What to Expect on Safari in Rwanda
What to Expect on Safari in Rwanda
What to expect on safari in Rwanda is a celebration of natural wonders under the sustainable tourism flag that the nation flies high atop the continent. The prime safari attraction in Rwanda is the primates roaming the volcanic slopes, complemented by its rich cultural heritage and a unified people.
Expect to find Rwanda’s main tourist attractions concentrated in the country’s far west along the Albertine Rift’s western arm that runs along the Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda borders. The rift valley leaves outstanding geographic features on its way along western Rwanda regions, like Lake Kivu and the Virunga Mountains Range, that should be of great interest to adventurers, landscape enthusiasts, holidaymakers, hikers, and the like.
Along the Virunga Mountains slopes is where you should expect to spend adventurous moments with the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkey troops. And around Lake Kivu is where you’ll find most tourists spending their idyllic holidays after watching the gorillas in the misty rainforests.
Suppose you expect to adventure into more of the country’s relic jungles. In that case, you’ll find Nyungwe Forest National Park further south, where troops of chimpanzees and other 12 primate species dwell, more interesting. Adventure and nature hikers find the destination unmissable.
There’s more than you would expect from this tiny nation the size of Maryland. However, we’ll explore that in the following paragraphs that explicitly dive into the whole topic of what you should expect on safari in Rwanda. Let’s find out!
Expect The Most Endearing Primate Adventures
The first thing one should expect when talking about a safari in Rwanda is the primate adventures up the Virunga mountains forest to find the elusive mountain gorillas and spending that once-in-a-lifetime moment with the great apes. Over the last two decades, the Rwanda travel bureau has successfully marketed as a luxury primate adventure destination, attracting the highest number of luxury adventurers in the region.
Visiting Rwanda, you’ll most probably be heading up in the gorilla mountains. You should expect to drive two hours on a 100-kilometer paved road to the northwestern corner at the border with Uganda (north) and DRC (west), where mountain gorillas share habitats between the three countries.
The spectacular Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s side of the Virunga mountains protecting some of the last few mountain gorillas that roam between the three countries’ national parks. Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s premier destination earning the highest of the country tourism sector.
You should expect to station at the base of the volcanoes, heading out in small groups of 6 people early morning to trek high up the steep jungles and find one of twelve habituated gorilla groups. Two rangers and a local tracker will escort your group, and you will spend about an hour with the mountain gorillas watching them at close range forage, play their social drama, and showcase their primitive antiques.
Expect to climb a steep, uneven terrain up the slopes of the mountain for an unspecified time. It could take about 30 minutes to five hours to reach the mountain gorillas, habitats, but the sighting is always assured. A team of rangers stays with the gorillas, following them through their day’s activities, and that team will radio your tracking expert where exactly to find them.
Don’t expect the animals to stay in one place; they’re wild and move around a lot. Therefore, there’s no marked-out footpath to reach the gorillas, and you’ll be hacking your way through the jungle to create a path to reach them. Go prepared for some physically demanding trek up and down the steep slopes.
RDB issues exactly 96 gorilla permits for trekking gorillas per day. That’s a small number compared to the attention gorilla trekking is getting around the world. This means that we expect you to book your gorilla permit way in advance to avoid the scaffold of getting one. Call or write to our office (info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com), and we’ll be glad to process yours.
Some adventurers expect more than just trekking gorillas in Rwanda. Yes, you too get to experience the wonders of this small destination. Within Volcanoes National Park, you’ll find another remarkable endangered primate, the golden monkey. Some of them are habituated to humans for trekking and would be worth the adventure in the bamboo zone of the mountain forest.
Other adventures around Volcanoes National Park include a morning walk to Dian Fossey’s tomb at the abandoned Karisoke Research Camp, a day hike up 3,711-meter Mount Bisoke summit to see its beautiful crater lake, and an overnight ascent to the 4,507-meter Mount Karisimbi.
South of Rwanda, expect to find another montane jungle, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests, protecting Rwanda’s small population of chimpanzees and a dozen other primate species, including the Albertine Rift’s endemic L’Hoest’s monkey. Nyungwe Forest National Park is where you can track a troop of habituated chimpanzees and walk Africa’s highest-hanging canopy across the jungle.
Although primate tracking is the Nyungwe Forest’s top activity, botany adventurers would expect to marvel at the 1,068 plant species and 140 orchids. Birdwatchers should expect to find the best birding experience in Africa, ticking off a list of 322 birds species, including Red-collared Babbler and 29 other Albertine Rift Endemic species. Butterflies are also a common sight, with at least 120 species.
Charming Wildlife Viewing Safaris
If you’re looking to complement your primate adventure in Rwanda’s south and northwestern highlands with low-key big game viewing without leaving the borders of this little destination, expect to drive two hours west of Kigali to Akagera National Park.
Akagera National Park is where Rwanda is trying to recover the historically depleted big game and the only safari park in Rwanda to watch the BIG FIVE animals. The park’s setting is spectacular, with a chain of low grassy mountains that fade into undulating savannah plains fringed by an extensive wetland comprising a dozen lakes, vast papyrus swamps, and a labyrinth of channels from the Akagera River.
On a game drive in Akagera, expect easy sightings of buffalo and elephants. Don’t expect to find the lions easily, but they can be found with a persistent expert tracker. Rhinos were recently introduced but very shy and expect to see leopards on a night game drive.
Other animals you should expect to view in Akagera include lots of plains animals, including Burchell’s zebra, Masai giraffe, 11 antelope species, especially the impala, topi, defassa waterbuck, sitatunga, and bushbuck around the woodland areas.
A Multi-cored Art & Culture Scene
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in Rwanda’s cultural flavors, expect to start your testing from the cosmopolitan Kigali capital, where the international and local flavors collect to make Kigali one of the fastest-growing African cities.
Expect to find the cultural fusion of western and Rwandan styles that the country’s finest designers negotiate and create daily in Kigali. Head to the traditional market space, the Kigali Cultural Village, to find local artisans & food vendors exhibit wonders of their horned gifts.
Rwanda’s museums and galleries make for an exciting insight into African humanity, from historical artifacts to contemporary art. Expect to be wowed by Rwanda’s many local traditions at your safari lodge or local gatherings with traditional Intore dancing, basketry, and Umugand traditions that make a wave across the entire nation on national days.
If you’re into relieving the country’s darkest ages of the 90s atrocities, expect to visit Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, where 250,000 victims were buried and are showcased for tourism. That should get your humane adrenaline nerves all working well.
One of Rwanda’s major annual events that I don’t expect you to miss is the Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony held at the Volcanoes National Park every September on 25th. It is when new baby gorillas are named for the purpose of conservation. It’s huge and celebrated by naturalists across the world: be there!
Abundant Safari Accommodation Choices
The huge question is where you expect to stay, right? Well, don’t fret with that. Rwanda is awash with an ocean of home-stays, Airbnb’s, hotels, camps, and some of the most luxurious safari lodges on the continent.
Whether you’re stopping in Kigali or stretching the adventure into the countryside, you’ll find a suitable place to rest your head and even lounge the weekend away. From beach fronts at Lake Kivu to exquisite cottages hanging in treetops, expect a varied selection of accommodation options on your safari in Rwanda.
For the best experience in Rwanda on safari and most rewarding expectations, send us an email at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com and talk to a local safari consultant to help you plan your safari in Rwanda.
