What To Combine With Gorilla Trekking Safari In Rwanda

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During the Rwanda safari you can combine gorilla trekking with several activities in the country including chimpanzee trekking, game safaris, birding fishing, diverse culture and much more. Rwanda safaris are beyond the mountain gorillas as the country itself is an attraction but sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Africa. This is because of its terrain has close resemblance to the Alps of Switzerland.

Rwanda is one of the growing African safari destinations sought after by adventure fanatics world over because of its support of eco sustainability. Rwanda has some of the few leftover fully grown natural forests which are getting scarce to find worldwide.

Having ample time for the Rwanda safari gives you better insight into the beauties of the country. The safari attractions of Rwanda are distributed in different parts of the country which you need to get in atleast a day or more.

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Rwanda Safari Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park

Get the chance to see the chimpanzees which are the closest human relative in animal kingdom. The main headquarters of Nyungwe forest is in Uwinka from where briefing starts. Currently Nyungwe forest has two communities habituated and opened to the public with one within the forest and the other at Cyamudondo on the park outskirts.

For chance to do chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, you must secure a chimpanzee permit from Rwanda Development Board. Other than chimpanzee trekking, other safari activities to do in Nyungwe forest may include canopy walk, birding , guided forest walks and others.

From Volcanoes National Park, the drive time is about 5 to 6 hours to Nyungwe National Parkbut you need a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition to get through.

Game safari in Akagera National Park

Rwanda has Akagera National Park as its game safari destination. During the game drive on the tracks of Akagera National Park, you may find herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, rhinos, waterbucks, bushbucks, lions, leopards and others.

The population of wild animals in Akagera National Park was affected by civil unrest in Rwanda pushing several of them to the neighboring countries while others were poached. At the moment, the African Park and Rwanda Development Board are working closely to revive its glory. So far the conservation compaign they took on is yielding great results and recovery is to a greater extent noticed. Akagera National Park was also affected by the Rwanda genocide.

Other than the game drive in Akagera National, you may also do a boat trip on Lake Ihema, birding, scenic viewing, hike and many others.

From Volcanoes National Park, the drive time to Akagera National Park is about 4 to 5hours

Cultural Experience in Rwanda

Rwandese culture is contagious and the people are proud to share there rich culture with the world. There are some significant cultural centers of Rwanda including the Ethnographic Museum in Huye. Here some of the items used by the past people of Rwanda are preserved. The center has a training center where arts and crafts of the people of Rwanda takes place. A visit to the Nyakarimbi crafts center gives you chance to see a number of art crafts including the famous Imigongo cow dung painting.

You may get the chance to participate in the Intore dance performance accompanied by an orchestra of drums, harps and much more.

Birding in Rwanda

Birding in Rwanda can be dome from different destinations especially the forested areas including Volcanoes forest, Nyungwe forest and others. Rwanda has over 700 bird species recorded including Albertine rift endemics. Some of the possible birds to find on Rwanda birding safari include White-tailed Blue Fly catcher, Malachite Sunbird, Dusky’s Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco and others.

Being in company of a professional birding guide is advised during the Rwanda birding safari so that you can get the best of your tour.

Hiking Safari in Rwanda

Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills and together with gorilla trekking safari you can plan a guided hike on some of the highlands in the country. In Volcanoes National Park, there are 5 highlands you can plan to hike including Mountain Bisoke, Gahinga, Muhavura, Sabyinyo and Karisimbi.

Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda

A combination of gorilla trekking with golden monkeys trekking in Volcanoes National Park gives you chance to see some of the endangered primates in the world. Golden monkeys have a larger body and golden brown hairs on the lower bottom.They are charming primatesand even though habituated they still possess there natural characteristics.   

While on the search for the golden monkeys, you may encounter other resident primates including blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and others.

Kigali city tour in Rwanda

The center of business in Rwanda is Kigali and a city tour here gets you to see where the heart of the country beats. During the Kigali city tour, you may get to visit the business and market centers, religious centers, genocide memorials and others.

A taste of Rwanda cuisines drives you into the great taste of this land of a thousand hills, a coffee cup in one of the cafes in Kigali city speaks volumes about the land where it is grown and prepared.

The Dian Fossey Hike

In Volcanoes National Park, you can get the opportunity to hike to where the remains of Dian Fossey the American philanthropist were laid to rest as the heron of the mountain gorillas. She dedicated her life to save the mountain gorillas and her efforts still speak volumes.

Dian Fossey was brutality murdered by unknown assassinators in 1985 but she had tried hard to let the world know about how much danger the mountain gorillas were facing. The mountain gorilla population is slowly recovering and they are recognized as some of the highly endangered primates in the world.

Why Choose Rwanda For Gorilla Trekking Safari

Rwanda is one of the only three mountain gorilla trekking destinations in the world an activity it shares with Uganda and D.R.Congo. Rwanda currently has 12 gorilla trekking families open to the public some of which include Umubano, Amahoro, Susa, Hirwa and others.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be that stopover spot in your journey as there are chances of taking a 2 day gorilla trekking adventure. This is not common with other gorilla trekking destinations. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours which you can take on arrival do trekking and depart with the late evening flight. This is however a rushed program. 

Beyond gorilla trekking, if you have extra time in Rwanda, you get the chance to enjoy the beauties in the country.

From gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you can connect for other safaris in Tanzania including the Serengeti Great wildebeest migration or Kenya Safari or Uganda safari as they are all in the East African community. It is best to reserve the Rwanda gorilla trekking safari in advance especially if it is your stopover point.

How Safe Is Rwanda Safari including gorilla trekking

Rwanda is a safe country to visit and when you take the gorilla trekking safari, there are well trained ranger guides to direct and protect you though the entire adventure. Every tourists is expected to attend briefing before gorilla trekking where details about what to expect in the forest are communicated.  

Each tourists is encouraged to carry safari gears to protect you from some tough conditions in the jungle.

During gorilla trekking tourists, are accompanied by trained ranger guides from Rwanda Development Board who ensure to offer security and follow the slowest trekker. This is to ensure that none is forgotten in the wilderness.

When you find the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees one hour is recommended with them to reduce on the chances of agitating them.

Cost of A Combo of Gorilla Trekking with other Rwanda safaris

The cost of Rwanda safaris including gorilla trekking are categorized into luxury, mid-range and basic. For gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, the cost of the permit cuts across all safari categories.

Current the Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents or Other African and $200 for East Africans.

The cost of Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permit is at the moment $150 for international nonresidents, $75 for international residents and $25 for East Africans.

There are other additional safari costs expected to be included in the Rwanda safari package such as accommodation cost, transport cost and others. For better Rwanda safari preparations, ensure to reserve the necessary logistics in advance.

Best Time To do A Combo of Gorilla Trekking and Other Rwanda Safari activities

The best time to do a combo of gorilla trekking and other Rwanda safaris is the dry season that is June to September and December to February. The environment favors tourists to explore the forest and the wild animals are quicker to spot.

For game safaris in Rwanda, the tracks in Akagera National Park are quicker to drive on and trails in the forest easier to navigate in the dry season. Most of the animals show up easily in the dry season and this create better environment to watch them through the misty jungle.

Note that the dry season is the peak tourism season in Rwanda with more tourists expected to visit the country. The demand for safaris in Rwanda hits the highest point in the dry season and last minute bookers may be disappointed.

The wet season should not worry you when planning a gorilla trekking and other Rwanda safari activities. The wet season which is March to May and November is characterized by heavier down pours but Rwanda safaris are still open including gorilla trekking, chimpanzee safaris and more. Donot forget to pack the appropriate safari gears necessary for your tour.

What To Expect On A Combo Of Gorilla Trekking And Other Rwanda Safari Activities

During a Rwanda safari, expect to purchase and present your permits especially when destined to do gorilla, chimpanzee trekking and golden monkey safaris.

For gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey safaris, expect to report to the ranger station for briefing and document verification. Every jungle safari in Rwanda is guided by a professional ranger guide and no person is allowed to move in the forest without an escorting guide.

Expect to go through winding roads and sometimes rough especially in the country side of Rwanda so donot expect a smooth ride to the Rwanda safari destinations.

Expect to share most of the Rwanda safari activities with other tourists and it is hard to close off the destinations in Rwanda for more private experience unless planned in advance.

How Easy Or Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking With Other Rwanda Safaris

Rwanda safaris are done in mostly environmentally challenging destinations so you need to bear some level of fitness. This is because of the general nature of the terrain of the country which is mountainous.

During gorilla or chimpanzee or golden monkey trekking adventures the time of completing any of these experience is hard to determine. This is because locating these primates depends on factors prevailing in the wilderness.

The wet season in the jungles of Rwanda safari destinations is often quite challenging as the grounds gets messy and this makes movements quite challenging. \]i8ywq          aving some level of fitness before going on the gorilla, chimpanzee or golden monkey trekking is recommended so that you can get through with the entire Rwanda safari adventure.  Walking through the wildernesses in Rwanda involves hiking.

Why Do Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda With Arch Safaris And Tours

Arch Safaris and Tours is a professional safari company with over 8 years of existence. We have been operating Rwanda safari that is gorilla trekking, chimpanzee safaris and others for the same period as our existence.

Clients satisfaction is top on the list of our priorities because we believe in offering value for money. We can help book the necessary gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey trekking permits.

We have a team of safari consultants with experience of how to organize different African safaris and we have accumulated expertise in planning most of the safari activities. We offer free information as per our experience and knowledge about the different Rwanda safari destinations as required by our clients as per request forwarded.

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