Stay : 12 days Mountain Gorillas, Wild Game Drive and Birdwatching in Rwanda
Summary of the stay
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BIRDING & EDUCATIONAL TOURS
12 days
From 7700 € to 9000 €
Detail of the stay : 12 days Mountain Gorillas, Wild Game Drive and Birdwatching in Rwanda - 12 days
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to accommodation in Kigali
Steps: Kigali
On Arrival, you meet our driver at Kigali International Airport and after a welcome note, he drives at Beausejour Hotel for dinner and accommodation
Places of interest : BEAUSEJOUR HOTEL
Day 2: City tour of Kigali and transfer to the city of Musanze
Steps: Ruhengeri Musanze
kigali Genocide Memorial is a visitor centre for people wishing to understand the events leading up to the events of 1994. After the morning breakfast, we visit Kigali Genocide memorial till lunch time. After lunch, we proceed to Musanze-Ruhengeri, a town of Volcanoes and Mountain Gorillas. We pass through hills and mountains and you will understand really why Rwanda is called a Country of 1000 hills. Your accommodation and dinner are booked at Muhabura Hotel.
Places of interest : HÔTEL MUHABURA
Day 3: Observation of mountain gorillas and visit to the gorilla keepers' village
Steps: Ruhengeri Musanze
After an earlier breakfast, we drive to the Headquarters of Volcanoes National Park for briefing before the Mountain Gorilla trekking; the briefing starts at 7am. The trekking can go up to 12pm to 2pm. After trekking we have lunch and after we drive to the Gorilla Guardian Village (former IBYIWACU CULTURAL VILLAGE) and have the traditional dance and learn about the King induction process. Dinner and accommodation are booked at Muhabura Hotel.
Places of interest : HÔTEL MUHABURA
Day 4: Observation of golden monkeys and transfer to Gisenyi
Steps: Ruhengeri Musanze, Gisenyi Rubavu
After an earlier breakfast we track Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus Mitis Kandti), an endangered species native to Central and East Africa. It is endemic to the Virunga mountains and can be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Trekking is at Kabatwa Hills, where you meet this majestic primate swinging in bamboos. The trekking ends between 11am and 12am and after lunch at the lodge, we drive to Gisenyi, a colonial town along Lake Kivu, the biggest lake in between Rwanda and DRC. Accommodation is at Maison Saint Benoit.
Places of interest : MAISON SAINT-BENOIT
Day 5: Tea processing and hiking on Mount Rubavu
Steps: Gisenyi Rubavu
After breakfast, we are hiking munt Ribavu for a nice sighting of twin twins, Goma and Gisenyi, with a stunning view of Lake Kivu. After lunch, we drive to Pfunda Tea factory and we learn the whole process of tea growing and production; you learn how tea is planted, picked, dried, fermented and packed. Later afternoon we drive back to the lodge and we relax and feel the breeze of the lake.
Places of interest : MAISON SAINT-BENOIT
Day 6: Boat cruise to Kibuye and coffee processing experience, then transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Steps: Parc National De Nyungwe
After breakfast, we have a boat cruise to Kibuye. This is a good experience to explore the beaty of the lake, its Islands and you can see different waterbirds like Pied Kingfisher, Great and Reed Cormorants, the migrant Lesser Black-backed Gull, etc. You have a stop at Kinunu Washing Station for a Coffee Tour Experience. At the station, you learn the whole process of coffee farming and making right from the coffee plantation where you will engage in harvesting ripe beans, through to the washing station where they are dried and further processed to produce the awesome and tasty coffee. After tasting roasted coffee, you proceed on boat to Kibuye where the lunch is waiting for you. After lunch, we drive to Nyungwe NP for estimated times of 3 hours, overnight EAR Guest House-Gisakura.
Places of interest : EAR KEN BARHAM GUESTHOUSE
Day 7: Nature walk and bird watching, looking for endemic species of the Albertine Rift
Steps: Parc National De Nyungwe
After the early breakfast, we drive to the Uwinka reception, at 12km inside the forest, to try the Albertine Rift Endemics. After registration, we start our birding at Umuyove trail and Rangiro road. At this trail we can see many endemics among others Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer's Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, Albertine Boubou, Black-faced Apalis, Kungwe Apalis, Red-faced Woodland-Warbler, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, etc.at 5.30pm we drive at the guest House for dinner and overnight.
Places of interest : EAR KEN BARHAM GUESTHOUSE
Day 8: Second day of nature walks, bird watching and photography in Nyungwe National Park
Steps: Parc National De Nyungwe
Second full day birding in Nyungwe National Park to continue with photography and observation of mountainous and endemic birds to the Albertine Rift region. This time we take Kamiranzovu Trail, a trail on the which cross Kamiranzovu Swamp where we can see endemic birds like Grauer’s Swamp Warbler,, Rwenzori Batis, Chinspot Batis, Grauer’s Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, along with other primates i.e L'hoesty Monkey.at 3pm, we head to Karamba trail, a few minute driving from the western entrance of the forest and at this trail we can see White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Willard's Sooty Boubou, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Dusky Tit, etc. We stop our day birding at 5.30pm and we head back to the Guest House for dinner and accommodation.
Places of interest : EAR KEN BARHAM GUESTHOUSE
Day 9: Chimpanzee tracking and transfer to Bugesera
Steps: Parc National De Nyungwe
Chimpanzees are man’s closest relatives; they share many of our traits and are arguably the most intelligent wild Apes. One group of chimpanzee communities is habituated in Nyungwe National Park and one group in is found in Cyamudongo Forest. With packed breakfast, driving to trek Chimpanzees starts earlier morning at 5am and trekking can go until 12pm. After lunch we drive to Kigali to reach at dinner time; overnight Chez Bugesera Lodge.
Day 10: Morning bird watching in Bugesera, transfer to Akagera, night safari
Steps: Parc National De L'Akagera
After breakfast, we try Papyrus Gonolek and other papyrus-dwellers birds as well as waterbirds in wetlands of Bugesera. Exploration of birds in this attractive area goes up to 11am, after lunch, we drive to Akagera NP to reach around 4pm. After check in at Akagera Game Lodge, we have the night game drive from 5.30pm to 8.00pm. We can see the Hyena, Leopard and night birds like Square-tailed Nightjars. Dinner and overnight are at Akagera Game Lodge
Places of interest : AKAGERA GAME LODGE
Day 11: Bird watching, animal driving and sunset boat ride / Akagera National Park
Steps: Parc National De L'Akagera
After breakfast, we start by searching the rare Red-faced Barbet around Akagera Game Lodge before we continue our morning birding and game driving and we can see Crested Barbet, Pear-spotted Owlet, Slate-colored Boubou, Bateleur, etc and we can spot herds of Impala, Topi, Waterbuck, Zebra, Buffaloes, etc. At 4pm, we have the sunset boat to see flocks of waterbirds, Hippopotamus, Crocodiles as well as watering mammals like Elephants, herds of Buffaloes, etc. Dinner and overnight are at Akagera Game Lodge
Places of interest : AKAGERA GAME LODGE
Day 12: Bird watching and wildlife safari and transfer to Kigali
Steps: Parc National De L'Akagera
After breakfast, we have our birding and game drive on the Lakes circuit, via Muhana to Kirara Plain. We shall Saddle-billed Stork, Lilac-breasted Roller, Broad-billed Roller and different species of Vultures. We will also see some of the big five animals among others lions. In the late afternoon, we drive to Kigali and to capture with the evening flight.
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