural challenges, so said Maria Patricia Uwisunze the cooperative president. She added that this cooperative has over 25.000 members that practice developed agriculture and therefore are able to improve on their livelihoods. Through this cooperative, farmers get development livestock farming ideas so that they can gain better productivity from their farming. Besides this, RDB has been able to construct over 57 primary schools in over 13 districts and these are serving over 13,680 students, one of them being the Basumba Primary School found in Nyabihu district that was officially opened before the festival.

What is Mountain gorilla trekking?

Mountain gorilla trekking is a field exercise that involves traveling into the gorilla habitat, exploring the forest, walking in the footprints and following all leads of fresh Mountain gorilla presence until you reach their exact location. Mountain gorillas live in a group of several individuals with a dorminant adult male called Silverback, because of a patch of whitish mane that developes on the back due to old age. The family lives in a particular range where the silverback controls activities in the family. He determines timing of activities, what to feed on, where to feed from, settles disputes in the family, enjoys unlimited mating rights and provides security for the family. Each evening adult members in the Mountain gorillas family make nests to sleep in overnight. They never for whatever reason return to same nest forever. Teams of scouts and trackers set out early morning into the forests to locate the Mountain gorilla families before they leave their nests and monitor their health status. The Mountain gorilla trekking teams not exceeding eight visitors receive radio messages from scouts and follow the course of direction and speed of movement. The terrain is rough, the vegetation is thick, the gorillas are physically fit, higly mobile and adapted to the environment. The Mountain gorilla trekking expeditions are adventurous, exciting, fun, educative, but equally energy exhausting.

Note; All measures are in place to make all healthy adult persons trek Mountain gorillas. There are provisions for disabled and the elderly to trek Mountain gorillas with the help of porters on a stretcher at an additional fee.

Gorilla trekking guidelines:

• Each individual must procure a gorilla trekking permit prior to the visit into the park.
• Only adults above eighteen years are eligible to trek Mountain gorillas.
• Maintain a safe 7 m (about 22 feet) gap between you from the gorillas.
• Only healthy individuals trek gorillas to reduce chances of exchanging diseases.
• Deactivate flash in the cameras before taking photos of gorillas.
• Interacting with gorillas is restricted to maximum one hour.
• Maximum 8 visitors per day per group.
• Keep your voice to the minimum in the forests especially when close to the gorillas.
• Reduce unneccessary movements when with the Mountain gorillas.
• If a gorilla should charge or vocalize at you, do not be alarmed, stand still, look away from the gorilla, and follow your guide’s directions.
• Spitting in the park is a way of transmitting diseases and strictly prohibited.
• Do not litter in the park. Pick and keep all the packs, wrappers and bottlle lids
• Do not eat, drink or smoke in the presence of gorillas.
• Rangers in the field are friendly, experienced and knowledgable. Heed their advice. Some regulations can change depending on the conditions on the ground.

What to bring for a gorilla trekking safari

• Wear trousers and long sleeved shirts.
• Sun hut.
• Insect repellent.
• Sunscreen.
• Rain gear / pocho.
• Waterproof hiking boots.
• Walking stick / can be improvised on site.
• Garden gloves / optional.

Access to Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is located northeast of Rwanda close to border with Uganda in the north and DR Congo in the west. The park is 2-hours drive on smooth road from Kigali that offers amazing experiences of Rwanda countryside. The nearest big town, Musanze 20-minutes drive close for travelers on tour of Rwanda who are comfortable urban life. Cyanika international borderpost with Uganda is 30-minutes drive by road and an easy way to extend safaris between the two countries. Akagera Aviation offers faster helicopter charter flights to Kinigi.

Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda

Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda are issued by Rwanda Development Board to the trekkers and this acts as an identity that you have paid for the activity. Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda are certified documents issued to all tourists interested in participating in gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can only be carried out in volcanoes national park, a park known for its beauty including the Virunga Mountains that is Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura, the park is also a home to a number of primate species like the golden monkeys, the mountain gorillas, the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkey among other primate, in the park you will get to see Dian Fossey grave where the American primatologist was buried whose works of conserving the mountain gorillas is the reason why gorilla numbers in Rwanda are increasing and gorilla trekking is carried out among other attractions and activities in the park.

HOW TO OBTAIN A GORILLA PERMIT

For any tourist interested in obtaining a gorilla permit in order to participate in gorilla trekking, they can book for a gorilla permit through the Rwanda Development Board or from any trusted operator or a tour company of your choice. It should be noted that one should book in advance for a gorilla permit because of there are a number of tourists that are interested in participating in gorilla trekking in the park.

Inclusions and exclusions for a gorilla permit

Once a tourist has obtained gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda, there are some inclusions and exclusions of the gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda for any tourist that has obtained the permit while in volcanoes national park and these include the following;

INCLUSIONS

Knowledgeable guide:With your gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda, you will have a chance of having a knowledgeable guide who will take you through your entire gorilla trekking experience at no amount this is because the money you pay for the gorilla trekking permit caters for that. Therefore feel free to ask any questions in case of any in order to have an amazing time during your Rwanda gorilla tours.

A ranger:The gorilla trekking permit will also allow you to be with a park ranger who will protect you during your gorilla trekking activity in the park during gorilla trekking, a ranger will accompany you to avoid being attacked by any wild animals in the park like the bushbucks, warthog, different primate species like the vervet monkey, Mona monkey among other animal species which can be a threat to life of the tourists. The duty of the ranger is to ensure that you have a safe activity while in the park.

Park entrance fees:Once you obtain a gorilla trekking permit in the park, you will not pay park entrance fees because the gorilla trekking permit in the park will allow you to access the park with paying for the park entrance fees since it caters for the entrance also.

One hour to spend with the gorillas:Gorilla trekking in the park, will allow you to spend one hour with the gorilla during your gorilla trekking experience in the park. During the one hour with the gorillas, tourists can take pictures with the gorillas, they can observe their behavior in the wild, their feeding patterns. How they construct their nests, their co-existence with one another while in the wild.

EXCLUSIONS

Lunch:The gorilla permit doesn’t include lunch during your gorilla trekking experience in the park. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park can take the whole day because it involves hiking the Virunga Mountains to access the different Rwanda gorilla families which can be exhausting and tiresome therefore it is advisable that you carry your own lunch to eat during your experience however you should not eat your lunch in the presence of the gorillas to avoid contracting diseases to the gorillas.

Participation in other activities:If you have obtained a gorilla trekking permit to participate in gorilla trekking in volcanoes, it does not mean you can participate in other activities in the park. Therefore if you are interested in participating in other activities in the park, you will have to pay prices to participate in different activities.

Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda

Porter:Because gorilla trekking in the park involves hiking the different Virunga Mountains to access the mountain gorillas in the park, some tourists would like to have a porter that will help them to hike up the virunga mountains in order to access the gorilla families however for one to access a porter, they should pay him in order to help you with your luggage during your hike to the virunga mountains.

A number of permits that are issued daily:Volcanoes national park Rwanda has over 18 habituated gorilla families that can be seen during gorilla trekking. For every gorilla family in the park, a maximum of 8 people are allowed to track a gorilla family which is about 144 permits that are issued daily. So in order to be part of the amazing activity, it is advised that you book your permit in advance to avoid missing out on the activity.

Best Time For Gorilla Trekking

Best time for Gorilla trekking is not specific as Mountain Gorillas are trekked throughout the year, however knowing the best time for gorilla trekking is very helpful since each season comes with its great advantage and disadvantage.

Best time for Gorilla trekking in Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park) and Uganda can be specified because there are two rainy seasons. The short one taking place in October and November, the longer one from mid march to May. The remaining months mainly are dry seasons.

High season

The Best time for Gorilla trekking are the months of January, February, June, July, August, September and December. The areas have less rainfall at times with no rain at all. A traveler chose these months as the best for Gorilla trekking even though these months are on a high demand for Gorilla permits. The traveller should book their permits in advance and at least three months pro to the date or you can chose to pay 30% of the total cost.

Best time for Gorilla trekking is during the Dry seasons. They are most prefered for trekking the mountain Gorillas, since the forests are less slippery.

Trekking in the high seasons is expensive towards the accommodation compared to low season when the lodges are cheaper.

Low Season

Low season is the best time for gorilla trekking for budget trekkers. Trekking in this time is good because the accommodations are lowered at a budget rate. In the months of March, April, May and November, the rains of this month’s are discouraging.

Gorilla Trekking on Volcanoes

The rate of the lodges is more favorable than high season rates. The low rate prices are set to attract budget travellers. The few travellers are separated into different gorilla families providing different experiences.

Even though there is big advantage of travelling in this season ,it rains a lot and there is difficult for trekking in this season, the grounds are slippery and muddy, making one uncomfortable.

However the rain falls throughout the year and the trek still continues, the sun will still shine after the rain has fallen, this enables the trekkers to still trek the giant endangered mountain Gorillas.

Gorilla trekking is done through the year not minding whether it’s shinning or raining, no day has ever been cancelled because of bad weather.

Tips For Tracking Gorillas In Rwanda

Gorilla trekking is the most enjoyed tourism activity for anyone visiting Rwanda. However many people do not know how best to prepare for this exciting and lifetime memorable adventure. In this article we have offered you the 10 best tips or guidelines to help you prepare for your gorilla safari

BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR FITNESS LEVEL

Rwanda is a mountainous county and the hikes a bit steep. Talk to your Rwanda tour operator about your fitness and they will advice accordingly. There is always a provision for the disabled and elder at an extra cost.

MAKE A RESEARCH ON THE GORILLA GROUPS BEFORE TREKKING

Do your research about the respective Mountain gorilla groups and advice on which you would like to track depending on the hike. If you are physically fine track the other groups and leave the simple ones to the ill and weak

HIRE PORTERS

Even when you are physically okay, it is advisable that you hire porters to help you carry your bags such that you are not too tired when you meet the gorillas

WEAR THE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING FOR GORILLA TREKKING

Put on light layers that you can easily put off when it gets hot. Carry a rain coast since you do not know when it will rain. Hiking boots is just obvious.

WHAT TO CARRY WITH YOU

Bottled drinking water, a snack, camera, sunscreen, a hat and preferably a small back pack in which to carry these.

HOW TO USE YOUR CAMERA IN FRONT OF GORILLAS

Keep the distance that has been advised by the guide and ensure that the flash of your camera is off as this irritates the gorillas.

Accommodation

Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda safari top travel destination with a wide range of places for accommodation. The different establishments provide luxury, upmarket, mid range to basic depending on services, rates and traveler’s budget. Most establishments are a few minutes drive to the park, easily accessible and secure.

• Bisate Lodge.
• Virunga lodge.
• Sabyinyo silverback lodge.
• Gorilla volcanoes lodge.
• Da vinci Gorilla Lodge.
• Mountain gorilla view lodge.
• Le palme hotel.
• Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
• Kinigi guesthouse.
• Muhabura hotel.
• Garr Hotel.
• Mountain Gorillas Nest lodge
• Best View