Rwanda Primates Small Group Tour

From £3,240 per person

Rwanda

On this popular nine-day scheduled tour, you spend two nights in Nyungwe Forest, then by travel by road along to Kibuye & Lake Kivu for a night each. Ending with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Why not extend into Akagera National Park.

Itinerary

On this trip you will visit:

Kigali
Lake Kivu
Nyungwe National Park
Volcanoes National Park

Day 1

Depart from London Heathrow on the Kenya Airways overnight flight to Nairobi.

Day 2

Kigali

On arrival in Nairobi, connect with your flight to Kigali. On arrival in Kigali this morning, your driver-guide will meet you and take you to Chez Lando where you overnight.

You will be taken for a guided city tour of Kigali.

Accommodation: Chez Lando

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Day 3

Nyungwe Forest

After breakfast, depart by road for in Butare (2½ hours from Kigali) to see the National Museum, housing probably the finest ethnographic collection in East Africa, and to watch a performance by the famous Intore dancers.

After lunch, proceed to http://rainbowtours.co.uk/area/rwanda/nyungwe-np/">Nyungwe Forest (approx 2½ hours), stopping en route to see the Murambi Genocide Memorial (see Bradt p.139. This is harrowing and you should be aware of what you would see there).

2-night stay at Nyungwe Guest House or Nyungwe Forest Lodge with all meals included.

Day 4

Nyungwe Forest

Days to search with your guide for primates and birds on guided walks in lovely Nyungwe Forest. Trails are steep, but manageable by anyone in good (normal physical condition.) The National Park has just been gazetted - and not a moment too soon - to save this forest from the depredations of agriculture. Maize, beans and bananas are intensively cultivated right up to the forest's edge.

Day 5

Kibuye

A very scenic drive today (about 4 hours) on unmade roads to Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu, where you stay overnight at Cormoran Lodge with all meals included.

This longish drive, on un-made roads, may not appeal to everyone but it does offer the opportunity to see life as it has been for centuries, virtually unchanged. You have the opportunity to see the people at work â intensively cultivating bananas, cassava, sorghum, beans, rice, potatoes, even coffee in their steep and tiny fields. In addition there are several massive tea plantations, villages, innumerable tiny brickworks, and surprises around every corner. Lake Kivu forms the border between Rwanda and the Congo. It's a beautiful and mysterious lake, always alive with traders and fishermen in their dugout canoes.

Day 6

Lake Kivu

Today you travel north across Lake Kivu to Gisenyi, arriving for lunch. Gisenyi is an attractive, though somewhat faded lakeside resort which is also a border crossing point into the Congo. The shore is lined with crumbling colonial villas.

Afternoon relaxing and overnight stay at Lake Kivu Serena, all meals included.

Day 7

Parc National des Volcans

In the afternoon, you will continue by tarred road on the two-hour drive to Musanze near the Parc National des Volcans where you will stay for 2 nights at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, all meals included.

Day 8

At 07h00, you will be met by staff from ORTPN Park Headquarters, in Parc National des Volcans, who will brief you on conduct during gorilla tracking. Then trackers lead you into the forested slopes to seek one of the groups of Mountain Gorillas. Reaching the gorillas can be quick, or it can take a few hours.

In the afternoon, you will be taken on a visit of the Iby' Iwacu traditional village.

Day 9

There is a choice of optional activities today: a second gorilla trek, climbing the Bisoke volcano, visiting the Golden Monkeys, or trekking to the Dian Fossey memorial. Any permits required are an additional cost.*

You will be driven to Kigali (2½ hours) for return flight to London via Nairobi.

We would highly reccommend extending your visit to Akagera National Park for a night or two. As your flights are in and out of Kenya it would be possible to add on a Big Five safari in the Masai Mara or alternatively onto Zanzibar for some relaxation.

Price guides 2013/2014

From £3,240 per person, for group of 4 persons travelling

From £3,560 per person, for 2 persons travelling

Rates are per person sharing and include international flights with Kenya Airways from London Heathrow, departures taxes, all meals, one gorilla permit and the services of an English-speaking driver-guide.

Activities include a visit of Kigali including the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi, visit of the national Museum at Butare, performance of the Intore dancers (Butare), on the way to Nyungwe visit of the tin smith (only in week days), a guided primate walk (Chimps or Colobus), a canopy walk in Nyungwe, relaxing at Kibuye & Gisenyi, 1 gorilla trekking, an optional activity on day 8, visit of the Iby' Iwacu traditional village.

Not included: any meals not listed, the second gorilla permit, personal items (drinks, tips, phone calls, laundry, travel insurance).

Single supplement £250

Optional activities - cost per peson
- Dian Fossey memorial visit £70
- Climbing Mt Bisoke £70
- Visit the golden monkeys £80
- Second gorilla permit £494

Departure Dates for 2013, starting in Kigali on 5 Jan, 9 Feb, 23 Mar, 13 Apr, 11 May, 8 Jun, 6 Jul, 3 Aug, 7 Sep, 5 Oct, 9 Nov, 7 Dec and 21 Dec.

Speak with a specialist

Rainbow specialists provide a high-quality, personal service and respected, impartial advice so you can make informed decisions about your individual holiday. To talk through your holiday ideas and plans, ring us on 020 7666 1250, or make an enquiry by email.

Accommodation

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Chez Lando

Kigali, Rwanda

Chez Lando is a small, mid-range, family-run, garden hotel, located in the suburb of Remera, just five minutes from Kigali International Airport, between the airport and town. Chez Lando will charm you with its friendly staff and...

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

Lake Kivu, Rwanda

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is a brand-new 4-star hotel in Gisenyi, on the shores of Lake Kivu in western Rwanda. The hotel is right on the lake with wonderful views across the water. Run by the international Serena Hotels chain, this...

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