Must Do’s In Volcanoes National Park

 

Volcanoes National Park, which lies along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda consisting of 125 square kilometer, is home to one third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, golden monkey and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems. The park name’s and the majestic landscape is framed by five volcanoes it houses: Kalisimbi (the highest at 4,507m), Muhabura, Bisoke (with a verdant crater Lake), Sabyinyo and Gahinga. Within the boundaries of VNP are, Buhanga Eco-Park, an ancient folklore, Musanze Caves and Gorilla Guardians (Iby’Iwacu culture village).

Mountain Gorillas

GORILLA TREKKING.    With only an estimated 880 mountain  Gorillas left in the world, to get closer to these gentle creatures in their natural habitat is a truly unique moment. When visiting the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills, one should not miss out on the magnificent opportunity to visit the endangered mountain gorillas. Look into the eyes of a large silverback gorilla and he’ll look back with a thoughtful, intelligent gaze, mindful that you are another individual. The park has a total of 10 habituated mountain gorilla families that are open to tourist visitation while two mountain gorilla families were left for research. The habituated mountain gorilla families are trekked by a group of maximum 8 tourists every day and the visitors have to report at the headquarters by 7 am. After Tourists received an introduction from park ranger at National Park Gate, The exhilarating climb to the gorilla’s natural habitat of shady bamboo forest begin. Once reached the family, you are allowed to spend strictly one hour with these amazing creatures.

Golden Monkey

GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING.   As the name suggests, the monkeys have a striking golden fur coat, contrasting the green rainforests of the Virunga Mountains and their dynamically character, are quite lovely to watch and offer excellent photography. These are also endangered species and are so exclusive to the Virunga mount

ain ranges where the tourists get the chance to trek and see them at up close. There are two habituated troops of golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and the larger troop, which the most visited, is located in Sabyinyo volcano with 80 – 100 members. The golden monkeys live in the bamboo forests and vegetation at the base of the Volcano Mountains. The monkeys mostly feed on bamboo shoot. Tourist also spend 1 hour watching these beautiful creatures as they try picking the bamboo shoots and also make vast leaps from tree to tree and this is possible with their long tails that provide balance.

 

Mountain Karisimbi

 HIKING THE VOLCANOES.   There is more to Volcanoes National Park than the mountain Gorilla and the Golden Monkey trek. For the nature enthusiasts, the Virunga Mountains are a true paradise filled with lush green forest, rare mountain vegetation, crater lakes, plenty of wildlife, such as forest elephants and buffaloes, endemic birds of the Albertine rift, breathtaking views of    Rwanda’s mist cloaked mountainous landscape and sprawling volcanoes. The hiking adventures are accessible on each of the volcanoes apart from Mt Sabinyo which has got so many craters and this has been said to be dangerous to climb as per now. The most popular hikes are Karisimbi and Bisoke hiking.

Climbing the Karisimbi volcanoes is a strenuous yet very rewarding hike. Karisimbi at an elevation of 4507m is Africa’s 5th highest mountain that receives snow during some months of the year. This is a strenuous 2 day hike, camping at 3700 m at the end of the first day. During the hike up the mountain you need to be prepared for the trail being muddy in places but at the end of your highland travel, you will be surely overwhelmed by a transcendent view, with Nyiragongo to the west, Bisoke to the east, and Mikeno to the north.The mountain Bisoke adventure is one of the most memorable activities in Rwanda. The top of this Volcano has a spectacular crater lake. It is simply a 6 – hours hike including the 2 hours descending down to the starting point.

       

Dian Fossey Tomb

  DIAN FOSSEY TOMB.     Dian Fossey alongside Jane Goodall was a pioneering primatologist. She founded the Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda in 1967 and studied the endangered mountain gorillas for 18 years. The hike to the Dian Fossey Tomb is an incredible experience physically, emotionally and intellectually. It is so inspiring to learn about someone who was so dedicated and left a legacy that exists even today. The trek involves a 30 minutes drive from the park headquarters to the trail head to access the Karisoke research camp where visitors walk for 10 minutes to the park boundary. At the site you will find the house from where Dian Fossey was mysteriously murdered in 1985 but the more peaceful is the place where she was buried just next to her favorite gorilla friend, Digit and about 20 other mountain gorillas either killed by poachers or suffered death for other reasons.

Mysterious Buhanga Eco-park

BUHANGA ECO-PARK.       Buhanga forest is certainly a hidden treasure that is worth visiting. The forest is a site of marvelous ecological importance, astounding beauty and cultural importance ritual where the kings of Rwanda would be initiated and enthroned for kingship. The forest comprises of different sections, which are visited differently, and each section has a different story. Full of myth and legend, visitors experience majestic dragon trees and are rewarded with sightings of many different birds and colorful butterflies

Musanze Caves

CAVING IN MUSANZE  .  The Musanze cave is 2km long and lies in the volcanic region where lava flow dating from over 65 million years to day have created the Albertine Rift valley. Bat roosts are a significant feature of the caves, as are huge roof collapses that create vast arrays of colored light shafts. There is nothing more magical than dense dark silence broken only by the drops of water that hit the rock floor below, and the sounds of hundreds of bat wings rebounding through the caves  

Food preparation

GORILLA GUARDIANS (IBY’IWACU CULTURE VILLAGE)  .    Guardians give you a rare chance to meet local people, in their environment, with a taste of our culture and traditions.  A guided community walk through this village will reward you with unusual and unforgettable experience as you visit different sites in this community. Visiting the king’s house true copy and listening to all the Kings’ stories and meaning of all items within this house graced with the theatrical ceremony of enthroning you as the king by the village elder, will give you nothing but a flavor and immense experience of a real African royal for a moment. Listen to interesting stories about traditional medicine from a local traditional healer and get to know how medicinal trees, shrubs, grass are used to cure local patients, Attend a local banana brewery process and have a taste on local banana beer, Explore the Batwa pottery making experience, lessons and engagement. Take time to listen to the famous songs of the gorillas sang by the famous Ngayabatema as you sit back and meditate upon the conservation evolution of this endangered ape in the Virunga

For more information or packages from Volcanoes National Park

Email us : [email protected] or call or whatsapp + 250788838109 or                                                                                                                    +250728838109 (office)

February 2018
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