Rwanda - Intore, Kivu and Gorillas
- Min. 2 participants. For gorillas the min. age is 15 years.
- You can choose from 2 hotel categories. See the hotels proposed in the day by day program, itinerary.
- Only the Park Authorities will assign you a gorilla group. Communicate your wishes to our driver-guide he will make some arrangements for you! The Sussa group leaves at the Karisimbi volcano and is more challenging with much longer hiking times!
- Flash photograpy is not permitted while tracking the gorillas.
- What is included?
Tour Includes: Airport transfers, accommodation, all meals, plenty of mineral water, the services of a driver-guide, all park and entry fees, all activities as per programme: visit of the King's palace, visit of the national museum, the performance of the Intore dancers, 1 gorilla trekking, visit of Kigali including the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi, 1 gorilla trekking, Options: second gorilla trek, hiking the Bisoke, Dian Fossey memorial, golden monkeys.
Excludes: Airline ticket, beverages, tips, visas and personal expenses.
- What to bring ?
Money for your personal expenses (average of $ 50 p.p.), outfit with adapted colours for wildlife observation, good walking shoes, raingear, a few long-sleeve shirts, slippers, sweater for cool evenings, sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sun cream, video/photo camera, a 200 mm or longer telepholens is very usefull, reserve batteries, films and a torch.
- Flights to Tanzania:
We are the booking Agent of Rwandairexpress (Kilimanjaro) and Coastal Aviation
(charter flights to Arusha, Serengeti, Manyara).
- WARNING: Gorilla
permits are in high demand and need to be booked and paid in advance! Book your
gorilla safari accordingly and avoid disappointment!
Duration : 7 Days
Travelstyles : Road Safaris, Private Safaris, Lodge Safaris
Activities : Cultural Activities, Gorilla Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places : Butare and the National Museum, Genocide Memorial Centre - Gisozi & others, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival at Kigali
Meet and greet at the Airport by your Safaris guide. Diner (D) is included in the package. Overnight at your Hotel.
Flights: There are daily flights to Kigali out of Nairobi with Kenya Airways and Rwandair Express.
Day 2 : Kigali - Butare
After breakfast you will depart for Butare the second largest city of Rwanda and is regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda. It hosts the National Museum, several academic (University) and research institutions.
On your way to Butare you will stop at Gitarama for a visit of the Cathedral of Kabgayi which was build by the White Fathers. (The first Catholic mission was created in 1900 only a few kilometers from Butare, at Save Hill.)
You will also visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. It's here that the first Europeans (Germans) came to visit the Mwami. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka's palace of Buganda.
You will arrive at Butare for lunch and in the afternoon we take all the time needed to visit the National Museum which is one the well set-up if not the finest ethnographic museum of East Africa. It's a good source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda and the region.
After the visit of the museum you will have a spectacular
performance of the national ballet with the Intore-dancers. The performance is
regarded by many as one of the highlights of your safari. Rwanda has one of the
finest traditional handicrafts of Africa. The ceramics, woodcarvings and
basketry are found in Butare and your guide will indicate where to buy them.
(B-L-D)
The "Intore", once the elite of the
traditional Rwanda army, were not only trained as military but also in high jump
and dance. They were known for there remarkable technique allowing them to jump
over 2m40. The Intore became worldwide famous as dancers in 1958 when the World
Expo was held in Brussels. Today Intore dancers are part of the rich Rwanda
folklore.
The warriors dance is a jewel of the choreographic heritage of Rwanda. Dressed
with a mane made of sisal fibre, Tied up on ankles, little bells jingle on each
step, giving the warriors dance a thrilling rhythm. Throughout the Intore
ballet, physical confrontation turns into artistic rivalry and then at "the end"
comes out into a vigorous hug of the warriors. This is the most artistic gesture
of friendship, mutual aid and protection.
The National Museum in Butare was
donated in 1989 by the Belgium government and gave back a part of the
ethnographic collection acquired during the colonial period. The design and
concept of the museum was realized in co-operation with the Royal Museum for
Central Africa of Tervuren, Belgium. The modern building has different sections
and displays a wide collection of monochrome pictures, traditional artefacts and
objects, tools and different craft products. Ethnographic objects are grouped
together according to theme giving excellent information on the daily life.
Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the
finest handicrafts of the region. The National Museum remained surprisingly
untouched during the civil war in 1994.
Parks & places : Butare and the National Museum
Day 3 : Butare - Kibuye
After breakfast you will leave for Kibuye via Gitarama. Kibuye which is one of
the three resort towns on Lake Kivu is the most beautiul. Arrival at Kibuye is
foreseen at before lunch time. Kibuye is such a relaxed and pleasant town that
its very ejoyable just strolling and watching life. On fridays there is a big
market which is worth to be seen. You will also have the opportunity to take a
boat trip to tha Napoleon's hat Island famous for hosting fruit bats. (B-L-D)
Lake Kivu is unique: Its deep waters contain an enormous quantity of dissolved gas. There are, in fact, 65 billion cubic metres of methane, in other words the equivalent of 50 million tonnes of petrol lying at the bottom of the lake under 250 m of water. If it were exploited, this energy, veritable manna from heaven, would provide Rwanda with an almost inexhaustible source of energy, freeing it from worry about energy needs linked to its development projects. There is a pilot station for the extraction of methane for energy.
Activities : Cultural Activities
Day 4 : Kibuye - Gisenyi by speed boat (Goma) - Kinigi
After breakfast, you will have an enjoyable speed-boat trip to Gisenyi. The trip is not only an encounter with local people; fishermen, fishing villages but also with the residents of Idjwi Island (Congo) who are rowing long distances in their dugout canoes to visit the Rwanda markets.
You will be picked up in Gisenyi for lunch and if time allows we make arrangements to cross the border to Goma (Optional). Goma was devastated by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano. The visit shows the fantastic capabilities of the local population to overcome this natural catastrophe! We drive to Ruhengeri and Kinigi for an overnight at your hotel. (B-L-D)
Idjwi is an island in Lake Kivu, belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At 40 km in length and with an area of 285 km², it is believed to be the largest inland island in Africa, and the eighth largest in the world. Idjwi is roughly equidistant between the DRC and Rwanda, with 10 to 15 kilometres separating its western shore from the DRC mainland and a similar distance between its eastern shore and the coastline of Rwanda. The island's southern tip, however, lies only 1 kilometre from a promontory of the Rwandan coast.
The Nyiragongo volcano (3470 m) erupted on the 17th of January 2002 and destroyed part of the town of Goma in January 2002. Most of Goma's 400 000 inhabitants escaped the advancing lava flows crossing the border into neighbouring Rwanda. The eruption destroyed the homes of 120 000 people and caused between 70 and 100 victims.
Day 5 : Gorilla Trekking
After breakfast you will report at the ORTPN headquarters
where your driver-guide will accomplish the necessary formalities for you. You
will meet your ranger guide(s) for a briefing about the greatest animal
experience ever. Magic Safaris will drive you to the slopes of one of the
Virunga volcanoes for your trekking.
After the trekking, lunch at your hotel or at Ruhengeri and in the afternoon, if
time allows, an excursion to explore the beautiful lakes in the region: Lake
Bulera & Ruhondo. An excellent view of the Virunga chain of Volcanoes can be
seen while there depending on weather conditions. Overnight at your hotel.
(B-L-D)
Parks & places : Volcanoes National Park
Day 6 : Second gorilla trekking - Transfer to Kigali
For a second gorilla trek we propose that you visit one of the groups with a longer hiking time; the Susa group which is located on the slopes of the Karisimbi volcano has more than 35 members and will give you a great sense of achievement!
Other activities/options:
- An excursion to the top of the Bisoke volcano (3.711 m) of which the distinctive feature is a beautiful crater lake! Fantastic views in all directions, lushly forested slopes, shady bamboo forest and an exhilarating climb!
- An excursion to the grave of Dian Fossey and the former Karisoke Research Centre. The excursion will provide excellent background information and this is a wonderful site to see!
- A visit to the Golden Monkeys: the little-known Golden Monkey (cercopithecus mitis kandti) is listed as “endangered”, the newly habituated groups of about 40 individuals are the only ones in Africa. The Kabatwa troop is located not so far from the Park Headquarters and the Musanga troop lives near the Karisimbi volcano and has a much longer walking distance.
Transfer to Kigali for overnight at your hotel (or departure).
(B-L-D)
Parks & places : Volcanoes National Park
Day 7 : Kigali visit and departure
The half day Kigali City trip (option) includes a visit to the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi, which takes a few hours. It’s a touching visit! Transfer to Airport for departure. (B-L)
Genocide Memorials:
In Rwanda you will find all over the country Memorials to remember the genocide
of 1994. The most important Genocide Memorials are those of Kigali (Gisozi) and
Murambi (Gikongoro) where the history of the genocide is explained. A visit to
the genocide memorial is for most visitors an emotional event.
Important: Before you travel please check your Tour Voucher and Arrival Information for the latest joining instructions. This will be sent to you upon receipt of final payment.
All itineraries are subject to change without prior notice.
The American naturalist Diane Fossey (Author of Gorillas in the Mist) dispelled the myths and revealed that gorillas are in fact shy and gentle creatures, intelligent, sociable and given to aggression only as a means of defence. We owe Diane Fossey a great debt for bringing the gorillas to public attention and inspiring the governments to introduce laws for their protection. She also contributed largely to set out the basic rules for gorilla viewing. Today the International Gorilla Conservation Programme covers all three countries, and it is most certainly a great privilege to be able to visit these mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla beringei ).
The entire world population is found in 2 only conservation area. The volcanic Virunga Mountains, which straddle the common borders of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, and in South Western Uganda's Impenetrable Forest. Both conservation area give a different gorilla experience. The habitat in Bwindi Impenetrable NP is a dense rainforest while in Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mt Mgahinga (Uganda) the habitat of the gorillas is part of the Virunga, the famous chain of volcanoes located in Congo, Rwanda and also partially in Uganda.
A typical gorilla trekking starts with assigning the visitors to the respective habituated gorilla groups. In Bwindi the groups are assigned when buying the gorilla permit while in Rwanda the Park Authorities will assign them on site the day of the trekking.
After this formality the Rangers will give you a briefing of the way they will conduct this fantastic guided nature walk to the gorillas. They will give you extensive information on the environment, the gorilla family you will visit and the way you should behave with them. The so named “gorilla rules” will be clearly set out because it’s a corner stone in the conservation of the gorillas. There is not only a high risk of disease transmission to gorillas and vice versa, but the daily visits can cause behavioural disturbance and stress to gorillas. Please respect the rules!
After the briefing we will drive you to nearest location outside the park and from there your rangers will guide you to the gorillas. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable and it’s difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. In Bwindi the hiking time are generally much challenging. The terrain is usually more difficult in the rainforest and hiking times are longer because when looking for food Bwindi gorillas tend to travel longer distances per day. In Rwanda the gorilla trekking is usually easier except for the challenging Sussa group located at the Karisimbi volcano.
This doesn’t mean that you don’t need a good physical condition in Rwanda. We have seen several times that visitors had some problems during their trekking. Rain can get you by surprise and during the dry season gorilla tend to climb higher for their preferred bamboo shoots. It has to be said that the park rangers and the porters are extremely helpful and will do everything they can to make sure that visitors can see the gorillas. We therefore strongly advise not to hesitate to take a porter. Porters can not only be very efficient but in return you help local communities to benefit from tourism! There is also a very efficient rescue team available in the parks for visitor getting in trouble!
For conservation purposed the time spend with the gorillas is limited to one hour. The daily visits have an impact on gorilla activity patterns. The daily visits are a source of animal stress and less feeding are a strong justification for he one-hour rule.
Gorilla trekking is the strongest animal experience ever! Tracking the gorillas is a unique experience - it leads you to meet unusual creatures on their own terms and it’s a very intense and trilling experience! You will be rewarded with a certificate of the National Park!
