Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

As Rwanda’s capital and its geographical heart, Kigali is an important business center and port. Spread across four hills, the city retains a garden feel, with a satisfyingly organic shape dictated by the verdant slopes over which it sprawls. The compact, low-rise center surrounds a busy, colorful market, and is studded with souvenir stalls displaying a wide range of local crafts. The Muslim quarter is well worth a visit, and you can explore the network of leafy avenues that wind into the surrounding residential suburbs.

Volcanoes National Park, part of the Virunga Mountains, is a protected area home to endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkey. Well known for the gorilla treks, picture yourself sitting face to face with a 160kg silverback in the impenetrable rainforest. It is a once in a lifetime experience and is certainly one of the highlights of every animal lover’s trip to East Africa. A group of trackers and a ranger will guide you up the slopes of the volcanoes until you reach your assigned gorilla family. Depending on the movements of the gorillas, this can take anywhere from 1 – 3 hours to reach the family. Once you have navigated your way through the thick rainforest which can be slippery, steep and uneven, you will simply observe the gorilla family in their natural habitat for a full hour. For the golden monkeys, it is a similar program, however it is more of a walk with slippery conditions in some areas and the monkeys are a lot more playful and move around a lot. Both offer wonderful displays within the rainforest.

No other wildlife encounter in Africa matches the astounding experience of spending time face-to-face with some of the few remaining wild mountain gorillas. For a gorilla trek you need to be fairly fit for the humid, muddy conditions of a rainforest hike. Even in the dry season, the rainforest is a challenging environment: it is humid, wet and muddy with some steep slopes and thick vegetation. It is absolutely worth the effort to spend time with gorillas in the wild, but be prepared to exert yourself on the trek. Your professional guide and tracker lead you into the forest’s secret paths, looking for a habituated gorilla family. Once found, approach the gorillas quietly and settle down to observe them from between 7 and 10m away. You will spend up to one hour with the gorillas, watching the adults forage and groom each other while the babies tumble and play. You will be under the watchful gaze of the great silverback patriarch whose soft brown eyes constantly sweep over his family protectively. Witnessing gorillas express typically human gestures and emotions is a truly profound experience!

Nyungwe Forest National Park is an enormous high-altitude, mountainous tropical rainforest with a canopy that extends across the majestic hills of southeast Rwanda. It boasts a huge montane forest and is celebrated for its rich variety of flora and fauna. At least 200 different types of tree can be found here, along with hundreds of flowering plants, such as wild begonia, orchid and sensational giant lobelias. The forest is home to thirteen primate species, including the delightfully acrobatic angola colobus monkeys that move in troops of several hundreds. An estimated five hundred chimpanzees can be seen during the rainy season. An extensive network of well-maintained walking trails leads through the forest to various waterfalls and viewing points.

Nyungwe Forest is a vast stretch of massive trees, trailing creepers, orchids, and the resultant diversity of life that is breathtaking in its vividness. Take a stroll down the guided paths through dense vegetation to sight the different species of primates swing from one tree to another. Try to catch butterflies, or spot the numerous birds whose calls are clear in the silence but shapes lost in the foliage. A canopy walk suspended over ancient trees is incredible for the experience itself, as well as the view that it offers – pure oxygen for your senses. There are a number of tea plantations surrounding the Nyngwe House that add to the mesmeric beauty of the place. Explore these plantations with guides who know the terrain well and share interesting tidbits of information.

As Rwanda’s capital and its geographical heart, Kigali is an important business center and port. Spread across four hills, the city retains a garden feel, with a satisfyingly organic shape dictated by the verdant slopes over which it sprawls. The compact, low-rise center surrounds a busy, colorful market, and is studded with souvenir stalls displaying a wide range of local crafts. The Muslim quarter is well worth a visit, and you can explore the network of leafy avenues that wind into the surrounding residential suburbs.