You will be met at the airport when you arrive and then we will set off straight away to reach the border of DRC and Rwanda - driving on a good paved road through the Rwandan countryside for about 3 hours. Please plan your arrival into Kigali for early morning so that we can get started.
We will then clear customs and immigration and then be met on the other side by a transfer vehicle from Virunga for the journey through to Bukima where you can rest have a shower etc, and get a feel for this amazing scenery that the camp is set in.
Today we will set off on our first gorilla trek - after a short safety briefing by the park authorities we will set off for the hike, typically you are back at camp by lunch time and each visit lasts about one hour. There are a good number of habituated families and the allocation will be based on your personal abilities as some can be quite close to the camp.
1 x Gorilla Trek Permit Per person
Much the same as the day before but we will visit a different family today, in the afternoons after a rest from the hike we will go for a walk in the vicinity of the camp to look at some of the birds and plants that occur here.
1 x Gorilla Trek Permit Per Person
You would have the option today of doing another gorilla trek as we would have time prior to leaving for our next camp. This permit is not included in the safari price and would have to be purchased from the camp.
Gorilla Trek Permit @ US$400 per person
Mikeno is set inside the forest areas on the steep sides of mountain where a family of Chimps lives, however this is not guaranteed as they do move around and sometimes they are not in an accessible area, this is why the permits are issued at the lodge based on this. If you choose you could opt for another gorilla permit from here if the chimps are not visible.
You might also choose to relax in this beautiful camp in a forest environment and enjoy some of the other residents, like Olive Baboons, and Black and White Colobus Monkeys and some great birds. There is also the possibility of seeing the blood hounds they use for anti poaching and the chimp sanctuary.
Chimp Trek Permit - US$100 Per Person
We will leave the lodge after an early breakfast and head by vehicle to the base of Mt Nyiragongo, we will have a safety briefing by the volcano guides and meet our porters and chef who will travel up the volcano with us and other travellers.
The hike is quite steep but there is no hurry as you have the rest of the day to ascend this incredible active volcano as we will be sleeping the night on the rim in the small fibre-glass shelters, No big comforts here and all quite basic but an incredible evening watching the lava and the sounds on the edge of the worlds largest lava lake.
After a final look at the volcano we will set off back down and again no big hurry and all done in your own time. When we arrive back at the rangers post we will then have a short drive into Goma where we will then get on a boat for the ride across to Tchegeera Island where you can relax have a shower and a good meal.
The view at night time over Lake Kivu , Goma and the volcanoes is amazing.
After breakfast we will leave camp by boat back to Goma and then by road back through immigration into Rwanda and onwards to Kigali. We should arrive there mid afternoon in time to have a tour around the Genocide Museum of Kigali. It is an extraordinary place to visit and thought provoking on many levels.
Your transfer this morning will be timed to suit your International flights schedules.
