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Safari Name | 6-Days Rwanda Bird watching And Gorilla Tracking Tour |
Tour Code | |
Destination |
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda Birding and Mountain Gorilla Trekking Trip
Arrival for Tour and transfer to Nyungwe Forest Reserve
Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge | Gisakura Guest House (Full Board)
Day 2: Birdwatching Nyungwe Forest Reserve of Rwanda – Rwanda Birding
Nyungwe forest is situated in south-west Rwanda between Lake Kivu and the international border with Burundi. Nyungwe is divided north–south by a line of mountains that reach 2,600–2,900 m and which form part of the Congo–Nile watershed. As a result, Nyungwe is composed of two areas differing in pedology, vegetation, water-flow and biodiversity.
This wonderful birding area lies west of Butare, with the Butare to Cyangugu road passing straight through the middle, providing excellent roadside birding. A total of 275 species have been recorded in Nyungwe, reflecting the wide habitat diversity and altitudinal range. These include, all the 25 species of the Albertine Rift mountains Endemic Bird Area that occur in Rwanda, Chapin’s Flycatcher and Rockefeller’s Sunbird (both globally threatened, restricted-range and biome-restricted). In addition, 11 of the 23 species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome and 71 of the 74 species of this biome of Afrotropical Highlands that occur in Rwanda have been recorded at this site. Generally, Nyungwe is certainly the most important forest for the conservation of montane birds in the region.
We have an early morning breakfast then set out to Uwinka for the Albertine Rrift endemic birds search. Among the many we look out for, include; Kivu Ground-Thrushm, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Red-chested, SunbirdRegal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Mountain Masked Apalis, Black-faced Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Grauer’s Warbler, few Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Red- throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Ruwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Handsome Francolin, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Variable Sunbird, Waller’s Starling, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, just to mention but a few. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge | Gisakura Guest House (Full Board)
Day 3: Whole Day Birding Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda
We look for species probably missed the previous day, we hope to tick-off Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Sharpe’s Starling, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Dusky Tit, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Siffling Cisticola, Bronze Mannikin, Golden-breasted Bunting, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Mountain Wagtail, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Equatorial Akalat, Black Cuckoo, Kungwe Apalis, White-bellied Robin-chat, and many more. We try our luck and listen out at night fall for the Rwenzori Nightjar (a nocturnal species), Albertine Owlet and Red-chested Owlet.
Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge | Gisakura Guest House (Full Board)
Day 4:
Birding From Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park for Mountain Gorilla Trekking and some bird species Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge | Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Full Board)
Day 5: Rwanda Gorilla trekking- Volcanoes NP
The main activity today will be Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Mountain gorillas are the largest living primates and the world’s most endangered apes with an estimated population of less than 800 left in the wild of the whole world and none in zoos. The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei), was not yet known to scientist until 1902. They are the next closest living relatives to human beings after the two chimpanzee species, sharing 97% DNA with us.
Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge | Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Full Board)
Day 6: Departure
End of Rwanda Gorilla Tracking and Bird watching Tours- Departure
Activities/services included in the cost:
• Arrival and departure airport transfer. • Accommodation as per the itinerary.
• Accommodation in the National Parks is based on Full Board
• Road transportation in custom made safari vehicles.
• Exclusive private vehicle and driver-guide throughout the safari
• Game dives as per the itinerary
• Park and game reserve entrance fees
• English Driver guides available for the safari
• Our 24hours support throughout the safari
Activities/services excluded in the cost:
• All International Flights/local Flights + Taxes
• Visa fees, Travel & Personal accident insurance
• Excursions, services and activities not mentioned in this program
• Flying option available for certain safaris at an extra cost
• Personal expenses e.g. laundry, telephone calls, Drinks, Tips etc
To get costs for this tour, contact our Sales Office Team on sales@trailsofafrica.co.ke
Just give us the Safari Tour Code and name of the safari you want to book and we shall revert back with costs and availability.
Commonly known as a land of a thousand hills, Rwanda has reinvented itself in recent years as an ecotourism destination. The undulating hills and mountains ever covered by mist every morning form a good scenery – hence the movie “gorillas in the mist”. Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcano National Park is by far Rwanda’s major international attraction. After the release of the feature film, Gorillas in the Mist, about the late Dian Fossey’s pioneering work habituating the gorillas (in order to study their behavior), trekking increased tremendously.
Rwanda has five volcanoes, 23 lakes and numerous rivers. Her mountainous topography is a product of her position on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift Valley, part of the Great Rift Valley which cuts through Africa from the Red Sea to Mozambique. Rwanda has three main conservation areas: the Volcanoes Park, Akagera Park and Nyungwe Forest.
Rwanda has three main conservation areas: the Volcanoes Park, Akagera Park and Nyungwe Forest. Each of these protects a very unique ecosystem and combination of large mammals. Akagera supports a typical savannah fauna dominated by a variety of antelopes, zebra, buffalo and giraffe, the aquatic hippopotamus, and plains predators such as lion, leopard and spotted hyena. The Volcanoes Park is the best place in the world to track mountain gorillas while Nyungwe offers visitors a good chance of viewing chimpanzees and 400-strong troops of colobus monkeys – the largest arboreal primate troops in Africa today.
Destination Rwanda: Land of gorillas and Chimpanzees….quintessentially exclusive….
Rwanda, the land of rolling hills and mountains ever covered by mist every morning and home of “the gorillas in the mist” movie has the best Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Park and chimpanzees in Nyungwe. With 5 volcanoes, 23lakes and numerous rivers Rwanda is truly your undiscovered safari treasure.
Akagera National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park Volcanoes National Park