Travel Guide for Volcanoes National Park
Travel Guide for Volcanoes National Park will help a traveler that is planning a safari to Rwanda for Gorilla tours in Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is known for housing half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas and being home to the 5 virunga mountains. Volcanoes national park has gained popularity as one of the ultimate safari destinations in Africa and part of the top 10 tourist destinations in Africa that should be visited. For anyone interested in visiting the country, below is the travel guide for Volcanoes national park which will ensure you have an amazing time while in Rwanda.
Activities in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking: There are 18 habituated Rwanda gorilla families in volcanoes national park which gives about 144 lucky people daily to take part in the gorilla trekking experience within the park this is because the maximum number of people per gorilla group is 8 people and they should be at least 15 years of age and above therefore if you are interested in participating in gorilla trekking you should book a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda at only 1500USD to take part in the activity.
After obtaining a gorilla permit you will have the opportunity to track a gorilla family in Rwanda and this involves hiking the different virunga mountains in order to access the different gorilla families that can be found on the different slopes of the mountains. When you get to the gorilla family you will be fascinated by the calmness and the broadness of the gentle giants which you will find interesting with the way they conduct their daily activities. You will get to spend an hour with them and after you will head back to your hotels and get ready for other activities in the park the following day.
Golden monkey trekking: Volcanoes National park is also home to the endangered golden monkey species that can only be found in Mgahinga national park, Virunga National Park and the largest percentage in Volcanoes national park. Unlike gorilla trekking which is a very difficult activity because locating the primates can take a whole day since they move from one place to another to construct new nests. When it comes to golden monkey they establish their territory in one area making them easy to be tracked and by this golden monkey trekking is quite easy than gorilla trekking and therefore there is little or no exhaustion during the activity as compared to gorilla trekking.
Visiting Dian Fossey’s Grave
Dian Fossey’s legacy lives on in Volcanoes national park and because of her efforts to ensure that the mountain gorilla are protected and conserved, volcanoes national park has attracted a number of tourists worldwide.
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist that made a number of efforts to ensure that poaching in volcanoes national park was combated and because the biggest percentage of animals that were victims were the gorillas which she was passionate about, she fought so hard by carrying out regular patrols in the park for any poachers’ equipment, destroying their snares, gave them warning through the different media platforms like radios, and televisions and also reached the extent of burning their houses in order for the primates to be safe.
However, she was murdered by an unknown person and was buried at the gorilla cemetery in volcanoes national park, therefore, visit Rwanda particularly Volcanoes national park to know more about Dian Fossey and her great work which is being carried out to date which has led to the increase of the gorilla numbers which are celebrated during the famous Kwita Izina ceremony or The baby gorilla naming ceremony.
Hiking the Virunga Mountains
Volcanoes National Park is a home to 5 virunga mountains that is Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura. Tourists who embark on hiking the Virunga Mountains will have amazing experiences in the park because they will get to see a number of attractions and exceptional views while hiking the mountains. Some of the exceptional views that can be seen during the virunga mountains hike include; the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Lake Kivu, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Dent’s Mona monkeys, mountain gorillas among other interesting attractions.
Best Time to Visit Volcanoes National Park
The best time to visit Volcanoes National Park is directly dependent on the different activities that are carried out within the park. However, it is better for the tourists to visit volcanoes national park during the dry season from the month of December to February and also during the months of June to mid-September. This is because the Park is highly a mountainous area which can be hard to hike during the wet season but with the right hiking gear, during the wet season, you can have an amazing time in the park as well.
Packing List
- Raincoat, this is because the park is on a high altitude which influences the weather conditions in the park. It can rain at any given time in the park even in the dry season therefore to be on a safe side you should carry rain jacket.
- Insect repellent because there are a number of insects in the park that can spread diseases like mosquitoes.
- Hiking shoes for easy movement during the different activities in the park.
- Camera, to capture beautiful moments during your tour in the park among other items.
Safety of Volcanoes National Park
The safety of Rwanda has contributed largely to the tourist inflows in the country because there is a guarantee that the tourists will be secure at any given time while participating in the different activities during their Rwanda tour. The safety of Volcanoes national park has also contributed to the increased number of tourists and their participating in the different tourist activities that are designed by the park management.
Before accessing the park premises, every tourist goes through the security checkpoint where they are checked for any firearms, deadly weapons any items that can inflict pain on any person during their activities in the park and after this is done they are then allowed to access the park premise if they do not pose any threat to other people within the park.
During any given activity in the park, a well trained Guide leads the tourists through their activities by leading them through the easy trails and safe routes where wild animals cannot attack them in order to have an amazing and safe trip while in the park. An armed Ranger also accompanies a group of tourists to ensure they are not attacked by any wild animals during their trips within the park.
Documents
If you are interested in participating in a number of activities within the park, you should not forget your volcanoes park Permits that you should present to the park receptionist for verification in order to participate in the different activities and for tourists that want to visit Rwanda and carry out the activities in volcanoes national park, they should read the Rwanda visa and entry requirements to know the different requirements they should carry with them in order to access Rwanda and visit Volcanoes National Park.
