Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is home to the Rwandan section of the Virungas. Comprising five volcanoes, the Virungas are utterly spellbinding and few would argue that this is not one of the most exciting national parks in Africa. We probably needn’t remind you, but of all the extraordinary sights and attractions around the Virungas, the one that really draws people here are the famous mountain gorillas.
The park is not only home to the mountain gorillas but the uncommon listed in danger of extinction Golden Monkeys. These monkeys are beautiful with orange bodies plus sleek back heads plus legs. Actually, they spend most of their time within the bamboo zone feeding on bamboo shoots, stay in groups of utmost 40 individuals, they squeak and tweet all the time while they feed on the vegetation of the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.
What To Do in the Park
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
There are 10 habituated gorilla families in Rwanda, all found on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains. Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is one of those things you need to do at least once in your lifetime. The gorilla groups live in different locations along with the mountain range and the time is taken to find one’s assigned group cannot be predicted because the gorillas are always on the move feeding on plants and fruits. However, early in the morning, there are advance park trackers who set out to locate each gorilla group and relay the information about their initial positions. The gorilla tracking permit in Rwanda costs USD 1500. 10% of this fee is channeled to development projects in the local communities neighboring the Volcanoes National Park. Therefore, when you buy a Rwanda gorilla tracking permit you are contributing to the development of the local communities and saving the mountain gorillas.
What To Do in the Park
Golden Monkey Trekking
The golden monkeys are endangered species and are unique to the Virunga mountains range which covers the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Rwanda and Uganda are the only two countries where visitors have the opportunity of trekking to see them up close. The golden monkeys live in the bamboo forests and vegetation at the base of the volcano mountains. The monkeys mostly feed on a bamboo shoot. Many travelers don’t realize that Volcanoes National Park also offers an opportunity to see Golden Monkeys, a playful troop often found by hundreds. An additional permit ($100/per person) is required for Golden Monkey tracking, but unlike the permit for gorillas, this one is significantly more affordable.
Karisoke Research Center
The center is located in Volcanoes National Park and situated in the middle of two mountains whom it was named after. “Karisoke,” a name from the nearby Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Bisoke created by Dian Fossey with an aim to study gorilla ecology, demography, and social organization. The Karisoke Research center is run by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. The Volcanoes National Park Rwanda’s fee for this Karisoke Trek is currently USD$ 75 per person, which includes the fee for the guide. The trek starts at 07:00 am from the Park Headquarters in Kinigi, from where visitors will have to drive/be driven to the start point for the trek. Permits can be purchased on the day of the trek at the Park headquarters and porters can be hired from there.
Dian Fossey Tomb Trail
Trekking to the Dian Fossey Tomb is one of the most sought after safari activities carried out while visiting Volcanoes national park for a gorilla trip. The trek involves a 30 minutes drive from the park headquarters to the trailhead to access the Karisoke research camp where visitors walk for 10 minutes to the park boundary. The walk from the park boundary to the research center where Dian’s grave takes about an hour to 1 hour and a half hours. Today, Fossey is buried next to her dead gorilla friends, many of which had been killed by the very poachers that likely hunted her. After her death, memorial services were held in Washington D.C., New York, and California.
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