GORILLA SAFARIS RWANDA- A guide to gorilla safaris,hiking, trekking and tracking tours, primate safaris and wildlife experiences,hotels, lodges, car hire in Rwanda and Uganda National Parks of Bwindi and Volcanoes.

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Day1  Arrival and transfer to the hotel

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you are met and driven to your hotel. This two and half hours drive takes you via the beautifully terraced Rwanda countryside to Kinigi, the base of Gorilla Tracking.  Brief stopovers are provided for photography.  Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Nest Hotel B/D

Day2 Gorilla Hiking  trekking and hiking in Volcanoes NP

An early morning breakfast is followed by a drive to Kinigi park headquarters for group, guide allocation and briefing. This is followed by a drive to the trailheads where hiking and trekking up the hills to the bamboo zone begins.  Hiking, trekking and tracking gorillas may take 2-3 hours.  Sight and stay with the Gorillas for one hour. Descend to your hotel for lunch.  In the afternoon visit Gisenyi on the Lake Kivu .  Return to Gorilla Nest for O/Night (B/L/D)

Day3  Gorilla Tracking or optional activities

This day is spent at leisure. There are numerous activities to choose from as follows:

• Second day of trekking, hiking and tracking gorillas

• Driving to Gisenyi to spend the day on lake Kivu

• Tracking the golden monkeys

• Hiking and trekking Bisoke Volcano

• Visiting Diana Fossey's grave

Of all the above activities must be booked in advance at the time of booking.

Overnight Kivu Sun Hotel or Gorilla Nest Hotel B/L/D

Day4 Bwindi National Park

After breakfast, drive across the Rwanda Uganda Cyanika Border into Kisoro and finally Buhoma the base of tracking gorillas inBwindi Impenetrable forest.  Arrive in time for dinner.  Overnight Buhoma Homestead B/L/D

Day5  Hiking Trekkikng and  tracking Gorilla Bwindi National Park

An early morning breakfast is followed by a drive to the park headquarters for group, guide allocation and briefing. This is followed by a drive to the trailheads where hiking and trekking up the hills to the bamboo zone begins.  Hiking, trekking and tracking gorillas in hectic and requires moderate physical fitness.  Sight and stay with the Gorillas for one hour. Have your picnic lunch as you descend to the base hotel Ovenight Buhoma Homestead B/L/D

Day 6  Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through Ishasha sector. The Ishasha sector is famous for its tree climbing lions. Have a game drive en-route to your lodge arriving in time for late lunch.  Have an evening boat ride in the Kasinga channel.  Overnight Mweya Safari Lodge B/L/D 

Day7  Queen Elizabeth to Kampala

Breakfast is followed game drive en-route to Kampala.  Arrive at Kampala in time for dinner.  Overnight Emin Pasha Hotel BB

Day 8

Have a city tour of Kampala and transfer to the airport for home flight

Tour Departure:

This is usually a private tour and clients depart at their convenience.

GORILLA TRACKING REQUIREMENTS IN UGANDA AND RWANDA

Please bring the following for tracking gorillas.

• Hiking boots- ankle level boots are ok but make sure it is something handy.

• Gloves

• A warm cardigan

• Thick trousers and a long sleeved top are ideal for tracking.

• Rain Coat

• Video- filming is allowed in the parks though not outside the park

• Water proof container for their cameras

• A pair of binoculars if you are a keen bird watcher.

• If you prefer wearing a hat, a baseball cap is recommended.

Encounter with the gorillas

Submissiveness

• When you encounter the gorillas always remember to be submissive

•  Do not look at them straight in the face rather give a sideways glance. 

• Do not stand over them-crouch instead, stay in a tight group

•  Speak in whispers

• Do not use flash photography

Gorillas are wild

Most visitors might be tempted to think that the gorillas are tame.  On the contrary, our gorillas are wild and they should not be provoked in any way.  The ORTPN does not take any responsibility for any injury sustained by wild animals in their habitats, hence

•  Keep your flight distance about 7 metres from them and bear in mind that gorillas have freedom of way

• Do not feed the gorillas

•   Do not entice them to get into contact with you in any way.

•   Do not eat in the vicinity of the gorillas

Environmental Consciousness

•  Do not litter the park

•  Always burry your faecal

Health of the Gorillas

There are currently approximately 700 mountain gorillas in the wild.  Thus these animals are classified as endangered species.  To avoid transmitting human diseases to them,

• Avoid tracking if you suffer from contagious disease.  In case you develop a sever case of flu, your money will be fully refunded if you make this known in advance. However if you attempt to track and fail for whatever reason, or if the guides discover that you cannot track due to disease, you do not qualify for any refund. 

• Do not sneeze towards them

• Do not spit in the forest or defecate carelessly.  If you need to the guides will help you with a matchet to dig a hole to bury your waste. 

• Do not track if under age- Only 15 years and above can track.

Hiking, trekking and Tracking gorillas- the facts

How hard should one prepare for gorilla tracking in Rwanda?  The facts below will help you to answer this question.

• Tracking takes place at altitudes of 3000 metres-this means that moderate/ average physical fitness is what is necessary and not athletic fitness.

• Tracking gorillas is conducted by patient, qualified and knowledgeable ranger guides with wide experience in natural history with particular attention to gorilla behaviour

• Trekking hiking and tracking is conducted at a moderate pace with plenty of stops for resting, fielding questions further briefs etc.  Competitive hiking is discouraged as the aim of the guides, porters and rangers is for all the group members to make it to the gorillas and back to the base.  Believe it or not, the slowest hiker/ trekker will determine the pace of the trek.

1.  Nairobi/Mt.Kenya/Samburu /Sweet Waters/Lake Nakuru/Maasai Mara 9  

     days

2.  Nairobi/Maasai Mara/Ambsoeli/Arusha/Lake Manyara/Serengeti/Ngorongoro 

     11  days

2. Great primates expedition -8 days/ 7 nights gorilla and chimpanzee safari  Rwanda

GORILLA SAFARIS RWANDA, MAXSONS SHOPPING CENTER,TOM MBOYA STREET MERUS TEL.  +254 723 684 974,Email us: rnxploresafaris@gmail.com or info@gorillasafarisrwanda.com