This 8 Days Rwanda Big Five And Primate Safari takes you to the land of a thousand hills that is predominantly occupied by hilly and mountainous terrain in the west and northwest, savannah grassland plains in the south east with several lakes that are all homes to a diversity of wildlife species which are all thrilling to encounter on one’s safari.
This safari takes you to Akagera National Park which is the only Big five park in the country, Volcanoes National Park which is the most visited park and a sanctuary to the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys and Nyungwe forest National Park, a haven to over 13 primate species. Cultural encounters await you as you interact with locals and have magical cruises on Rwanda’s Lakes while you view her captivating and charming bird types roaming the lakes’ waters and shores.
Safari Highlights
This day starts with your first meeting with our professional driver guide who will receive you and brief you about this 8 days Rwanda big five and primates’ safari. You will then hit the road for a 1 to 2 hours’ drive to Akagera National Park as you traverse through areas of Rwamagana, Kayonza, Kabarondo arriving to check-in at a lodge.
Have an early lunch and later proceed for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema famous for its large consecration of Hippopotamuses that you will all encounter. As you sail on Ihema waters, you will have a glance at several animals interacting and breaking their thirst with lots of water birds trying to catch their prey as others fly to their nests for example Jacanas, Herons, Papyrus gonolek, kingfishers and many more. Get back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight of your 8 Days Rwanda Big Five And Primate Safari
Wakeup early in the morning to have breakfast and later proceed to meet your driver guide and embark on the most rewarding activity in the park as you wait to spot the big five of the wildlife. You may decide to start your game viewing in the northern sector as you spot early risers of the jungle trying to feed when the temperatures are still low for example Zebras, Giraffes, bushbucks, Impalas, Elands, Buffaloes Klipspringer, leopards, lions and many more.
Return for a break at the lodge to have lunch and later proceed for more game viewing in the southern sector where you will capture breathtaking experience of aquatic animals along shores of Lake Ihema with a variety of bird species that are all amazing. You will retire back to the lodge for dinner and a night stay.
This day will start with a morning breakfast, check-out of the lodge to meet your driver and depart for Volcanoes National Park. This 4 to 5 hours’ drive is so adventurous as you will encounter locals carrying on their daily activities arriving at a pre-arranged lodge to check-in and have lunch. After lunch you will have a thirty minutes’ drive to the twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera where you will conduct a boat cruise as you explore five out of the eight Virunga mountains as well as having sights on various bird species around the lakes and their swampy areas. Later you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and a night stay.
After your hefty breakfast in the morning, meet your driver guide and head for a briefing at the park headquarters about the gorilla trekking etiquettes. Gorilla permits will be verified, walking sticks given to you and gorilla family allocation. You will then be directed to the starting point by rangers and embark your gorilla trek as you hike through thick forests taking you 1 to 6 hours to locate a particular family during your 8 Days Rwanda Big Five And Primate Safari.
Upon its location, you will enjoy an hour with the gorillas as they go by their business and later return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch head to the Iby’iwacu cultural village to have an insight of Rwanda’s cultural traditions as you learn about their ancient lifestyle as you also enjoy their cultural performances. Return to have your dinner and an overnight at the lodge.
Arise early in the morning for breakfast and shift to the park headquarters for a briefing about the golden monkey trekking dos and don’ts. Hike to the forests in search of these endangered species taking you 30minutes to 4hours. Several birds and animals like baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, duikers among others will be spotted which are a supplement to your trek.
Enjoy up to an hour with the golden monkeys and return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will head for a one and a half hours’ hike to Dian Fossey’s grave yard as you encounter various forest birds and animal types. Its here that you will have an emotional experience as you learn about some one who dedicated her life to protect the mountain gorillas for years. Head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Wakeup very early in the morning for your breakfast, check-out of the lodge to meet your driver and immediately set off for Nyungwe forest National Park as you enjoy Rwanda’s spectacular view of her mountainous scenery. Along this 5 to 6 hours’ journey, you will have a lunch en-route at a hotel around Lake Kivu while you watch locals conduct their usual business.
You will also make a stop-over at the Gisenyi genocide memorial where you will get to learn about the 1994 attack on the Tusti by the Hutu proceeding to arrive at Nyungwe forest National Park in the late afternoon to check-in at a reserved lodge for your dinner and an overnight.
You will have an early morning breakfast and meet your driver who will transfer you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the chimpanzee trekking etiquettes. Head to the starting points with the guidance of ranger guides to start on the trek. Locating our closest cousins in the forests may take you 2 to 3 hours depending on their movements as you will be allowed an hour with the chimpanzee colony while you closely watch them go about their lives which is a breathtaking moment.
Return to the lodge for lunch after which you will head for a canopy walk. Taking on a two hours’ guided walk along a 160m long and a 70m high suspended bridge is so exhilarating as you are able to spot animals, birds in the park and its surrounding areas of Lake Kivu. You will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight of your 8 Days Rwanda Big Five And Primate Safari.
After your morning breakfast, you will head bark to Nyungwe forest to have a last glance at the park’s primate residents, for example L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, grey checked mangabeys and many more as you also encounter several birds which will amaze you and worth adding to your gallery.
Retire off the forest back to the lodge and check-out to embark on your 4-hours’ drive to Kigali city or to any destination of your interest and a drop off at the airport to catch your flight back home.
Thank you for choosing Big Apes Africa Safaris for your 8 Days Rwanda Big Five And Primate Safari.
