Best off season safari experiences in Rwanda

Best off season safari experiences in Rwanda. The best off-season experiences in Rwanda are all the safari activities of Rwanda. Rwanda is open for tourism all year and no particular activity is so much affected by even change in season. Gorilla trekking is the cherry on the Rwanda tourism cake but this is a whole year activity. Rwanda experiences two seasons in the year that is the wet and dry seasons making it one of the most favorable destinations in Africa.

Most Popular Safaris

4 Days Gorillas and Golden Monkey Safari

2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari through Kigali

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari

5 Day Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

5 Day off season Gorilla and Chimp Safari

5 Day Gorilla and Chimp Tracking Safari

16 Days Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Safari

5 Day Gorilla & Chimp Tracking Safari

5 Day Low season Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Safari

Rwanda also has other activities to enjoy in the off season that is game safaris, mountaineering, canopy walk, chimpanzee trekking, water activities, Golden monkey trekking, nature walks to mention but a few.

Some Rwanda safari activities require having a permit that is for gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys trekking in Rwanda, having a permit is a compulsory requirement before gaining access. The supply of these Rwanda safari permits is regulated by the Rwanda Development Board.

Normally the off season period in Rwanda is from March to May or November fewer tourists are expected to visit Rwanda. Rwanda normally has its rainy season in this period too but this doesn’t stop the safari activities in the country.

What Rwanda safari activities to Do During Off Season

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the foremost safari activity in the country. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda happens in Volcanoes National Park situated in the North western part of the country. At the moment about 12 gorilla families are open for gorilla trekking in Rwanda some include Karisimbi, Umubano, Hirwa, Muhoza, Amahoro, Agashya and others.

The conditions inside Volcanoes National Park are usually soggy almost the entire year but the wet season gets worse as the dense network of rivers may overflow therefore flooding the park. No matter the situation in the forest, gorilla trekking in Rwanda still happens and finding the mountain gorillas is always a sure deal.

The topography of Volcanoes National Park was affected by Volcanic action so expect to hike steep slopes as the parks has 5 of the 6 Virunga Volcanoes. In Volcanoes National Park are mountains Gahinga, Muhavura, Sabyinyo, Karisimbi and Bisoke that influence the terrain of this area. 

Chances of finding last minute Rwanda gorilla permits are more open in the off-season. Get in touch with us.

Golden monkey Trekking in Rwanda

If you are looking for charming moments on Rwanda safari, taking the golden monkey trekking adventure. The Golden monkeys are an endangered monkey species with a larger body compared to other monkey species. They have brown hairs on the lower bottoms. Even though the golden monkeys are first habituated before accepting pubic visitors, they are still restless as part of their nature.

They keep you on your toes all the time of the golden monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park a character admired by a number of tourists. Golden monkeys are full of energy all the time. For a golden monkey trekking experience in Rwanda, one needs a permit from the Rwanda Development Board. During the wet season, the Golden monkeys tend to keep up of the trees most of the time.

Volcanoes National Park also hosts other primates including Dent Mona Monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons and others. Over 200 bird species have been recorded as residents of this park too in Rwanda and some may cross your way.

Game Safaris in Rwanda

Akagera National Park is the only National Game Park of Rwanda and is open all year. This parks hosts a number of wild animals that you may spot while on a game and some of these include lions, elephants, zebras, Rhinos, waterbucks, buffaloes, hyenas, giraffes and others.

The floor of Akagera National Park is dotted with beautiful crater lakes but the most outstanding is lake Ihema where boat trips are happen. From the comfort of your seat while sailing on Lake Ihema, you may spot a number of animals that quench thirst or enjoy a bath from the shores of this lake

Akagera National Park topography is composed of several highlands that are evergreen from the rich vegetation cover of this area and they overlook Lake Ihema.

Birding in Rwanda

Birding in Rwanda has no season limits as Rwanda is a haven for a number of birds including Albertine rift endemics. Rwanda is a pro ecosystems promoter which may explain why the country hosts a plethora of birds within its small size.

Some of the birds likely to be found on Rwanda birding safari include Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Rwenzori turaco, Malachite Sunbird, Handsome Francolin, Alpine Chat and others. Having a professional birding guide with experience of birding in Rwanda and a birding Guide book is an added advantage

A few of the Rwanda Birding destinations include Volcanoes Forest, Nyungwe Forest, Akagera National Park and others.

Rwanda Cultural experience

Rwandese are never shy about sharing their culture with the world and they are very proud of it too. For a cultural experience of Rwanda, you may visit the Ethnographic Museum in Huye where some of the traditional items used by the people of this country are preserved including farming tools, fishing equipment, pottery. The museum has a part where traditional Art and crafts making including weaving, basketry, ceramics are trained.

You may get the chance to watch the rhythmic traditional dance performance of the Intore dance especially from places like the National museum in Huye.

Gave a taste of Rwanda by visiting some of the coffee shops in the country that serve locally grown and brewed coffee with its mouthwatering taste and comforting aromas.

Try on the traditional Rwandese attire in with the black and white designs. The imaging cow dung painting can be purchased from craft shops in areas like Nyakarimbi.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda

Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is done in Nyungwe National Park in the southwestern part of the country. There is a close by location at Cyamudondo where another community of Chimpanzees thrives. Two chimpanzee trekking sessions take happen in Rwanda that is morning and afternoon.

The chimpanzees trekking adventure in Rwanda is quite challenging because of the steep slopes of the Volcanic area where this park is situated. Nyungwe National Park also hosts other primates including Olive baboons, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, Dent Mona Monkeys an others.

One needs chimpanzee trekking permit from Rwanda Development Board to be allowed to be part of this activity.

Kigali City Tour

A tour of Kigali is always unforgettable while on safari in Rwanda. The city maintains a clean appearance throughout the day and night and these are strict rules against the careless dumping of garbage. Take a visit to the business center of Kigali where you can purchase some supplies in case you need them. Tour the genocide memorials where the remains of the victims of the 1994 genocide are preserved.

Enjoy a coffee from the café shops dotted in different parts of Kigali and may try a taste of the local cuisines.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park

Experience Nyungwe forest from a more elevated point on a suspension bridge. This Nyungwe canopy walk is on a bridge of about 160 meters long and approximately 70 meters high. this adventure is so far the only one of its kind in East Africa which makes it unique but not for the faint hearted. While at the suspension bridge, you get to enjoy the environment around the park.

Is Rwanda safe For a safari

Rwanda safe visit for safaris at any time of the year. Most of the Rwanda tour destinations are in the wilderness under the maintenance and supervision of well trained ranger guides from Rwanda Development Board.

Even other Rwandese security organs are on ground to maintain law and order and offer joint security where the need arises.

You are your security first while on safaris so follow the guidelines set while on safari in Rwanda. For activities that require being in the company of the ranger guide, do not try to move in the wilderness unsupervised or you risk encountering some dangerous inhabitants.

Keep your valuables out of reach to avoid the chances of attracting the wrong people while on Rwanda safari. In case you have to count large sums of money, do it away from the public.

Mind your health by not eating street food while on safari in Rwanda and if you wish to have a taste of Rwanda do it from a more safe place.

How much is the cost of Rwanda safari

The cost of Rwanda safaris varies with the category of package you choose that is Upmarket, mid-range or basic. Some of the universal costs on Rwanda safari include permit costs like gorilla, chimpanzee, golden monkey trekking permits. For game safaris in Akagera National Park in Rwanda one must pay the park entrance fee

At The moment the Cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permits is $1500 for international nonresidents, $ 500 for Foreign residents and other African countries and $ 200 for East Africans. During the low tourism season in Rwanda, the gorilla permit may be discounted to $1050 if one has at least two nights or more in either Nyungwe National Park or Akagera National Park terms and conditions apply

The current cost of Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permit is $150 for nonresidents, $75 for foreign residents and $25 for East Africans.

The permit costs include ranger guide fees, park entrance, one hour with the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees or golden monkeys, security, and others

Exclusions in the cost of Rwanda permit tips, transport, snacks and others.

Is A Rwanda safari worth the money and time

Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills with an appearance similar to the swiss alps. The country is home to some of the few leftover mountain gorillas in the world, chimpanzees and other primates. For keen birders, the long list of birds that have so far been recorded as residents of Rwanda cannot be missed.

When you decide to go gorilla or chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, you contribute to the mountain gorilla conservation fund that supports the sustainable existence of these endangered primates. This you can do by purchasing the Rwanda permits.

Rwanda safaris are never crowded so you enjoy the experience to the best of your desire and make everlasting memories. Other than the primates of Rwanda, the country has a range of unique activities you can be part of. Get in touch with our team for more information.

What Guidelines to follow on Rwanda safari

• Try not to surround the gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys during Rwanda safari when you locate them because this makes them feel ambushed. They are very sensitive primates that you need to follow the advise given by the ranger guides to enjoy every moment.
• Wearing a clean mask before meeting the eastern mountain gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys is compulsory after the outbreak of the coronavirus. This is one of the preventive measures to reduce on the chances of passing this infection to their endangered primate species.
• In case you wish to cough or sneeze, do it away from the gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys or in a handkerchief to prevent the spreading of germs.
• Spitting on vegetation or soil is forbidden because it may contaminate the food on which the eastern mountain gorillas depend on.
• Use of flash photography is forbidden because this may scare gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys. They are highly sensitive to new occurrences in their vicinity.
• In case you wish to take a long call, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you at least 30 centimeters deep and cover everything well beyond recognition. This is to prevent forest dwellers from exhuming what you may have covered.
• Provoking the gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys is forbidden because they have moods too. They may get agitated and move into hiding.in nature, they are shy and serene creatures but do not test their patience.
• Eating or smoking 200 meters from the gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys may cause them to move and grab it from you. The mountain gorillas are wild animals that must search for their own food and not depend on human provision.
• On tourists ages 15 and above are allowed to do gorilla trekking, 12 years and over for chimpanzees and golden monkeys. This is because of the hardships that come with searching for these primates like the time of locating the gorillas is unknown, the way to the gorillas is sloppy at times, the provocative nature of these primates and much more. A child below this age may not withstand such so in case they make noise they may cause a stampede in the forest.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys when you locate them. This is to reduce on the chances of passing an infection to the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees. They are highly susceptible to human infectious diseases. Even when they approach, try to stealthily move back.
• Littering the forest or dumping garbage in the forest is forbidden because this alters the nature of the forest where the mountain gorillas feed. They are vegetarian in nature so when you dump indecomposable garbage, it may prevent the growth of plants on which the gorillas and other forest dwellers feed.
• Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys when you locate them

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact our team of expert safari consultants.