Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park is the thrilling destination to visit on a safari in Rwanda. Situated in the southern section of the vast Virunga region is the park. Volcanoes national park is well known for its large population of mountain gorillas. Situated in the Albertine Rift Valley sits the park. In addition to Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda are both well-known for their mountain gorilla populations, Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park. Apart from the gorillas, Volcanoes National Park has a plethora of other sights that draw visitors, such as golden monkeys, hiking the tomb of Diani Fossey, the renowned primatologist in Rwanda, climbing volcanoes, and bird watching. Having a Rwanda safari is the greatest way to view the Volcanoes National Park in its entirety.
Attractions in Volcanoes National Park.
Mountain gorillas.
The mountain gorillas and the gorilla trekking safari experience are the main attractions of Volcanoes National Park. The large species of mountain gorillas is one that tourists should not miss. Since these are some of the most compelling arguments for the majority of visitors to the nation. The largest extant apes are mountain gorillas, and 98% of their DNA resembles that of humans. A safari in Rwanda is made even more amazing by the opportunity to witness these animals in their own environment.
Animal species.
Volcanoes National Park, however its most well-known feature is its home to mountain gorillas. Numerous species of animals can be found in the park, including buffaloes, spotted hyenas, golden monkeys, bushbucks, duikers, and forest elephants. In the park, there are over 200 different kinds of bird species, 29 of which are unique to the Albertine Rift.
Research center of Dian Fossey.
The American primatologist Dian Fossey is well-known for Volcanoes National Park, where the Karisoke research centre is located. She devoted most of her time to raising awareness of the need to protect mountain gorillas and taught others how to do so. At the base of the park, close to Mount Karisimbi’s foothills, resided Dian Fossey. She began her research and her efforts to save the mountain gorillas here.
The ideal way to relax on a Rwanda safari is to explore Volcanoes National Park. The main reason most people visit Musanze is to see the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum, which was constructed in her honour and offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about her work. To persuade people to care about nature and understand how to protect it, this is the greatest approach. When travelers are in Musanze, they can see the Virunga Mountains in their full splendour.
Virunga Mountains.
Volcanoes National Park is home to several volcanic mountains, including Mount Muhabura, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, and Mount Gahinga. These volcanic mountains provide for ideal hiking tours because they are dormant or extinct volcanoes. Each volcano has a unique route, and hikers can encounter a variety of species while ascending the peaks.
Activities to do in Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking safari is the most well-liked safari activity in Volcanoes National Park. Those who choose to go on a gorilla trekking safari are given a briefing on the park’s policies at the headquarters. After the briefing, the visitors can be divided into groups of eight, and knowledgeable park rangers will accompany them into the thick forest. The gorilla trekking can take anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours, based on where the gorillas are. After you locate them, you may observe as they play, groom, eat, and engage in a variety of other activities for an hour. In Volcanoes National Park, a gorilla trekking permit costs $1,500 per person. When visiting Rwanda for a safari, you can arrange to observe these primates with a gorilla trekking permit.
Golden monkey trekking.
“Golden monkey trekking,” a fascinating safari experience, is offered in Volcanoes National Park. This offers visitors the opportunity to witness the stunning golden monkeys, which are only found in the Albertine Rift and are just as breathtaking to observe as mountain gorillas. A fantastic safari experience that leaves tourists with wonderful recollections of their safari is golden monkey trekking in the park.
Hiking Virunga Mountains.
One of the African countries with the greatest views of the Virunga Mountains is Rwanda. There are five Virunga mountains in Rwanda. In terms of providing travelers with the best safari experience, this is it. Hikers can spot several birds while on the trail, including the long-tailed cisticola, red-throated alethe, odd weaver, and Rwenzori batis. They can also observe many plant species and primate species, such as white and black Columbus monkeys.
Dian Fossey hike.
A safari in Rwanda wouldn’t be complete without a walk in Volcanoes National Park along the Dian Fossey trail. You may find out more about her work in Rwanda and the conservation of mountain gorillas by doing this. The fascinating thing about Dian Fossey’s biography is that she dedicated her adult life to studying and caring for gorillas. In order to accomplish this, she established the Karisoke research station, where she worked on several initiatives to discover ways to preserve the survival of mountain gorillas. Regarding mountain gorillas, Dian Fossey made numerous notable discoveries. She discovered, for instance, that mountain gorillas are a highly susceptible species that frequently becomes ill, particularly while they are trekking. For this reason, in order to prevent illness and the spread of diseases to the gorillas, trekkers are advised to maintain a minimum distance of 7 metres between them in the wild. In order to prevent the number of these species from declining in their habitats, Dian Fossey conducted extensive research before ending poaching in the park. She also established regular park inspections, destroyed the homes of the poachers, killed their dogs, and set fire to their houses. During this process, Dian Fossey was discovered dead in her room and was buried alongside her friends at the gorilla cemetery.
Best time to visit Volcanoes national park.
Volcanoes national park can be visited all the year around though the best time is during the dry season when the hiking trails are dry for perfect trekking which makes the activities excellent; although the park can as well be visited during the wet season when the park has less crowds.
Where to stay in Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park provides the best lodging options for visitors, which are divided into three categories: luxury, mid-range, and budget. These options include the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Muhabura Hotel, and many more.
How to get to Volcanoes National Park.
There are various ways to get to Volcanoes National Park in various regions of different countries. That’s a two-hour drive from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Visitors arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Virunga region can easily travel from Goma to Volcanoes National Park in about one hour. It just takes one to two hours by a car to cross the border at Cyanika for those travelling from Uganda.