An incredible opportunity see the mountain gorillas

Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild is one of life's most awesome experiences, made popular by the publicity generated by the work of researcher Dian Fossey. On this trip you'll have two opportunities to track and observe them in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, a mysteriously beautiful area of dense tropical forests and spectacular volcanic mountains that shelter the world's largest population of endangered mountain gorillas. Several family groups of them have become habituated to the presence of observers and can be approached closely in their natural habitat.

Activities

Moderate to strenuous hiking

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• See the beautiful hilly countryside of Rwanda
• Spend time in Volcanoes National Park tracking the mountain gorilla

2010 PRICES
$1,995 per person (2 or more members), double occupancy
$1,000 single supplement
$2,995 solo traveler
$1,000 gorilla permits*

Duration: 4 days Start Location: Kigali End Location: Kigali Best time to go: January - March, June - October, December

Itinerary

• Day 1 : Kigali

  Arrive in Kigali. Time permitting, you may wish to visit the Kigali Memorial Centre, a site that is a moving tribute to all those who lost their lives in the genocide a decade ago.

• Day 2 : Volcanoes National Park

  After breakfast, we will drive to Kinigi enjoying magnificent views of rural Rwanda along the way. We'll quickly understand why the country has been nicknamed "the land of a thousand hills." These hills are intensively cultivated by rural folk who live on tiny farmsteads, so they form a terraced patchwork of banana plantations, sorghum fields, and vegetable gardens. Rwanda is densely populated so we see many people walking along the roads and working their fields while en route to the nation's capital, Kigali.

• Day 3 : Volcanoes National Park

  After breakfast, transfer to park headquarters. Seven family groups of gorillas are open to the public, and each lives in a very different part of the park. For example, the Sabinyo Group lives on the hills below the jagged peaks of Sabinyo Volcano. These hills are mostly covered with forests of giant bamboo. Group 13 and the Amahoro Group live on the forested slopes between Visoke Volcano and Sabinyo. Visoke is a lovely volcano that reaches up to 12,175 feet on its rim, and its interior is filled with a crater lake. Fortunately, the gorillas tend to range in the moss-draped hagenia forests of its lower slopes. Group Susa lives on the middle-level slopes of the largest volcano, the giant Karisimbi (14,787'). Although the Susa Group tends to inhabit the hagenia-hypericum forest (at altitudes of 9,000-10,000 feet), they do range widely and sometimes venture higher up on the mountain, into the zone of bizarre and wonderful Afro-alpine vegetation. Susa is therefore considered the most strenuous group to track. Although park rangers try to keep tabs on the whereabouts of the gorillas, they are free ranging wild creatures and can be difficult to locate. Sometimes finding the gorillas can be easy, as they may have remained close to the area where they had been feeding the previous day. The reward is an extraordinary opportunity to observe the gorillas at close range. The gorillas are NOT tame, but they have been scientifically habituated to accept the presence of quiet and unthreatening observers. Once found, you are allowed one hour only to observe the group.

• Day 4 : Kigali

  Depart for home.

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

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