Discover Alluring Volcanoes National Park Rwanda  2023

Discover Alluring Volcanoes National Park Rwanda 2023 as you go Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey Tracking. Discover Alluring Volcanoes National Park Rwanda 2023 for the Best Safaris in Rwanda watching primates, Wildlife, Culture.

This park is located in north. Trekking Mountain Gorillas, This is a rare and breathtaking experience trekking through beautiful Rwandan forest searching for the majestic mountain gorilla, chimpanzees and golden monkeys as well as seeing a wealth of birdlife along the way. It’s a truly unforgettable experience spending time with these fascinating primates. The also includes a nature walk to see a scenic waterfall and optional boat trip to explore islands.

This area is dominated by extinct  volcanoes, which are home to unique species: the mountain gorilla, close parent to mankind, which you can discover face to face  in Volcanoes National Park.

Five monsters rise towards heaven under the thick mantle of mist amid the impressive grandeur of tortured landscape. They form a mountain range of gigantic proportions, the highest peak of which, the Karisimbi reaches up  to height of ( 4,507 m), Bisoke  (3,711m), Sabyinyo(3,634), Gahinga(3,474), and Muhabura (4,127).

In  this region there is a direct relation between altitude and the fauna and the flora. It is therefore not astonishing  to find a succession of groups of vegetation with well-defined limits, divided into five stages from the lowest the mountain forest to the highest , known as the Afro-Alpine, consisting of groups evergreen bushes.

But the most interesting stage is undoubtedly that of hagenia (hagenia abyssinica) at between 8,500 and 1,1000 feet of altitude. This strange trees are from thirty to sixty feet tall and have a tortuous trunk and low branches covered with a thick coat of lichen which encourage the growth of numerous varieties of orchid

While the mountain gorilla is the most extraordinary and most interesting of the fauna of the   park, mention should also be made of many other interesting species.

Of  these , the forest elephants, smaller than his cousin of the savannah, does not hesitate, in spite of his weight and size, to climb the steep slopes of the volcanoes.

This forest cover is propitious for three species of ungulates-the forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), the yellow-backed duiker and the black- fronted duiker (Cephalophus nigrifous). The last- named little antelope is very common and often visible. Of the other ongulates, the buffalo and the harnessed antelope should be mentioned.

The birds, too, are of particular interest, since some species are very rare and are found only in the high mountainous areas. More than one hundred forty species have been defined, the most spectacular of which are the mountain touracos (Ruwenzornis johnstoni) and the very fine black partridge (Francolinus nobilis).

Mountain gorillas are of impressive dimensions ; some males attain over six feet in height and weigh 220 kg. The head is massive and huge jaws are equipped with powerful teeth.

Far from being an aggressive animal, as the legends claim, the gorilla is gentle and peaceful in its habits.

It is only when he is threatened that he adopts an intimidating attitude which, it must be admitted, is not very reassuring for he then howls in a most frightful way and beats his chest with his fists.

Mountain gorillas are very sociable animals and form themselves into groups of from three to more than twenty.

Being sedentary, they are  continually looking for food in a living space which is comparatively restricted. They are active only during the daytime and build  nests in which to pass the night. The nests built in trees are occupied by the females and young ones, while the males and some females seem to prefer nests on the ground.

Their food consists of bamboo shoots, a sort of wild celery of the umbelliferous family, leaves, tubers, red ants and some insects etc   

There are over twenty  habituated groups in the Volcanoes National Park among 15 of  them purpose of tourism ( Sabyinyo, Group Agashya, Susa,Muhoza,Kwisanga, Amahoro, Umubano, Hirwa formed by a new Silverback, Kwitonda from Democratic Republic of Congo) and others  for research (Pablo,Intambara,Isabakuru,Titus)

What to do in Volcanoes national Park

Visitors to Volcanoes National Park can involve themselves in a number of park activities ranging from primate trekking to hiking adventures.

Below are a number of listed activities that can be done when one visits Volcanoes National Park.

  • Gorilla trekking
  • Golden monkey trekking
  • Volcanoes hike (Mount Bisoke, Mount Karisimbi & Mount Muhabura)
  • Nature walk
  • Bird watching
  • Canoe ride on the twin Lakes
  • Visit to the caves
  • Community walk experience
  • Boat ride on Lake Ruhonda

Gorilla trekking

With 0ver 20 habituated gorilla families in the Volcanoes National Park alone, Gorilla trekking is a must-do activity while on a safari in Rwanda. The world’s dwindling and endangered gorilla population is found in only three countries in the world; the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Almost all the gorilla population in Rwanda can be found in the Volcanoes National Park. The families to visit include Amahoro,  Muhoza ,Kwitonda, Kwisanga, Umubano, Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Susa and Hirwa among others.

The trek begins with a briefing at the park’s headquarters and is followed by a hike up the bamboo terrain of the mountain. There are guides for each group of trekkers to lead you to the habitats of the gorilla families and the maximum number per group of trekkers is 8 people only. Once you have sighted a family of gorillas, you can only spend an hour with them in which you can take photos, make videos and see these grand primate

Golden monkey tracking

Golden monkeys are an endangered primate species and a bucket list activity when on a safari in the Volcanoes National Park. They have been habituated to better the experience for the tourists. Most of the golden monkeys can be found in the bamboo forest at the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes.  The golden monkey tracking experience comes with guide to ease your way through the tracking, share the Park’s history, facts about the primates and lead you to the golden monkey hotspots.

The Volcano hike

If you love to hike and find yourself at the Volcanoes National Park, you will have two hiking options to choose from; the Day and Overnight Hike. The Day Hike leads you to Mount Bisoke one of the volcanoes in the Virunga ranges.  It stands at 37,000meters with a crater lake at the top.

The Overnight Hike is along Mount Karisimbi the second highest volcanic peak in the Virunga Ranges. Along this trail are diverse vegetation zones from bamboo, Afro-Montane to savannah. This hike is also known to be one of the most challenging hikes in the Volcanoes National with a snow-capped peak especially in the dry season of June, July and August.

Exploring the Musanze Caves

These age-old caves were once used to store food supplies for the kings of Rwanda in times of war. Today, they are quite a scene to behold when visiting the Volcanoes National Park. The cave ceilings are studded with lots of bats whose eyes sparkle when you shine your flashlight to the ceiling. As you move towards the end of the cave and into the daylight, all you will have heard in the midst of the cave’s silence are your footsteps and the thick dew drops hit the cave’s floor. A walk through these caves is literally a walk down memory lane.

Experience Rwanda’s culture at Iby’Iwacu Village/ Gorilla Guardians Village

Iby’Iwacu Village now known as Gorilla Guardians Village is close to the park making it a perfect sendoff place to visit as you leave Volcanoes National Park. The activities here can be done whether you opt to stay a few hours or overnight. Are you searching for a new menu? Try preparing or even eating the traditional meals and drinks such as banana juice or brew banana beer. For the botanist or medical personnel, try the local herbal medicine grown and brewed fresh from the garden.  After your curiosity has been quenched, unwind to the traditional music, dance and folklore by the local people and dancer troop

Visiting the Tomb of Dian Fossey: 

Dian Fossey is one of the greatest primatologists of all time. Because of her courage and determination, poaching of animals and particularly mountain gorillas was greatly reduced in the Volcanoes National Park. Without her efforts, mountain gorillas would probably be extinct by now. She is also credited for introducing new ways of making gorillas comfortable around human presence by imitating their sounds and gaining the acceptance/trust of the dominant male. Today hundreds of visitors go to pay homage to this great conservationist by visiting her grave and former Karisoke Research Center located between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. The guided hike lasts about 3 hours. As one climbs the volcanoes to her former base, they will get to experience what she had to go through, her determination and the passion she had for the gorillas. 

Visiting the Twin Lakes Ruhondo and Burera

 After carrying out one of the major activities like gorilla trekking, one way to relax is to visit the twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera. A boat cruise through the deep waters of these two lakes will reward you with beautiful sights of birds and the vast hilly landscape with waterfalls.  Visiting the lake islands gives you time to mingle with the locals to learn about their rich heritage and culture that defines them and makes them different from the other tribes in Rwanda.

How to get to the Volcanoes National Park

Both private means and public means can be used to get to Musanze area where most lodges and hotels are located. The park is 2hours’ drive away from Kigali city and can be reached by a paved road. However, to access the park trekking point, you will need means of transport and a 4 x 4 wheel drive is highly recommended because of the nature of the terrain of the road

The Volcanoes National Park is definitely accessible from Kigali. It takes only two hours of driving from Kigali to reach Musanze District in the Northern province of Rwanda.  This implies that one can do gorilla trekking in one day if they can start the journey at 4am from Kigali. A traveler can use public means of transport from Kigali or Gisenyi to Musanze and then hire a private car to the park headquarters. The best alternative is to hire the services of a Tour operator who will arrange to pick you up from the Airport and to the Park Headquarters in Kinigi where briefings for the various activities are done. Those traveling from Uganda to the Volcanoes National Park will have to endure a longer drive of about 10 hours from Entebbe Airport through Mbarara and Kisoro and finally to the Border crossing area

Accommodations

There are a number of accommodation facilities from high end lodges and resorts to budget accommodation, both at Musanze town and at Kinigi next to the park boundaries. Some of the high end accommodations include, Gorilla Nest, Bisate Lodge, Singita Kwitonda, Virunga, Five Volcanoes, and some of the mid – range facilities include, Amarembo lodge, Le Bamboo lodge, Da Vinchi Gorilla Lodge, Ingagi Park View Lodge. Some of the budget lodges and hotels include, Muhabura hotel, La Palme hotel, Garden Palace hotel etc.