8 Days Chimpanzee Trekking
Day 1: Short southern lake circuit game drive around Akagera National Park
Arrive at Kigali International Airport and be greeted by our professional and local guides. You will then be briefed by our staff. Depart for Akagera National Park. The route which passes through Rwanda’s phenomenal landscape and living lifestyles. After a quick rest at the hotel, you will go on a southern game drive alongside the Lake Ihema circuit.
During the game drive, there are plenty of animals to see including elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many other mammal species. As one of the most scenic savannahs in East Africa, the game drive in Akagera provides you an opportunity to also view gentle hills blending beautifully with lowland swamps and water bodies.
On this day (depending on game drive time), we offer you a choice of Value Added Package from the following:
• Evening walks around the hotel where you can see various bird species.
• Participate in day-to-day local pastoral lifestyle.
• Presentation on the ecology of the Akagera ecosystem and the conservation efforts, including the coexistence dynamics between local people and wildlife.
Overnight
at Akagera Game Lodge. (B, L, D)
Day 2: Northern game drive and transfer to Kigali
Early morning game drive starts with a spectacular sun rise and early morning bird calls. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscape through the northern game drive is where you will see hippos, crocodiles and more wildlife than on the lake circuit. Transfer to the Volcanoes National park.
Overnight Gorilla Mountain View lodge .
Day 3: Local Community tour
The community tour discovers hidden local culture and tradition. This is the time to discover the day-to-day livelihood of local people and how they spend their time, and participate in local dances while wearing traditional local “Umushanana” dress.
On this day we offer you a choice of value added package from the following:
• Visit Ruhengeri Market, providing you with an opportunity to see and buy local Rwandan fabrics and to see how local markets are organized.
• Visit our local projects, to see how your travel with us contributes to making a difference in local people lives and interact with project members.
• Attend traditional dance lessons, to see and have a taste of local culture and how it is embedded in the tradition.
• Taste local food and beer.
• Visit a local household and experience local lifestyle.
• Listen to a presentation on community development and mountain conservation.
• Go on walks in villages surrounding the park and interact with local people.
• Visit the twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo and marvel at the views of the Virunga mountain chain.
Overnight
at the Gorilla Mountain View lodge. (B, L, D)
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park en-route along Gisenyi, Lake Kivu, and Kibuye
Lake Kivu:
Kivu is one of the great lakes in Africa and the largest of the fresh water lakes that gleam in the Albertine (Western) rift of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu stands 1461m (4,790ft) above sea level and is Africa’s highest lake. The northern shore is subject to eruptions from nearby Mt Nyiragongo..
Gisenyi
offers excellent view of the lake and the Virunga volcanoes massif. With its waterfront and sandy beaches, Gisenyi is a wonderful place to relax with the feel of tropical beach resort with captivating air.