Enjoy luxury gorilla trek and wildlife in Rwanda an immersive adventure with cultural encounters involving staying in exclusive lodges. The adventure will take you to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla safari, Akagera national park for the wildlife encounter as well as Nyungwe Forest National Park for the primate encounter then wind up with relaxation at lake Kivu.
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, you will be welcomed by our senior driver/guide who will transfer you to Kigali Serena hotel in a 4×4 land cruiser v8. Check in, be briefed for the next stop then take dinner and overnight. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will be picked still by our driver/guide in that posh luxurious jeep, take a city tour as you head to the gorilla paradise.
The city tour will take you to Kigali genocide memorial to pay homage to the remains of the people who died in this massacre. It offers a powerful experience for visitors, promoting reconciliation and building peace through education. This also provides a powerful and immersive experience, fostering a deeper understanding of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Head to the home to five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga mountains massif and with hills richly blanketed with rain forest, bamboo forests as well as open grassland, swamps, marshes and small lakes. On arrival, you will head direct to Bisate lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight. Enjoy the award-winning eco – chic rain forest lodge nestled in a mesmerizing volcanic landscape. The lodge is simply breath-taking and the finest base in Africa from which to trek to see the famous mountain gorillas of the Virunga.
The lodge embraces a nourishing Earth-to-plate food journey, visionary reforestation programme, community initiatives, and rich wildlife, with a fierce passion to conserve and protect the beauty of this land, and all who call it home. Visit Bisate’s vegetable garden an ecosystem intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.
Early morning after breakfast, go for briefing from the park authorities and Rangers at around 7:30am. During the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight people and assigned to a particular gorilla family. The less fit hikers are assigned groups which are closer to the park offices. At 8:00am, the park Rangers lead the group to search for the gorillas.
You could spend hours searching for the apes and once you see them, you will spend one hour just watching the little ones roll around and play. Mountain gorillas are always playful and quite curious. Some may walk right up to you but with no harm intended. While with the gorillas, it’s important to listen to instructions from your Guides and to always stay calm. You will descend back to the headquarters to pick your trekking certificate and back to lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will take a visit to the IbyI’wacu cultural village. This will give you a true taste of Rwandan Culture where you will have the opportunity to interact with local people around the village, participate in cultural activities, and admire some beautiful projects that both employ and empower the community.
The local guide will offer insight as they bring you through activities such as: visiting the huts, tasting the local brew, marriage ceremony, storytelling, and wrapping it with watching fantastic dancers and drummers, who will showcase their traditional dance before you, and you can join! You will go back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Transfer to Akagera national park for the wild life encounter. You will go direct to Magashi for refreshment, dinner and overnight. This is one of the luxurious camps in Akagera national park where you will be able to get all the best amenities. You will enjoy the best meals while here and best staff who will be there for you from the time you have checked in to the time you check out.
Early in the morning after breakfast, take a game drive in the park. You will be driven along the tracks, through the green savannah plains, past wide-leaved woodlands and into the habitat of bountiful mammal species in the Akagera National Park. Your tour guide knows the areas where most animals usually spend their day and he will endeavour to drive you to such areas. Some of the animals to look out for while on a day game drive include; The Defassa Water buck, Topis, Bohor Reed bucks, Oribis, Semi-Aquatic Sitatunga, Eland, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephants, Lions and the recently reintroduced Rhinos are some of the mammals found in the park.
In the afternoon, you will take a boat cruise relaxing yet rewarding way to view wildlife. It is an even more rewarding experience when on the lake. Lake Ihema is the second largest lake in Rwanda known for its abundant hippo population and crocodile dotted shores. The boat safari on Lake Ihema offers the opportunity to take up-close photos of these animals. As other animals come to the lake for a drink or bath, you can take a look at those that you may have missed while out on a game drive in the wild. Back to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Transfer to Nyungwe national park for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk. The experience starts at 5am which implies that you should be up earlier. Each trekking group can only have a maximum of 8 members. Nyungwe Forest is a rain forest with a slippery terrain that will require sturdy hiking shoes, a rain poncho in the likely event of a downpour, long sleeved thick shirts for the cold weather and long trousers to protect you from any thing that would affect your legs. The search will take from 30min to 3hours and once you come in contact with them, you will spend one hour with the chimps learning their behaviours as well as enjoying them jumping from one tree to another.
In the afternoon after your lunch, go for canopy walk a 2-hour stroll on a 200meters long trail 50 meters above the forest cover and one of the most exhilarating activities to do at Nyungwe Forest National Park. The view at the top gives you the eagle’s eye experience; panoramic views that a hike on ground would not offer.
You will enjoy a stay at one & only Nyungwe house one of the luxury facilities around the park. The idyllic eco retreat offering once-in-a lifetime experiences in the heart of magical Rwanda. Trek to encounter the rare Mangabey monkey, lively in its own playground, as majestic mahoganies, delicate orchids, and exotic butterflies magically surround you.
Soak up the knowledge of local elders who share the secrets of survival in this remote jungle environment. Then unravel within the beautifully re-imagined spaces, where every creature comfort is at your fingertips. Enjoy the evening cocktails by the crackling fire pit and gastronomic feasts on the elevated deck, to indigenous therapies in the warm jungle air and relaxing on your private deck before the theatre of nature.
Then transfer to lake Kivu for relaxation. Spend a few hours, a full day or even a few days paddling the clear blue waters of the lake, exploring the countless inlets and bays, soaking up the spectacular scenery, meeting local fishermen, visiting hot springs and keeping an eye out for local wildlife such as long-tailed cormorants, flocks of pelicans, crowned cranes, tiny malachite kingfishers and Congo clawless otters. Relax on the lake shores enjoying the morning and evening breeze. After your stay here, you will transfer back to Kigali international airport for your flight back home.
