8 (Top 2023) Things to do in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
8 (Top 2023) Things to do in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, go Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey Tracking. 8 (Top 2023) Things to do in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda are very exciting to do by all travelers from all over the globe interested in exploring Rwanda.
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 primates.
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.
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
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 Dian Fossey 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.
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.
Musanze caves
Musanze Cave is named after the district where it is located, the Musanze District. It was developed for tourism in 2013 by the Rwanda Development Board’s (RDB) Tourism and Conservation Department. There are trails, stone staircases and railings, but no electric light. Visitors are equipped with helmets, rain coats and hand lamps.
Musanze Cave is a rather young lava cave in the Albertine Rift Valley. The volcanism started here with the Cretaceous 65 Million years ago, and is still going on. The cave was formed by a lava flow from the Bisoke and Sabyinyo volcanoes. It has a huge, 10m high, entrance portals and a length of two kilometers. Multiple roof collapses, which are common for lava caves, make a total of 31 entrances.
However, this is not the average lava tube, it is a much rarer type of cave called blister cave. Volcanic gas bubbles or blisters were collecting in solidifying lava and so the blisters solidified and became caves. The cave is a series of huge oval chambers, many of them connected, but not all of them. The result is actually number of caves which all together are called Musanze Cave.