Classic Rwanda
Discover the land of thousand hills!
The trip will not only bring you to the two most important National Parks of
Rwanda but will also explore the unique sceneries of Lake Kivu and highlight
some unique cultural aspects of Rwanda life. As an option we propose you a visit
to the recent devastated city of Goma (RDC) to show you another side of the
Virunga volcanoes. This safari can be extended to Akagera NP.
- For gorillas the min. age is 15 years .
- 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 when 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 Kigali including the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi, visit of the national Museum at Butare, performance of the Intore dancers, all guided primates walks in Nyungwe, speed-boat trip to Gisenyi, Options: second gorilla trekking, climbing the Bisoke (3.711 m), visit of the Dian Fossey grave and former Karisoke centre, visit of the golden monkeys. It excludes: Airline ticket, beverages, tips, visas and personal expenses.
- What to bring with you?
Money for your personal expenses (average of $ 100 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 lens is very useful, reserve batteries, films and a torch.
Duration : 9 Days
Travel styles : Small Group Safaris, Lodge Safaris, Road Safaris
Activities : Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Trekking, Cultural Activities, Gorilla Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places : Butare and the National Museum, Genocide Memorial Centre - Gisozi & others, Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest NP., Volcanoes National Park
Schedule
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival at Kigali
Meet and greet at the Airport by your 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.
Accommodation : Hotel Chez Lando (***) Luxury Rooms
Day 2 : Kigali - Butare - Nyungwe Forest NP.
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 visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former
Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. 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 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. Lunch is foreseen in Butare and in the afternoon we will drive to Nyungwe Forest NP. Your driver-guide will stop at the Uwinka offices to have the last update on the presence of the semi-habituated groups of chimps and colobus monkeys. This will help you to prepare your activities of the next day. Overnight is foreseen at the Guest House of Gisakura. (B-L-D)
Rwanda has one of the finest traditional handicrafts of Africa. The ceramics, woodcarvings and basketry are found in the streets of Kigali and Butare.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.
Activities : Cultural Activities
Parks & places : Butare and the National Museum
Day 3 : Nyungwe Forest NP
Nyungwe Forest NP is a paradise for hikers. The terrain is rugged and steep, and you will be at relatively high elevation. Wear good hiking shoes and bring warm clothing!
Your day will start with an early breakfast and a briefing at Uwinka tourist
information centre. Depending on your personal interests you will have a choice
of different opportunities to explore the largest high altitude rainforest of
East Africa! Of a particular interest are the large social groups of Angolan
Colobus (Colobus angolensis), which may be over 300 individuals. These
are the largest troops of this species known in the world! Nyungwe forest
counts 25% of the African Primates!
One of these groups is semi-habituated and we recommend to start your
exploration with a guided primate walk in search of the Angolan Colobus monkeys
(black and white Colobus)! Rangers will tell you approximately where the group
is located and the hiking times may vary as the group is travelling continuously
looking for food. Be prepared to have a more strenuous hiking!
In the afternoon you can continue your exploration. There are different beautiful trails available and the superb waterfall trail of Gisakura is probably the most rewarding. The hiking time is 2 up to 3 hours and is a very enjoyable hike accessible to everybody! If you missed the Angolan Colobus you can have another try near to the tea factory where another troop is hosted. Overnight at the Guest house of Gisakura. (B-L-D)
Nyungwe Forest is the only place in Africa where troops of 300 black-and-white colobus monkeys (Angolan Colobus) can be seen jumping in the trees! A spectacular sight!Accommodation : Guest House of Gisakura (*)
Activities : Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places : Nyungwe Forest NP.
Day 4 : Nyungwe Forest NP
If the chimps are nearby we recommend to have a chimp tracking experience in Nyungwe! Otherwise you may choose to have another guided primate walk or have one of the hikes in the well-maintained trails.
There are l’hoest monkeys and blue monkeys present and often observed around Uwinka, requiring less strenuous hiking. There is also an orchid garden at Uwinka and for those who would like a challenging hike we recommend the trail "the Bigugu Mountain", the highest peak in Nyungwe Forest at nearly 3000m.
Bird watchers will certainly be interested to know that Nyungwe has also some Albertine rift endemic species that can only be seen here! Birding is very rewarding on one of the special designed trails! Don’t forget to bring your binoculars with you! (B-L-D)
Nyungwe Forest has more than 100 species of orchids!Accommodation : Guest House of Gisakura (*)
Activities : Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places : Nyungwe Forest NP.
Day 5 : Nyungwe Forest NP - Kibuye
After breakfast you will leave for Kibuye, passing through the green fields of tea plantations before explorating the shores of Lake Kivu. Kibuye which is one of the three resort town on Lake Kivu is the most beautiul. Arrival at Kibuye is foreseen at lunch time. After Nyungwe, most participants will welcome that relaxing moments on the shores of Lake Kivu! Lake Kivu is Bilharzia free! Rest of the day at leisure (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.
Accommodation : Molla Hill Resort (***)
Day 6 : 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
km˛, 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 Goma town. 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.
Accommodation : Mountain Gorilla Nest (***)Parks & places : Volcanoes National Park
Day 7 : 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.
We 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)
Activities : Gorilla Trekking
Parks & places : Volcanoes National Park
Day 8 : Second gorilla trekking or another activity - 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 and 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)
Accommodation : Hotel Chez Lando (***) Luxury RoomsActivities : Gorilla Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places : Volcanoes National Park
Day 9 : 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.
