Volcanoes National Park
PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS - Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is part of the Virunga Massif that straddles three countries – Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda – and home to six towering, extinct volcanoes that penetrate the clouds (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga. Mikeno and Sabyinyo). Its lower slopes are covered in bamboo forest, with a rich, otherworldly woodland of hagenia and hypericum trees, festooned with lichens and old man’s beard on the midslopes.
Above this is the alpine zone with its bizarre lobelia and senecio plants and seasonal snow on the top of Mount Karisimbi. Together with Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park (3 800 hectares / 9 390 acres), and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park (Mikeno Sector, 25 000 hectares / 61 000 acres), Volcanoes National Park (16 000 hectares / 40 000 acres) makes up a 44 800-hectare (110 000-acre) conservation area that is a World Heritage Site and home to over 480 mountain gorillas.
The park was gazetted in 1925 in order to help protect these rare apes and is Africa’s oldest national park. Dian Fossey made the then Parc National des Volcans her base in the 1970s and 1980s and her research changed the way this great ape species was viewed and protected. Volcanoes National Park is thus considered the best place in East Africa to track gorillas, thanks to its easy access to twelve habituated gorilla groups. Aside from this great ape, other mammals that call the park home include golden monkey, serval, black-fronted duiker, buffalo, elephant, tree hyrax, Egyptian mongoose and bushbuck. Some 178 bird species are found here too, including at least 13 endemic to the Virunga area, such as the Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori batis, Archer’s robin-chat, red-faced woodland-warbler and Rwenzori apalis.
Gorilla Trekking Accommodations
Our Gorilla Trekking Accommodations are divided into three categories for the:
Connoisseur travellers - Premier Portfolio
Discerning travellers - Luxury Portfolio
Adventurous travellers - Classic Portfolio
The portfolio's cover a range from exquisite luxury to feet in the sand comfort.
Akegera National Park
A new 'traditional' safari area in East Africa
Akagera National Park is Central Africa’s largest protected wetland and the last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in Rwanda. Akagera National Park is a savanna ecosystem and is in contrast to the rest of the country in that it is low-lying with acacia, grasslands and an extensive wetland area. To the west are rolling hills and valleys more typical of Rwandan countryside while to the east, the Akagera River feeds into a series of lakes, marshes and papyrus swamps that constitute central and eastern Africa’s largest protected wetlands. So, for a fairly small National Park, an Akagera safari can be extremely diverse with a variety of habitats, wildlife and birds, and some lovely scenery.
While poaching and human encroachment have had a negative impact on this reserve, the park is still worth visiting. Today, Akagera National Park is managed in conjunction with the conservation organisation African Parks, which is bringing it back to life. New perimeter fences and anti-poaching measures have made a huge difference to its animal populations and the national park is now well on the way to being restored.
There is plenty of wildlife, including buffalo, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and numerous species of antelope. The dozen or so lakes on the eastern side support high concentrations of hippos and large crocodiles. The birdlife in Akagera is also outstanding, with a species list topping 540 in number, including large numbers of raptors and large waterbirds.
Safari Accommodations
Our Safari Accommodations are divided into three categories for the:
Connoisseur travellers - Premier Portfolio
Discerning travellers - Luxury Portfolio
Adventurous travellers - Classic Portfolio
The portfolio's cover a range from exquisite luxury to feet in the sand comfort.