5 Days Gorilla in Northern Bwindi via Kigali Rwanda
Day 1: – Arrival Kigali International Airport
Arrival at Kigali International Airport you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Kigali for overnight. Please note that if you arrive before 13h00 you can drive straight to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Accommodation
: Budget – Lebanon Hotel Kigali
: Midrange – Chez Lando
: Luxury – Heaven Boutique
Day 2: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via Cyanika border
After breakfast you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via Cyanika border, on arrival in Kisoro town, you will have a scenic tour in Lake Mutanda in a dugout canoe, this scenic lake lies just north of Kisoro and makes for a relaxing base from which to explore the area and track mountain gorillas in nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. With the misty Virunga volcanoes as a backdrop and ringed by papyrus swamp, there are plenty of hikes, bird watching, and water activities to be enjoyed around this lake.
Accommodation
: Budget – Travelers Rest
: Midrange – Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
: Luxury – Cloud Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Day 3: Nombe Forest Walk, Batwa Villages in Bwindi
This morning after a hearty breakfast, enjoy birding in Nombe Pocket Forest – it was part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and it is still quite impenetrable, however it was cut off from it as people needed more land to live on and cultivate. It can be reached on foot (approx. 1 hour to go and 2 hours to come back) or by vehicle and the visit lasts approx. 2 hours, depending on your interest.
The Batwa tribe was forced to leave their home in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in 1991 when it was declared a UNESCO Heritage site for gorillas only. They had been living in the forest as nomadic hunter-gatherers for millennia, in perfect balance with the flora and fauna around. Moving out and suddenly living in communities with a completely different way of life has proven to be a huge challenge. The drive takes about 5-7 hours.
Accommodation
: Budget – Travelers Rest
: Midrange – Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
: Luxury – Cloud Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Day 4: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, at around 7:45 am, with packed lunch and drinking water you will be transferred to the National Park Head Quarters for the briefing on the dos and the don’ts while with the gorillas. You then continue to the forest for the start of the actual gorilla tracking.
The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain varies as per the movements of these great primates. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. The tracking can take place at either Rushaga or Nkuringo sector which are approx (1 hr drive from Kisoro (Chameleon Hill Lodge), as per the gorilla permits availablity.
Upon return, relax at the lodge enjoying the views of lake mutanda and the Virunga Hills.
Accommodation
: Budget – Travelers Rest
: Midrange – Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
: Luxury – Cloud Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Day 5: Bwindi – Cyanika – Kigali
Early in the morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Cyanika Border via Kisoro town and continue to Kigali, lunch will be in a Kigali restaurant, Time permitting you will have a complementary visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial Park, thereafter transfer to Kigali International Airport for your outbound flight to the next destination.
Accommodation & meals: No Accommodation
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch dinner on own arrangement