6 Day Rwanda Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking Trip
Overview
On a 6 day Rwanda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Trip covering nyungwe forest National park for Canopy walk and Chimpanzee Trekking while as Volcanoes national Park you will do both Golden Monkey Trekking and Gorilla Trekking with a break at lake Kivu Kibuye for chilling and relaxation.
Included/Excluded
- Gorilla Trekking permit
- Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
- Golden Monkey Trekking Permit
- Canopy Walk Permit
- Meals (5 Breakfasts, Lunches & Dinners)
- Services of english speaking guide driver
- Ground transportation in a 4X4 standard safari Car
- Visit to Nyanza & Butare National Museums
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the personal insurance, gratitude to the rangers, driver guide, covid tests, meals, porter to mention but a few
Tour Plan
Day 01; Kigali – Nyungwe Forest National Park
After an early morning breakfast at your residence or at your hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, your entire safari guide meets you and do the safari introduction shortly after the briefing start the journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will make a stopover at Nyanza Palace and Butare Narional Museum to learn about the History of Rwanda. If time allows visit Murumbi Genocide Museum. Overnight at Katabi Eco Camp or Chimpanzee Lodge Nyungwe NP. Upgrade available at One & only or at Top Hill View Lodge
Day 02; Canopy Walk Nyungwe National Park
After breakfast transfer to UWINKA VISITOR CENTER to participate in the canopy walk. Suspended above a ravine in the lush montane rainforest of Nyungwe NP, the canopy walkway provides an exhilarating perspective on the ancient treetops and wildlife.
The 160m long and 70m high suspension bridge is accessible as part of a guided tour along the Igishigishigi trail, or to those hiking the Imbaraga or Umuyove trails.
Having escaped the last ice age, the Nyungwe forest is a hotbed of biodiversity. Along the hour’s walk to the canopy walkway from the Uwinka Reception Centre, visitors will see countless butterflies, orchids and colourful birds, including many endemic to the region.
Thirteen species of primate live in Nyungwe, so a chance to encounter isn’t out of the question.
The steep forested slopes have well-maintained footpaths, which can become muddy, especially in rainy season.
After this exhilarating experience, transfer have a tea tour excursion. Overnight at Chimpanzee Lodge or similar. Upgrade available at one and only Lodge.
Day 03; Chimpanzee Trekking Nyungwe National Park – Lake Kivu, Kibuye
After an early morning breakfast we will embark on the journey to Chamudongo Forest in Nyungwe Forest National Park, on arrival we will be led by a team of senior rangers to the rain forest in search of our closest cousin. There's always no assurance of finding them but on luck day they can easily be found as they can be located by the vocalization. Once you find, you will only spend an hour with them and afterwards you transfer to Lake Kivu Kibuye. Overnight at Bethany Hotel and or Moriah Hill Hotel
Day 04; Lake Kivu – Volcanoes National Park
After a leisurely breakfast and you will enjoy the last views of lake kivu and follow a scenery drive besides lake Kivu to volcanoes National Park. Overnight at Ingagi Park View Lodge or similar and upgrade available at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge or Virunga Volcanoes safari safar and or Bisate Lodge.
Day 05; Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes National Park
Early in the morning, meet at the park headquarters for a briefing, and then hike up into the rainforest to a troop of magnificent mountain gorillas. Each troop has its own 24-hour guard, so their location is known; you usually have an hour with them, time to sit and observe them at very close quarters indeed. After the day experience return to the lodge for refreshment and cup of coffee. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or similar
Day 06; Golden Monkey Trekking Volcanoes National Park – Kigali
Start early on your first morning for a trip to track the golden monkeys. These primates are beautiful, endangered and more agile than the mountain gorillas. They live in bamboo thickets on the lower slopes of the mountains – and tracking them acclimatizes you perfectly to the slight altitude, marking your last views of the park's environs, drive for roughly 2.5 hours south-east back to Kigali Airport. Here your private guide and 4WD vehicle leave you at your hotel in kigali/ to continue your journey, either home or to your next destination.
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Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.
Jon Peters
USA
In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.
Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!
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Makanga Hill,
P.O.BOX 568 Kabale