Gorillas in Africa's Midst
13 Days
Visiting: Kigali, Kirundo, Gitega, Huye, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Bukavu, Mount Kahuzi, Biega, Lwiro Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Idjwi Island, Goma, Virunga National Park, Mount Nyiragongo, Gisenyi Aiport, Gisenyi
Tour operator:
Tour code:
GIM
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 12
Physical rating:
Moderate
Age range:
1-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Please contact Wild Frontiers with any specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Private Available:
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Tour Overview
Central Africa has long held a fascination for the intrepid and the curious. Here, amongst the impenetrable landscapes of Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, history and mountains lie shrouded in the mists of time. These jungles echo to the calls of great apes and karyenda drummers in a land forged by the violent upheavals of colonial war, civil strife and volcanic explosion. This remarkable trip takes us across some of the most beautiful and emotive landscapes on the African continent, travelling through Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern Congo as we go in search of the largest gorillas on earth, bubbling lava lakes and a people whose lives and traditions have withstood imperialism and some of the bloodiest conflicts of the last century.Beginning in Kigali, we travel south into Burundi before heading west into the Virunga Mountains and on to the expansive waters of Lake Kivu. Along the way we’ll have a chance to visit the lowland gorillas of DR Congo’s Kahuzi-Biega National Park, climb to the summit of one of the most active volcanoes in the world and meet a cast of fascinating and inspiring characters who will provide a truly unique insight into this incredible part of the continent.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Tour Starts In Kigali (Rwanda)
Location: Kigali
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Chez Lando or similar
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner,
The tour starts this morning in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Located in the geographical centre of the country, this lively city began life as a German colonial outpost at the turn of the last century. Today it is the country’s political, economic and cultural centre, and sprawls across the hills and valleys that lie at the foot of Mount Kigali. After freshening up at our hotel we’ll head out to visit the multi-cultural neighbourhood of Nyamirambo. Our tour of this lively district will be hosted by the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre during which we’ll have the chance to meet some of the people who make up this fascinating community. We’ll enjoy a home lunch as well as a walking tour of the neighbourhood, including a visit to the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre itself. This organisation was set up to support women’s health and employment, as well as providing skills and training to women through various educational programmes. In the afternoon we’ll enjoy a guided tour of this city to discover some of its colonial beginnings, as well as visiting a memorial for the peacekeepers who lost their lives and the infamous Hotel Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda). Tonight we’ll enjoy our first group meal and take the chance to discuss the exciting trip ahead!
Day 2 : Kigali - Kirundo (Burundi)
Location: Kigali, Kirundo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Rama or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
This morning we’ll pay a visit to the Kigali Memorial Centre at Gisozi, the country’s most important reminder of the genocide, built on the site where up to 250,000 victims were believed to have been buried in mass graves. Around mid-morning we’ll leave the Rwandan capital for the border with Burundi. After completing formalities we’ll continue south to Kirundo in time for dinner.
Day 3 : Kirundo - Gitega
Location: Kirundo, Gitega
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Tropitel or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
The Kirundo region provides us with some of Burundi’s most captivating landscapes, including the stunning natural beauty of Lake Rwihinda National Reserve. Previously known as ‘Bird Lake’, this protected preserve is a haven for birdlife of every kind including weavers and sunbirds, barbets and warblers and we’ll take a sunrise boat ride across the lake this morning in traditional dugout canoes. Departing the reserve after our visit we’ll continue south to Gitega. Burundi’s second largest city, Gitega is the country’s primary religious and educational centre. Located on Burundi’s central plateau, the city provides us with an opportunity to explore the German colonial heritage in its historical centre, before moving on to the small National Museum to see the artefacts on display. We’ll then have the chance to visit the royal hill of Gishora, to enjoy an extraordinary drumming performance and learn a little more about the country’s famous karyenda drummers. The karyenda drums have long been a sacred part of life in Burundi and are considered an integral part of many of the country’s most important ceremonies including births, deaths and mwami (coronations).
Day 4 : Gitega - Butare (Rwanda) - Nyungwe National Park
Location: Gitega, Huye, Nyungwe Forest National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Nyungwe Top View or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Departing Gitega early we’ll cross the border back in to Rwanda, and head to Butare to visit the National Museum, regarded as one of the finest ethnographic museums in all of East Africa. After lunch we’ll continue to the primary montane rainforest of Nyungwe National Park in the south-west of the country. Set amongst the high ridges of the Albertine Rift, part of the series of ranges that run from western Uganda through to the Lendu Plateau of the eastern Congo, the Nyungwe Forest covers nearly a thousand square kilometres and is one of the largest mountainous rainforests left in Africa. After checking in to our hotel we’ll have some time at leisure to enjoy our surroundings.
Day 5 : Nyungwe National Park - Bukavu (Dr Congo)
Location: Nyungwe Forest National Park, Bukavu
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Orchids’ Safari Club hotel or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Early this morning we will head out for a trek in Nyungwe Forest in the hope of spotting some chimpanzees. On this trek you may be treated to the sight of chimps jumping in the tree canopies above your head, whilst enjoying the hooting and screams of them communicating with each other. Sightings cannot be guaranteed due to the fast paced nature of the chimps, but the sounds of nature around you will provide a memorable experience and will be considered a highlight of the tour. We will then return to the hotel for breakfast and drive west to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo at Bukavu. On arrival John Kahekwa will meet us to assist with border formalities before continuing to our hotel. After lunch we’ll visit a number of projects supported by John’s Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF) in and around Bukavu, spending time at a local school, visiting a tree planting project and learning about the spirulina growing project which helps to provide invaluable nutrition supplements to the local communities.
Day 6 : Gorilla Tracking In Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Group A) / Visit Lwiro (Group B)
Location: Mount Kahuzi, Biega
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Orchids Safari or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
One of the last refuges of the rare Eastern Lowland Gorilla, Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated some 50 kilometres west of Bukavu. Dominated by two extinct volcanoes, the primary forests of Kahuzi-Biega are believed to hold fewer than 300 of these magnificent animals. This morning we head to the Tshivanga area of the park, to track a family of Grauer’s gorillas, a lowland species endemic to the eastern Congo and the largest of the world’s four gorilla species. Travelling in groups of between 5 and 30 members the dominant males can weigh in at over 500 pounds (nearly 230 kg), but the continued unrest in the DR Congo, coupled with illegal mining and hunting has decimated their numbers to the point of extinction. Observing wild gorillas up close is something that even the most jaded of travellers tend to rank among their all-time favourite travel experiences and will undoubtedly linger in the memory long after the sun-tan has faded! Please refer to the Supplementary Information section below for more information. While group A go gorilla tracking group B will take a drive out to the Lwiro area of the park to enjoy a nature walk. Later we’ll pay a visit to the Centre Intégral d’Education de Lwiro, an establishment aimed at educating locals and visitors alike on the natural and anthropological history of the area, before continuing on to the Centre de Réhabilitation des Primates de Lwiro, which cares for rescued primates and orphaned gorillas.
Day 7 : Visit Lwiro (Group A) / Gorilla Tracking (Group B) - Tour Of Bukavu
Location: Lwiro Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Bukavu
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Orchids Safari or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Returning to Kahuzi-Biega this morning, group B will go gorilla tracking while group A take a drive out to the Lwiro area of the park for a nature walk. Later that afternoon we’ll head out together to explore some of the colonial past of this scenic town. The lake front is particularly pretty with some old colonial mansions along the shoreline.
Day 8 : Bukavu - Idjwi Island
Location: Bukavu, Idjwi Island
Accommodation: Hope Land Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
This morning we’ll depart Bukavu and embark upon our boat ride to the largest island on Lake Kivu, Idjwi Island. Here we visit Amani Global Works, one of the health and education projects the organisation have set up to try and improve the lives of the Bambuti communities that call Idjwi home. We’ll also try and visit a plantation on the island (time permitting). Tonight we will stay at a basic but comfortable guest house on the island.
Day 9 : Idjwi Island - Goma
Location: Idjwi Island, Goma
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Linda or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
This morning we’ll say goodbye to the scenic Idjwi island and once again take to the waters of Lake Kivu, heading north to the strategically located city of Goma, whose recent history is steeped in the aftermath of the tragic events that surrounded the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, when hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees fled across the border to escape the civil war that followed. In addition, when Nyiragongo erupted in 2002, the lava flow famously swept down Goma’s main road providing the world with one of the region’s most enduring images. This afternoon we have a chance to explore something of the city, including the remains of the lava flow itself, before dinner and an early night in preparation for the big climb tomorrow!
Day 10 : Goma - Virunga National Park: Ascend Mt Nyiragongo
Location: Goma, Virunga National Park, Mount Nyiragongo
Accommodation: Local ‘huts’ made from fibre glass with thick mattresses on the floor
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
After a relaxing breakfast we’ll drive to the edge of Virunga National Park in preparation for our ascent of Mt Nyiragongo. This active volcano lies among the peaks of the Virunga Mountains, towering giants that occupy the western edge of the East African Rift. Standing some 3,470 metres in height, Nyiragongo is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful and active volcanoes, in the centre of which sits the largest lava lake on the planet. Today we hike to the summit of the two mile high peak, an approximate five-hour trek through varied terrain to spend this evening on the steep slopes of the volcano. We’ll stay in small wooden huts that sit just below the crater rim, allowing us the chance to marvel at the glow of the lava lake by night.
Day 11 : Virunga National Park - Goma - Gisenyi (Rwanda)
Location: Virunga National Park, Goma, Gisenyi Aiport
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Paradis Malahide or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
After an opportunity to take in the early morning views over the surrounding area, we’ll descend the mountain and drive the short distance to the Rwandan border. Once over the border we will head for Gisenyi on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu where we’ll relax for the rest of the day.
Day 12 : Gisenyi - Kigali
Location: Gisenyi, Kigali
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Chez Lando or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
This morning we’ll transfer by boat to visit one of the rich coffee plantations that line the lake shore. Along the way we will have the opportunity to learn about the coffee producing process - from ‘crop to cup’ - as well as pay a visit to the Nkora washing station, the largest in the country. From here we’ll transfer back to Kigali and head out for a farewell dinner.
Day 13 : Tour Ends In Kigali
Location: Kigali
Meals Included: No Meals
The tour ends this morning. Those on the suggested group flights will transfer to the airport in time for their early morning departure.
What's Included
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MEALS
11 x Breakfasts, 12 x Lunches, 12 x Dinners
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TRANSPORT
On this tour we’ll use minibuses, dugout canoes, motorboats and 4WD vehicles.
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CARBON CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions to carbon offset & tree planting projects for all bookings
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GROUP SIZE
Maximum: 12
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EXPERT TEAM
The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate
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ACCOMMODATION
All accommodation as outlined in the itinerary
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FITNESS RATING
Moderate
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ENTRANCE FEES
All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary
What's Not Included
We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatoryTips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documentsInternational .Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UKAirport .Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights.Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs
Visas
Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact our recommended visa agency, Travcour www.travcour.com For this tour UK passport holders currently require a multiple entry visa for Rwanda, and single entry visas for Burundi and DR Congo. Please note we intend on obtaining the DR Congo visa on the land border, and the cost of this is included in the tour price. Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements. Further details will be sent out to you on booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the clients.
Key Aspects to Consider
Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be able to cope with this tour. However please bear in mind that Burundi and DR Congo in particular are very unpredictable countries and that some of the scenes you may encounter along the way will make this a challenging trip even for the most experienced traveller. Please be advised that on this trip vegetarians can be catered for but the selection and variety may be limited. The trek to see the gorillas can be moderately challenging (given the fact that gorillas tend to move about!) so please bear this in mind and refer to the specific section on the trek later in this dossier. Contingency Itinerary If there were to be any security issues in and around Virunga National Park, we may well be forced to revise the planned itinerary and climb Mt Bisoke in Rwanda instead of Mt Nyiragongo.Please see the ‘Contingency Itinerary’ below. Days 1 - 9: The same as above. Day 10: Goma-Gisenyi (Rwanda)-Ruhengeri Day 11: In & Around Volcanoes National Park and climb Mt Bisoke. Day 12: Ruhengeri – Kigali. Day 13: Tour Ends In Kigali. Climbing Information The climb of Mount Nyiragongo is described as one of the main highlights of the tour by previous clients who have reached the summit, but please note this is a very challenging climb. The weather can turn with little or no warning. In places the terrain is very steep and slippery making this quite a difficult climb at times. Coming down the volcano is particularly steep so you should bring trekking poles with you.
Check out our Q&As
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What is the maximum group size?
12
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
We have a complete Covid-19 hub here: https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/en_GB/covid-hub
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 70% of passengers on our group tours are solo adventurers. Unlike many tour operators, we don’t believe in charging solo travellers a premium, so if you are happy to share a room with a fellow traveller of the same sex, you will pay exactly the same as a couple..Occasionally you may even end up with your own room. You can travel as a single traveller on any of our holidays, from our escorte
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 2002
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Do I need to be double-vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel with you?
In most cases, yes. Not only are many destinations making double-vaccination a requirement of entry to the country and/or access to restaurants, museums etc., but additionally on all our group tours for the foreseeable future, for everyone’s peace of mind, we are asking that all clients be double vaccinated.
Reviews from Travellers on this Tour
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Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Wild Frontiers allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 90 days before the start of the tour.
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Low Deposit
Wild Frontiers requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of wild frontiers charges.
Up to 71 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 51 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Wild Frontiers' COVID Promise
You will have the right to transfer without any transfer fee, from any of our trips at ANY time if your trip is not Covid Viable (see below).*
We will not ask you to pay your final balance if your trip is not yet Covid Viable.
If your trip is not Covid Viable, by 30 days prior to departure at the latest, we will cancel your holiday and you can either transfer your funds to another departure or have a refund.**
We will only consider a trip Covid Viable*** if pre-departure it meets all of the following criteria:
There is no national lockdown or ban on foreign travel for the period when your trip is due to depart.
Destinations on the tour must not be on the UK’s Red List. ****
No destinations visited on the tour have in place any significant COVID-19 restrictions for travellers.
Tourist visas (if required) are available.
There is reliable airline access to/from the start/end of the trip.
Following an assessment by both Wild Frontiers and our local partners we are confident that your trip is able to run in both a safe and enjoyable manner.*****
** If you were originally booked to travel before 30 April 2020 and transferred to a later date, or if you have a tailor-made booking, there may be some irrecoverable costs which we cannot refund. Please speak to us and we will be able to advise you if this is the case for your booking.
***Since our HQ is in London, Covid Viable status for our Group Tours will be assessed on UK-based travellers. However we are fully aware that many of our clients live in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. As such, when we deem a trip to now be Covid Viable, everyone booked will have a chance to review their own personal situation before deciding whether or not to remain booked on the trip. Anyone wishing to, will have the option to transfer without fees to another trip at this time. For tailor made bookings, we may also able to consider additional countries’ travel advice when deciding if a trip is Viable. Please discuss this with us at the time of booking.
**** This relates to bookings from UK clients only. We may operate trips to destinations which the British FCDO advise against travel for Covid reasons. If this is the case, anyone wishing to will have the option to cancel with a refund or transfer to another trip. In some cases we may choose to offer a tour to a Red destination but these will be at both clients’ and Wild Frontiers’ discretion and will be subject to alternative conditions to be discussed on an ad hoc basis.
*****If a destination, that we have deemed to be Covid Viable, subsequently fails any aspect of the criteria for two consecutive weeks, you will have the right under our Covid Promise to transfer without any fees.