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A tiny, landlocked republic in Equatorial Africa, Rwanda lies on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift and the watershed between Africa’s two largest river systems: the Nile and the Congo. Often called the "land of a thousand hills", Rwanda is a mountainous country with a moist, temperate year round climate.
Rwanda has a number of unique delights to offer travellers. Parc National des Volcans in the Virunga volcanoes is home to the Mountain Gorillas to which Dian Fossey dedicated her life. Nyungwe Forest, one of the largest montane forests in Central Africa, is renowned for its large troops of colobus monkeys and rich variety of orchids. Akagera National Park is a savannah park with elephants, hippo and crocodile. Lake Kivu is a beautiful inland sea enclosed by steep terraced hillsides. There are a large variety of birds. Rwanda has a rich culture with its second city, Butare, having one of the finest cultural museums in Africa.

Chimpanzees One of man’s closest relations, are found in a number of forests in Uganda – especially Kyambura and Kibale in the west and Budongo and Kanyiyo Pabidi near Murchison Falls; they are also found in the huge afro montane forest of Nyungwe in Rwanda. Bwindi is one of the few forests where gorillas and chimps co exist but are rarely seen as they live lower down when both species are present. The Ugandan and Rwandan variety (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthi) is long haired and lives in those forests where there is a rich, all year round food supply.

Nile Source, Volcanic lakes, Virunga Mountains, Volcanoes, Old Karisoke, Nyiragongo
Gorillas in the Virungas Mgahinga and PNV.
The Virunga Conservation Area, around the upper slopes of the dramatic Virunga volcanoes, comprises three contiguous national parks Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda, and Parc des Virungas, commonly called Djomba, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. About 350 mountain gorillas make their home in these afro montane forests. On the Ugandan side there is one gorilla family that is habituated. You can climb a volcano, go birding, visit the emerald waters of Lake Mutanda or just take in one of the most breathtaking landscapes of Africa. Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Rest Camp is located just outside Mgahinga. In Parc National des Volcans on the Rwandan side, where Dian Fossey worked, there are four habituated gorilla families.
Volcanoes Virunga Lodge is situated only 30 mins drive from PNV.

Sources of the Nile Much of the nineteenth century was dominated by the search for the Source of the River Nile. Many of the great explorers of the age – Baker, Burton, Grant, Livingstone, Stanley, Speke – traversed the continent to understand the connection between the different rivers and lakes in Africa’s central highlands. In 1862, Speke deduced that the river on the north shore of Lake Victoria was the White Nile on its way to Egypt. In reality the Source includes a number of lakes and rivers in Uganda and Rwanda as well as the Virungas and Rwenzoris.

Volcanic lakes Kivu, Bulera, Ruhondo, Bunyonyi and Mutanda.
These five volcanic lakes on the borders of Rwanda and Uganda have their own special attractions. Lake Kivu, on the Rwanda/Congo border, the largest, is like a giant inland sea with some interesting lakeside towns. Kibuye, two hours from Kigali, is a relaxing retreat for swimming, canoeing and water skiing. Gisenyi, a famous resort in the past, now has a sleepy forgotten air with some fine but neglected buildings from the Belgian era. The twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo are attractive places to visit after gorilla tracking in PNV in Rwanda. The emerald green Mutanda, in Uganda, with its distinctive hump back islands, seen in the distance from Mgahinga, has a pristine beauty. Toyo Island, Volcanoes’ private island in the lake, wild and unspoilt, is reached by dug out canoe. The finger like Bunyonyi literally "a place of little birds”, lies among steeply terraced hillsides near the hill town of Kabale; it is an ideal stopping point on the way to Bwindi and Mgahinga.
Akagera has beautiful undulating plains with dense, broad leafed woodland, lighter acacia woodland and rolling grassland with an extensive series of lakes linked by papyrus swamps forming a sprawling wetland. The game in the park is recovering after years of poaching and human presence, with elephant, buffalo, giraffe and lion and different antelope beginning to be seen. Accommodation and the road system in the park have recently been renovated.
Butare is a pleasant university town which contains the exceptional National Museum which has a fine display of the history of the country and people. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in memory of Princess Astrid of Belgium, is the largest in the country. At Nyanza, nearby, there is the court of the former King.
Kigali has been the capital of Rwanda since 1965. An attractive city, it spreads over a number of hills and although it saw some difficult times through the genocide in 1994 and as power changed hands subsequently, it now has a pleasant, buoyant air. The main shopping and commercial area is around the Hotel Mille Collines, with the government district on the neighbouring Kaciyiru hill.The markets, the handicrafts, the Muslim quarter and a new genocide memorial being built in Gisozi are some of the main places of interest.
Nyungwe Forest This massive montane forest, in southern Rwanda, the largest in Central Africa, has thirteen species of primate including chimpanzee, Rwenzori colobus and l’Hoest’s monkey. The colobus live in large groups, including a four hundred strong semi habituated group thought to be the largest troop of arboreal primates in Africa. Around 300 bird species, 24 of which are regional endemics and over 100 varieties of orchids and butterflies are other attractions.

ACTIVITIES IN PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS

The park consists of the Rwandese side of the Virunga volcanoes. There are five volcanoes that can be accessed from the Rwandese side, a number of which have specific attractions. In addition to gorilla tracking, which is described separately, the following activities are available in the Park.

Tracking the Golden Monkey: An Elusive Treasure in the Virunga Mountains.

This little known monkey is one of the most endangered primates in Africa and it is now thought that the only viable population of these monkeys is in the Virunga Volcanoes. A smaller population may exist in the Nyungwe Forest in Southern Rwanda but this has yet to be verified. The golden monkey is a distinct species of guenon Cercopithecus Kandti and is endemic to the Albertine Rift.

Two groups are being habituated for visitors in the Virungas. The Kabatwa group is found in the east of the park, on the flanks of the Sabinyo volcano and has about 40 in the group and can be viewed already. The Musongo Group lives higher up on the flanks of the Karisimbi volcano at an altitude of about 2800 to 3000 metres and has about 100 individuals. This will be open to visitors shortly.

Habituation has been a slow process as acceptance to humans has not been easy but was finally achieved in 2003. The monkeys now chatter and play quite happily while being observed. They spend a large proportion of their time climbing the vegetation, some 2 to 3 metres above ground, feeding on bamboo leaves and shoots.

The juveniles are quite small and fluffy and their infectious good humour makes them charming to watch. They live near the lower reaches of the park and it is usually only a short walk to reach them.

Seeing the Golden Monkey makes a fantastic short excursion into the misty Virunga forest and it is a great addition to the activities clients can do in the magical afro montane forest. As with the gorillas, only one hour is allowed with the Golden Monkeys and six visitors are allowed per visit. There is one visit a day, which starts at 7.30am from the park office at Kinigi.

Climbing the Volcanoes
It is possible to climb two volcanoes on the Rwandese side.

Karisimbi
The climb to the peak of Karisimbi requires two days, with clients sleeping in a tent on the mountain. This is a wonderful walk to the highest mountain in the Virungas (4507m). It does not require technical skills, but clients have to be fit and healthy as the walk is quite arduous and conditions can be wet, cold and muddy.

Visoke (sometimes Bisoke)

Visoke is a day’s walk and although less steep than Karisimbi still requires walkers to be fit.

The paths go through afromontane forest, bamboo, and woodland. Higher up there is Afro alpine moorland, grassland and marsh, giant lobelia and senecio.
About 200 bird species have been recorded in the park, with 13 species endemic to the Albertine Rift, including the Rwenzori turaco.

The remains of Dian Fossey's Karisoke Research Centre – Old Karisoke
Dian Fossey set up a research centre in the Virungas in the early sixties and began the well documented habituation of the gorillas there. She became well known internationally through the film Gorillas in the Mist. Although Fossey was killed in 1985, the Centre continued to operate in the forest with other researchers until 1992. During the ensuing civil war in Rwanda it was destroyed and although rebuilt in 1993, it was destroyed again. Since then it has not been rebuilt. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International now runs its research on the gorillas in the forest from the Karisoke Centre in Ruhengeri town. Katie Fawcett is the current director.

Visits to old Karisoke are available as one of the activities in the Virungas. Old Karisoke is located in a beautiful meadow between the Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes with the Mikeno volcano in the distance. Remains of the old buildings can be seen as well as graves of some of the research gorillas that have died over the last 30 years, including the famous Digit which was killed by poachers, as well as that of Fossey herself.

The walk takes about 6 to 8 hours in all and is a fascinating way to explore the park and get a glimpse of the remains of this historic place. Prior booking is required and should be done when booking a safari.

CLIMBING NYIRAGONGO
There are two live volcanoes in the Virungas – both in the DRC – Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira. Both are approached from Goma in DRC. Nyiragongo is more interesting to visit as it erupted more recently in 2002!
The climbing of Nyiragongo will be possible when the security in DRC has stabilized. After crossing the border at Gisenyi, you meet one of the volcanologists and then continue to the base of the volcano. The first part of the trail goes through beautiful rainforest with birds singing in the background. After a while you leave the forest and start walking on the solidified lava rock from the 2002 eruption.

Half way up the mountain you can see where the lava erupted through the side of the volcano, in contrast to the previous eruptions from the top. The path gets steeper going up to the remains of the three metal huts which can be used for shelter and cooking. There are good views over the volcanoes, Lake Kivu and Goma town. During the day there is a clear view of the volcano crater with the lava at the bottom. The ascent to the peak can also be done at night (using torches and head lamps). There is a red glow in the big volcano pot with the lava bubbling below. It sounds like the sea! The lights of the town and the fishing boats can be seen on the lake.