Once in a lifetime opportunity - the Gorillas of Uganda
This truly is a once in a life time opportunity to go to Impenetrable National Park, Bwindi, Uganda to find the gorillas and spend some time with them in their natural environment.
Dates: July 13 - 21, 2018
This is what this adventure looks like.
Day 1 Friday July 13th - Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda.
Kigali is well connected to Nairobi , Entebbe and also to several European Airports. We shall spend the evening and night in Kigali.
Day 2 Saturday July 14th - Head to Virunga Mountains via Gisenyi and Goma
We shall have the vehicle take us to Gisenyi which is a town situated on the shores of Lake Kivu at the border of Rwanda and DRC. After lunch we shall cross the border into DRC. The night stay shall be at a lodge at the foothills of the Virunga mountains.
Day 3 Sunday July 15th - Gorilla Experience in Virunga mountains
This morning we shall go on the guided trek to see the mountain gorillas of Congo. In the early morning, we shall be assigned a park ranger and a gorilla family we will track. A maximum of 8 people are assigned to each of the gorilla families that are tracked. The trek can take 2 to 6 hours, depending on where our assigned gorilla family is. Once the ranger finds the gorilla family, we shall get to spend an hour with the gorilla family at close quarters. The distance is usually 10 to 15 metres. Though there are no guarantees with wildlife, there is a very high chance of seeing baby gorillas swinging from the bamboo branches and playing with each other. Being just a few metres away from a 300 pounds silverback and his family is an experience that is exhilarating and humbling at the same time.
After the trek, we shall return to the lodge to let the gorilla experience sink in!
Day 4 Monday July 16th - Trekking up the Nyiragongo volcano to the lava lake rim
We shall embark on yet another amazing trek into the Virunga Mountains - this time to the crater rim of Mount Nyiragongo. The Nyiragongo volcano is what comes to mind when one thinks of Congo's forests and mountains. It is an active volcano and has the world's largest lava lake. We shall stay overnight at the rim of the crater. The views of the Virunga mountains and lava lake are among the best in all of Africa. This is a "must do" Africa experience.
Day 5 Tuesday July 17th - Trek down Virunga mountains
We shall start the day with a steaming cup of coffee at the rim. After enjoying the morning views of the Virunga national park and a light breakfast, we shall start our descent down the Nyiragongo mountain. The trek down usually takes about 3 hours. We shall then head to Goma and have a nice lunch at a restaurant overlooking Lake Kivu. After lunch we shall head to Kinigi in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Day 6 Wednesday July 18th - Golden Monkeys of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda is where Dian Fossey worked for years on Gorilla conservation. Here, we shall hike into the Volcanoes national park to see another endangered species of primates - the Golden monkey. In the late afternoon - we shall head to Bwindi National Park. We shall spend the night at a lodge at the edge of the Bwindi forest. We shall get some well deserved rest, looking forward to our next gorilla experience in Uganda.
Day 7 - Thursday July 19th Bwindi National Park - The Impenetrable Forest
We shall head deep into the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the gorilla trackers. There are about 8 different families of gorillas that are habituated to humans and we shall go looking for the Rushaga family of gorillas. It may take 2 to 4 hours to locate the gorillas and when we do, we shall spend an hour hanging out with them. The Bwindi impenetrable forest is really special habitat and we are sure to come back with some amazing memories of the Ugandan gorillas.
Day 8 - Friday - Chimpanzees of Kalinzu and Lake Elizabeth National Park
Today we shall head to Kalinzu and go for chimpanzee tracking. Unlike gorillas, the chimps stay mostly on tall trees and move around. There are about 300 chimps in this forest and so the probability of seeing a family of chimps is fairly high. The whole experience takes about 3 hours. In the afternoon we shall head to Queen Elizabeth national park and time permitting, go for a game drive there. Night at a lodge at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 9 - Game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park and then back to Kigale
Queen Elizabeth National Park spans the equator. It is one of the best national parks north of Masai Mara. We shall start the day with an early morning game drive. After breakfast we shall head back to Kigali. In the evening you shall take your flight back home or to the next destination.
Ivuka Arts, Kigali, Rwanda
Come join us for this adventure!
This truly is a once in a life time opportunity to go to Impenetrable National Park, Bwindi, Uganda to find the gorillas and spend some time with them in their natural environment.
Dates: July 13 - 21, 2018
This is what this adventure looks like.
Day 1 Friday July 13th - Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda.
Kigali is well connected to Nairobi , Entebbe and also to several European Airports. We shall spend the evening and night in Kigali.
Day 2 Saturday July 14th - Head to Virunga Mountains via Gisenyi and Goma
We shall have the vehicle take us to Gisenyi which is a town situated on the shores of Lake Kivu at the border of Rwanda and DRC. After lunch we shall cross the border into DRC. The night stay shall be at a lodge at the foothills of the Virunga mountains.
Day 3 Sunday July 15th - Gorilla Experience in Virunga mountains
This morning we shall go on the guided trek to see the mountain gorillas of Congo. In the early morning, we shall be assigned a park ranger and a gorilla family we will track. A maximum of 8 people are assigned to each of the gorilla families that are tracked. The trek can take 2 to 6 hours, depending on where our assigned gorilla family is. Once the ranger finds the gorilla family, we shall get to spend an hour with the gorilla family at close quarters. The distance is usually 10 to 15 metres. Though there are no guarantees with wildlife, there is a very high chance of seeing baby gorillas swinging from the bamboo branches and playing with each other. Being just a few metres away from a 300 pounds silverback and his family is an experience that is exhilarating and humbling at the same time.
After the trek, we shall return to the lodge to let the gorilla experience sink in!
Day 4 Monday July 16th - Trekking up the Nyiragongo volcano to the lava lake rim
We shall embark on yet another amazing trek into the Virunga Mountains - this time to the crater rim of Mount Nyiragongo. The Nyiragongo volcano is what comes to mind when one thinks of Congo's forests and mountains. It is an active volcano and has the world's largest lava lake. We shall stay overnight at the rim of the crater. The views of the Virunga mountains and lava lake are among the best in all of Africa. This is a "must do" Africa experience.
Day 5 Tuesday July 17th - Trek down Virunga mountains
We shall start the day with a steaming cup of coffee at the rim. After enjoying the morning views of the Virunga national park and a light breakfast, we shall start our descent down the Nyiragongo mountain. The trek down usually takes about 3 hours. We shall then head to Goma and have a nice lunch at a restaurant overlooking Lake Kivu. After lunch we shall head to Kinigi in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Day 6 Wednesday July 18th - Golden Monkeys of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda is where Dian Fossey worked for years on Gorilla conservation. Here, we shall hike into the Volcanoes national park to see another endangered species of primates - the Golden monkey. In the late afternoon - we shall head to Bwindi National Park. We shall spend the night at a lodge at the edge of the Bwindi forest. We shall get some well deserved rest, looking forward to our next gorilla experience in Uganda.
Day 7 - Thursday July 19th Bwindi National Park - The Impenetrable Forest
We shall head deep into the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the gorilla trackers. There are about 8 different families of gorillas that are habituated to humans and we shall go looking for the Rushaga family of gorillas. It may take 2 to 4 hours to locate the gorillas and when we do, we shall spend an hour hanging out with them. The Bwindi impenetrable forest is really special habitat and we are sure to come back with some amazing memories of the Ugandan gorillas.
Day 8 - Friday - Chimpanzees of Kalinzu and Lake Elizabeth National Park
Today we shall head to Kalinzu and go for chimpanzee tracking. Unlike gorillas, the chimps stay mostly on tall trees and move around. There are about 300 chimps in this forest and so the probability of seeing a family of chimps is fairly high. The whole experience takes about 3 hours. In the afternoon we shall head to Queen Elizabeth national park and time permitting, go for a game drive there. Night at a lodge at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 9 - Game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park and then back to Kigale
Queen Elizabeth National Park spans the equator. It is one of the best national parks north of Masai Mara. We shall start the day with an early morning game drive. After breakfast we shall head back to Kigali. In the evening you shall take your flight back home or to the next destination.
Ivuka Arts, Kigali, Rwanda
Come join us for this adventure!