The park covers over 160 sq.km in the northern parts of the republic of Rwanda. The lush vegetation is more favorable for the inhabitants who basically feed on the plant roots ad shoot. Some of the animals in this park include the mountain gorillas, Golden Monkeys and many bird species among other wildlife within the forest. The major activity in Volcanoes National park is Gorilla tracking which is actually the major tourist activity in the country and remains the backbone of the tourism sector in Rwanda.

WHAT TO DO AT VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Gorilla tracking

Gorillas is the largest primate in the world and are undoubtedly the most interesting relatives of human beings in the forest. Tracking the Gorillas happens in the Volcanoes National Park allowing visitors to spend one full hour. The Gorillas feed on the plant leaves, roots, seasonal forest fruits and insects on some occasions. The Gorillas are tracked at a fee of 1500USD per person and this figure cuts across all the visitors that would love to engage in the activity.

Golden monkey tracking

Volcanoes National Park is also home to another very rare type of primates the Golden Monkeys. These are found in the Virunga volcanoes dominated by Rwanda, Mhgahinga and Kahuzi Beiga in the DRC. Tracking the Golden monkeys is more/less similar to the search for Gorillas but the difference is that the Golden monkeys leave less evidence of their presence and are a little more silent making it hard to see them. They are uniquely identified by their bright Golden fur as you watch them from a close distance as they play jumping from tree to tree. The feed on bamboo shoots, leaves, roots, insects and seasonal forest fruits.

Dian Fossey Hike

Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and researcher who dedicated her entire life to the conservation of the mountain Gorillas. She left the comfort of her good life in America and decided to stay in Rwanda to help in caring for the endangered mountain gorillas. This lady was unfortunately brutally murdered by poachers in 1985 and was buried in the forest.  Her burial grounds have since become a tourist attraction as people visit this park to see and learn about a person who offered her life to save the Gorillas.

Hiking

Hiking is one of the best experiences at Volcanoes National park, Hiking takes place on the different mountains like the Sabyinyo, Bisoke and the Karisimbi enjoying great views of the entire volcanoes National Park. the highest hike will be at mount Bisoke which stands at 3711 meters above sea level, the second highest is Mount Karisimbi. On top of these mountains you will enjoy great views of the other five volcanoes and the Twin Lakes.

Boarding

Volcanoes National park is the birders haven due to the dense forest that favors the livelihood of birds. It has a recorded number of about 2000 bird species that are seen all over the park during your visit. The key bird species to look out for include; Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori double collared sunbird, ground robin, dusky crimson wing, and the red-faced woodland warbler among others.

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WHAT TO DO AT NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Chimpanzee tracking

Chimpanzees share close to 98% of human DNA and their behavior is pretty much like humans except a few elements of being wild. The Chimps have been habituated and can be tracked at a close range without any worry. They have been trained to get used to the presence of human beings without them changing their behavior. Visitors are allowed to meet the chimps to learn about their behavior in the bush as they take memorable pictures for one full hour. Meeting the chimps is one of the highlights of your trip to the country of a thousand hills. Other primate species you will meet include; the Rwenzori colobus monkeys, Silver Monkey, Golden Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, L’Hoest’s Monkey, Vervet Monkey, Grey-Checked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Dent’s mona Monkey, and Hamlyn’s Monkey.

Nyungwe Canopy Walk

The canopy walk in Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest is East Africa’s only Canopy and one of the only three in the whole of Africa. The canopy lies 50 meters above the forest giving the best aerial view of the entire forest and the surrounding villages. The birds, monkeys and chimps are sometimes seen jumping over the trees as you stand above the forest. This experience will cost you only $60 per person and you will be given a guise to take you through this whole experience.

Hike to the Waterfall

The hike begins at Gisakura guesthouse and may take you 3-6 hours depending on the speed and the stopovers you have. The hike will take you through different interesting water streams through rough terrain towards the small waterfall giving you a unique experience of the wild.

Bird Watching

Nyungwe forest has a total of over 275 bird species recorded over time and the major species include; Rwenzori Turaco, the blue-headed sunbird, blue Turaco, regal sunbird, white bellied Robin Chat, Red Collared Babbler, Handsome Francolin, Crowned Hornbill, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, and Chapin’s Flycatcher among others.

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The park faced it hardest times during the 1994 genocide when many people fled through the it and returned through the same place. This was a great threat to the wild life as some of the refugees had nowhere to settle after the war and chose to stay in the park. Parching became rampant and trees with in the park were cut down for firewood and timber. Thankfully the government of Rwanda later addressed the challenge by partnering with the African Parks Network and other partners to reintroduce the depleted wildlife species like the Lions and Rhinoceros to Akagera National Park.

Akagera National Park is now Rwanda’s home to the wildlife sought after worldwide like the hyena, all kinds of Antelopes, Buffaloes, Rhinos, lions, leopard, Serval cats, bush pigs, Warthog, waterbucks, and giraffes among others. Primates like the Olive Baboon and the blue monkeys and Bush babies are also found in this park.

The park has a recorded number of over 500 different bird species that survive in the forests and the papyrus swamps of this protected area. Key species to look out for include the Shoebill Stock, the Papyrus Gonolek, African fish Eagle, Crowned, Herons, Open-Billed Stork.

Activities/things to do/see at Akagera National Park

Game viewing

It’s with no doubt that Akagera is one of the few places where the big 5 can be spotted. A variety of other mammals are seen during the exciting game drives in the morning and/evening to explore the diverse beauty of this park. Night game drives are also available to catchup with the nocturnal animals, and the night hunting cats and the hippos that feed at night. Some of the wildlife to look out for include, Zebras, Buffaloes, Girraffes, Bushbucks, hyenas, leopard, Eland, Impalas, Sitatunga, Mangoose, side stripped Jackal, topis, Hippos, crocodile, wild dog, warthogs, Baboons, and Bush babies etc.….

Boar Ride

The boat trips happen on Lake Ihema to watch the Crocodiles and Hippos that dominate the waters of this lake. Elephants and other wildlife like the Buffaloes are also seen on the shores as they drink. The most exciting and rare moments is when the crocodiles are seen hunting down the helpless land animals dragging them into the deep waters of the lake. The nearby soggy areas are a safe breeding ground for many bird species like the African fish eagle, Shoebill Stork, Kingfishers, African Jacana, and the Blue-headed coucal. The boat trip costs $40 per person and the boat is only allowed to take 11 people per trip. You must be careful to obey the guidelines of only 11 persons as the rules of the Rwandan government.

Spot fishing

It’s no doubt that many guests would never want to miss on the spot fishing experience while on a trip to Africa. Lake Shakani is one of the places this dream comes a reality, visitors are allowed to catch fish like the Tilapia and cat fish. The experience costs only $20 per person and in some cases visitors are allowed to prepare and eat their catch. As a way to spice up this experience, visitors are subjected to a competition to catch fish and the winners prepare and eat the fish they catch.

Bird Watching

Bird lovers have an opportunity to watch some of the unique bird species like the Shoebill stork, African Fish Eagle, Double Toothed Barbet, red-faced Barbet, Ross’s Turaco and the long tailed Cistola.

Nature Walks

One of the best ways to appreciate the biodiversity of this park is through a guided nature walk before ending your trip. Forest trails have been established to give you a chance to watch the different wildlife species like Butterflies, birds and/or wild animals. the trails also lead you to the different water bodies with in the park as you will be guided by the professional staff basing on your interest.

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Lake Kivu was formed as a result of the Volcanic eruption many years’ back and sits at the highest altitude. The lake is at Rwanda’s border with DR Congo and the largest part of it is in Rwanda.

Lake Kivu harbors over 28 species of fish, about 142 plant species, 80 bird species, about five species of amphibians, 6 mammals, 6 reptiles and close to 52 invertebrate species. Several water bird species and snakes some of which are considered endangered are also found in this area.

The ever increasing fishing pressure and deforestation especially on the side of Rwanda are a great threat to the lake. 3 Tilapia fish species were introduced a few years back were introduced but did not do well probably because of the shallow waters. The increasing population on the shores of lake Kivu may soon or later be pollute the fresh water of this lake. The increasing engagement in farming and deforestation by the people around this area is also a threat to the lake.

Some of the major activities include a boat ride to the nearby Napoleon Island and Amahoro Island, visit Kibuye genocide church in a cultural visit to watch the historical brightly color-stained windows at this hill above Lake Kivu.

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