Flight to Kigali
VIP Meet and Greet on arrival at Kigali Airport, where after you meet you local guide and transfer to the Kigali Serena Hotel for overnight.
NB Participants must be 15 yrs and older to take part in the Gorilla Trekking activity.
Meet and Greet Kigali Airport.
Private transfer to Serena Kigali Hotel.
Serena Kigali Hotel overnight with breakfast.
You will be collected to enjoy a tour the Genocide Museum and Memorial.
Enjoy lunch at the original Heaven Restaurant
Transfer to Bisate Lodge, traveling along the stunning countryside, it is easy to see why Rwanda is called the Land of a Thousand Hills.
The drive takes you from Kigali to Ruhengeri at the foothills of the Virungas, the chain of 15 000 foot volcanoes stretching through Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Check in at Lodge for your 2 night stay .
Optional enhancement: Before dinner, enjoy an informative talk by Gorilla Doctors.
Dinner at lodge.
Bisate Lodge in Rwanda rests in a natural amphitheatre formed by a long-dormant volcano. Architecturally designed and decorated to pay homage to Rwandan traditions and culture, the lodge is the perfect combination of contemporary luxury and authentic heritage.
Located just a short drive from Volcanoes National Park’s entrance, Bisate Lodge is ideal for guests wanting to embark on once-in-a-lifetime gorilla and monkey treks or guided hikes. Natural history tours should also be on the list of things to do involving a visit to Dian Fossey’s grave and research centre as well as local museum. Rwanda is also renowned for its coffee beans - be sure to embark on a delectable coffee tastings or explore the culture and community on a guided walk.
Intimate yet generous accommodation takes the form of six Forest Villas, each with striking views of three ancient volcanoes. Beautiful, domed bedrooms come alive with richly decorated interiors while the reception space is aglow with warmth from a central fireplace. Each villa has been designed to maximise the comfort and experience of its guest whilst upholding high environmental and cultural principles, adding to its individuality.
Why you will love Bisate
- Near to Volcanoes National Park for treks and tours
- Spectacular views of the volcanic range and landscape
- Beautiful architecture and design throughout the lodge
- Uniquely located atop an extinct volcano
- Central fireplace and private deck
Genocide Memorial Visit.
Lunch.
Overnight at Lodge inclusive of:
Three meals daily
Community fees
Talk by Gorilla Doctors
Gorilla Trek
Enjoy an early morning breakfast followed by a short road transfer to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters where you will be allocated a gorilla trekking group.
Gorilla treks depart at around 07h30. Prior to departure you are given a briefing by park staff, assigned a gorilla family to visit and rangers to guide you.
In the Park National des Volcans there are eight families of Mountain Gorilla living on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes. The treks normally start in the cultivated land on the base of the volcanoes and then you are guided up into the beautiful dense misty forests. Upon sighting of the gorillas, you will stay with them for a magical hour as they go about their daily life, feeding playing, resting and raising their young. Coming face to face with the giant Silverback is truly one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth!
While tracking expeditions do not necessarily cover enormous distances, they can range in length from 1-8 km (0.5-5 miles) over very steep country at high altitudes. The undergrowth can be thick, the ground beneath muddy, and, including the time spent with a gorilla group, excursions can last between 2 and 8 hours.
The trekking takes place at elevations of 2.500-3,000m above sea level, not high enough for altitude sickness to be a concern but sufficient to knock the breath out of anybody – no matter how fit – who has just flown in from a low altitude. Contact physician for medication to counteract this.
Depending on your time of return to the lodge, enjoy lunch and then choose to spend the afternoon:
- Community Walk at the village nearest to your lodge
- Afternoon sightseeing and interacting with the locals, visiting the Village Market
Return to the lodge
Dinner and overnight.
Morning
Gorilla Trek permit and porters with return transfers
Overnight at Lodge inclusive of:
Three meals daily
Community fees
Optional Enhancement
Enjoy a very early breakfast followed by a short road transfer to the Volcanoes National Park Head Quarters where you will join the morning trek to the endangered Golden Monkeys.
At 07h00 you will be briefed by your allocated your tracker for the Golden Monkeys – experience a different adventure and wildlife thrill as you meet these busy little animals. The Golden Monkeys (Cercopithecus Mitis Kandti) is a local subspecies of the widespread Sykes Monkey, also known as the ‘Blue Monkey’ and is endemic to the high altitude forests of the Volcanoes National Park area. Tracking usually takes 1 hour. Once you come to the habituated families, you will spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life. The monkeys are playful and inquisitive – adult monkeys frolic in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from perch to perch while the females carry their young, completely oblivious of on-lookers.
Return to the Lodge for lunch and a quick freshen up before checking-out.
You will be transferred by road to Kigali.
The transfer will take approximately 2 ½ hours.
Check in at Kigali International Airport in the afternoon.
Transfer to Kigali Airport.
Assistance with flight check in.
Golden Monkey Trek.
