Rwanda primate holiday, 6 days

Description of Rwanda primate holiday, 6 days

Ideal for travellers with little time, but who don’t want to compromise on their wildlife experiences, this Rwanda primate safari offers an unforgettable encounter with man’s closest cousins, the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park.

And, before your six days are up, you’ll also trek into the Nyungwe Forest in search of cheeky, chattering chimpanzees, and see a host of monkey species including colobus, golden and L’Hoest’s monkeys as they play among the trees.

Begin in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, with a moving visit to the Genocide Memorial, marking the genocide of 1994 when up to 800,000 Tutsi people were murdered by armed Hutu militias. You’ll also visit craft markets, and have time to explore the city a little to see how its youthful population has come together in reconciliation – not least through civic pride. Through regular community clean-up events Kigali is reckoned to be one of the cleanest cities in Africa.

From the capital you’ll embark on the 200km (five hour) drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. On arrival, you’ll get an atmospheric introduction to the forest as you head up on a canopy walk, to learn about life among the treetops. It’s an entirely different experience to walking along trails on the ground, with different species present, and amazing views.

There are some 13 primate species in Nyungwe Forest, along with 300-odd bird species, and many colourful butterflies. The biodiversity on display is spectacular meaning that your nature hikes, led by expert local guides, are bound to reveal some wonderful sights.

A second day in Nyungwe Forest will be spent trekking in search of a habituated chimpanzee group to watch as they eat, play and groom themselves. You’ll have just an hour with the troop to minimise disruption on their lives, which is plenty for them but sadly never enough for visitors!

Another long journey awaits after your chimpanzee trekking as you make for your final stop: the majestic Volcanoes National Park. Here you’ll spend an hour with a family of mountain gorillas. Their calm demeanour belies their immense size and strength, and this will likely prove one of the most unforgettable travel experiences you’ll ever have.

Trekking out to find the gorillas can be challenging due to the terrain and the fact they move around constantly, so it can take an hour to find them, or much longer. But porters are available, and if you’re relatively fit you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

Finally, as you head back to Kigali, you’ll stop off for a visit to a ‘gorilla guardians village’ – a great way to understand the effort that goes into protecting these incredible animals. And how your holiday has also contributed to their ongoing survival, through the purchase of permits, and convincing local people of the value of tourism over poaching.

Departure information