Considering that it is the oldest national park on the African continent, it literally possesses a long and to die for history from the time of its existence to date. Known as the grandfather to all other National Parks, this park was first gazetted in 1925 to protect the endangered mountain gorillas from extinction. Previously known as Albert national park, the park was extended to D.R. Congo in 1929 under the Belgian rule.
Independence of D.R. Congo in 1960 and its aftermath involved the division of this park between the two countries, leading to the establishment of Virunga national park. The tough times of Rwanda genocide in the 1990s didn’t not leave the park the same as it was used as a battle front for all the merciless actions that transpired in the park. With her tough times don’t last saying, the park was able to get back into a flourishing and nature loving environment in early 2000s and it is still one of the best National Park in Rwanda up to date.
Location of Volcanoes National Park.
Northwestern part of Rwanda blossoms with the existence of Volcanoes National Park. The park sneaks a peek from some of the wonderous nature from its neighborhood since it’s at the borders of Mgahinga in Uganda and Virunga national park in D. R. Congo.
Uniqueness of the park.
The park is home to a total of five volcanoes and mountain gorillas. The Virunga mountains are eight in total and this park is graced by 5 out of the 8 volcanoes that can be discovered right from the park. The beauty about this is that 3 of them all can be hiked by travelers.
Tourist activities found in Volcanoes National Park.
Mountain gorilla trekking.
A total of 12 habituated gorilla families are available in this park therefore all the tourists need is a gorilla trekking permit that needs to be purchased in advance at $1500 to get a chance of being up close to these individuals.
Good health and physical fitness are vital for this activity because it involves moving over rugged landscapes, thick and pricking thickets in order to achieve the goal of watching these gems.
Golden monkey trekking.
Second to mountain gorilla trekking is golden monkey tracking which is gaining fame over the years as these are very beautiful primates that are threatened as they cannot be spotted everywhere. These monkeys love bamboo therefore tracking them is not problematic as tourists get to spot gold sparkling in space as they get to jump from one bamboo tree to another.
Permits for this exercise don’t need to be booked in advance but it is a better alternative. With just $100, tourists get to appreciate and understand these amazing beautiful primates, in a 4-hour adventure of golden monkey habituation.
- Visiting the Dian Fossey tomb.
Paying respect to the people that fought for the right causes is the only way we can appreciate their efforts. Tourists get to hike to the tomb where famous American primatologist of all times was buried.
Her research grew from just studying the gorillas to protecting them against acts like poaching which resulted to her death. A hike to her tomb costs $75 and tourists get to appreciate the base she founded about understanding and protecting the lives of these gallant apes.
- Hiking the Virunga mountains.
The volcanoes are among the blessed park to be part of the Virunga massif, possessing three mountains in it that can be hiked by tourists and get a bird’s eye view of the whole park and surrounding areas. Hiking Mountain Karisimbi is considered the hardest of all mountains considering the fact that it takes two days to accomplish the task but offers ever- lasting memories of viewing the snow-capped mountain Rwenzori.
Visitors can also opt to hike mount. Bisoke and Mount. Muhabura because they are also wondrous adventures that offer tourists with pleasing views of lush green forests that can be viewed while at their summits and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
Visiting the twin lakes near Volcanoes National Park.
Lake Ruhondo and Burera are twin lakes found just outside the park. Tourists can navigate them both as they embark of a revealing boat cruise. While on the water trip, visitors get a chance of spotting enormous bird species, appreciating the landscape of the surrounding and the epitome of this trip is when the tourists get to the islands of the lakes. While on the island, they get to interact with the locals and they appreciate the culture of the people of Rwanda.
- Caving
Rwanda is world widely known as the country of a thousand hills therefore tourists shouldn’t miss on the opportunity of visiting the Musanze cave. The park has experienced guides that provide information to visitors about the history, formation and other mysteries of the park.
- Guided nature walks and bike excursions.
The park has a variety of guided walks that visitors can engage in like a walk to Nyungwe community, Ibyiwacu cultural village where tourists get to appreciate reforms because these gorilla protectors were once poachers. On this expedition, tourists get to enjoy the Rwandan culture through practicing their music, dances, drumming among other cultural practices.
Tourist attractions in Volcanoes National Park.
- Golden monkeys.
There is no place that is as good as gold evidenced with the beauty of these nice-looking primates add to the bamboo forest of volcanoes. The trend of tracking these enchantresses is progressing in the park and it is now in the second position after gorilla trekking.
With a permit that costs $100, tourists get a wholesome amazing opportunity of appreciating these beautiful creatures. Trekking these creatures is an easy experience because they are easily spotted in the sky jumping from one tree to another.
- Mountain gorillas.
A total of about 380 mountain gorillas are available in the park but tourists get to visit one of the 12 habituated families. Bamboo forests, Savannah grasslands, rolling hills and volcanoes in the park provide a comfortable environment for the gorillas to live in. The ultimate goal of gorilla trekking is meeting up with the king kongs hence tourists are eager to face the challenges that come along like going through the dense bamboo forests, galloping over harsh landscapes among others.
This activity starts as early as 8am to hit the bush with the guidance of experienced guides and hunt for these amazing black apes that are rarely spotted everywhere.
- Dian Fossey tomb
Doing Fossey died as a hero for fighting, protecting and giving comfort to the mountain gorillas and she laid a foundation of fighting against the extinction of these creatures. The journey to the grave of this merciful individual begins with a hike from the boundary wall of the park which is an amazing one and half hour walk that offers wowing views of nature, primates, butterflies, birds among others.
Travelers also get to tour her house from where she was murdered and besides her grave is a tomb of her favorite friend gorilla Digit. The hike starts with a reason of paying respect to Dian Fossey but visitors also get to pay tribute to tombs of other 20 gorillas that succumbed to poaching.
- Wildlife
Besides the famed mountain gorillas, the park homes other wildlife like elephants, forest hogs, duikers, spotted hyenas, bushbucks and a variety of primates besides the renowned golden monkeys found in the park. Therefore, tourists can spot these animals during a gorilla trek, golden monkey tracking activity or hiking the volcanoes.
- Birds
Tourists interested in watching rare bird species should confidently organize a safari to this park because the park boasts having over 200 bird species some of which are endemic to the Albertine rift. While in the park, tourists can stare at the Rwenzori turaco, rwenzori batis, rwenzori double colored sunbird, strange weaver, handsome francolin among other beautiful birds that tourists can catch sight of while in the park.
How to get to the park?
A flight from Kigali international airport to the park is two hours and there are various airline companies that offer the same services. Road transport is the cheapest means of transport and tourists can board a public means of transport to Musanze town which is a two hours’ drive. There is no public transport from Musanze to the park therefore tourists should contact rental car companies that offer this service at an affordable price.
When to visit the park?
The dry season feels fine and healthy therefore it’s recommended that tourists arrange their expeditions to this park in the dry season that stretches from June to September and the short one from December to February.
Tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings and it has always been on a steady progress after the genocide that shuttered the industry. Arranging a safari in Rwanda is not just rewarding but tourists are assured of safety in the country of a thousand hills. It is considered the 9th safest country in the world and Africa’s safest country.
