Rwanda National Parks Ecotour Itinerary
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Rwanda National Parks Ecotour Itinerary January 22-30, 2014 RWANDA NATIONAL PARKS ECOTOUR ITINERARY January 22-30, 2014 Offered by Heartfelt Tours (in cooperation with Safari Legacy) Why Rwanda? This small, often overlooked, East African country is packed with opportunities for cultural historians, naturalists, and birders with all levels of interests. The country is safe and affordable for travelers. Although it is the most densely populated of African nations with relation to its size, the Rwandan government has thoughtfully set aside large tracts of land to preserve its magnificent forests and wildlife to ensure a healthy environment for the future. The three national parks of Rwanda each offer very different experiences for photographers and nature enthusiasts, with stunning landscapes, forested hillsides, waterfalls, volcanoes, savannah, and opportunities to meet over a dozen species of primates, over 600 species of birds, and some of the more typically thought-of African wildlife such as giraffes, elephants, cape buffalo, hippos, zebras, and antelopes of all kinds. The story of Rwanda will inspire you in so many ways, as you begin to understand its tragic past and become part of its continuing recovery. Tourism is encouraged and necessary for a nation that is struggling to bolster its economy and reduce reliance on foreign aid, and you can rest assured that a portion of your trip costs is going to support local people and conservation efforts in a variety of ways. Light to moderate hiking will be required for many of the activities on this itinerary, however, even those with some physical limitations (such as arthritis of the knees) should be able to participate fully with the assistance of experienced guides and trackers. If you have physical limitations or other concerns, please let us know and we can discuss your situation to determine if this is the right trip for you. Please note – the following itinerary may be subject to minor changes depending on availability of dates at various locations, but departure date will not change. January 22-23, 2014 – TRAVEL TO RWANDA Depart from your nearest home airport to arrive in Kigali, Rwanda the evening of January 23. After going through customs and picking up your bags, you will be met at the airport by trip leaders Tim Merriman and Lisa Brochu, and our Safari Legacy driver/guides for the excursion. You will be transported to the Manor Hotel in the heart of downtown Kigali where you can enjoy the city lights twinkling in the hills from the outstanding view afforded by the open-air restaurant. Dinner is not included on the arrival evening, since most flights will include a meal shortly before landing, but the restaurant and bar will be open if you want to unwind with a beverage or snack before getting a good night’s sleep. January 24 – KIGALI/GISAKURA We start the morning with a hearty breakfast buffet at the Manor Hotel, then check out and head to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. To appreciate Rwanda’s indomitable spirit and gain perspective on the past, you will want to visit this important museum and memorial. Although it is a horrifying story and may be difficult to view, we believe it provides valuable insight into the culture and the country and will answer the questions that most people have about what happened in the years leading up to and following the 1994 genocide. After the museum visit, we will have a traditional Rwandan lunch at Afrika Bite, a local restaurant, and then we will head out of Kigali to Nyungwe National Park. We’ll drive through the countryside giving you a chance to see the farming lifestyle of local people and then drive through the park to get to our night’s lodging and dinner in Gisakura at the Top Hill View Lodge. Keep your eyes open – you never know what you might spot along the way. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included. January 25 – NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK The day starts with breakfast at the hotel, then a short 45-minute drive to the Ishigishigi trailhead and the canopy walkway, where you’ll have a chance to get a different perspective on this massive montane rainforest that provides over 70% of Rwanda’s water supply. Keep a close eye on the treetops and you may spot Angolan colobus monkeys, or the brightly colored turaco. Listen and you may hear chimpanzees amid the many diverse bird songs. Over 200 bird species can be found in this park, with 26 endemics found nowhere else in the world. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at the Uwinka Visitor Center where you can interact with interpretive exhibits that introduce you to the unique features of Nyungwe National Park and a few representatives of the thirteen species of primates found here. After lunch we’ll return to the tea fields around Gisakura and search for some of the more easily seen primates in the adjacent forest (including colobus, mona, and blue monkeys, black-faced vervets, and gray-cheeked mangabeys) before returning to the Top Hill View Lodge for the night. This is a light hiking day to give you a chance to become acclimated to the elevations of 7,000 feet to 9,000 feet. B, L, D included. January 26 – NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK – CHIMPANZEE TREK Today we are headed to Cyamudongo, a part of the Nyungwe Forest that is home to a group of chimpanzees in the process of habituation. Although somewhat shy, the chimpanzees are becoming accustomed to daily visits by groups of humans, allowing excellent photographic opportunities of our closest genetic relatives in their natural habitat. There is no way to know exactly where the chimpanzees will be on any given day, but expert trackers will guide us to the easiest route for viewing. Moderate to somewhat challenging hiking is required for this activity, although guides and trackers are available to help those who need assistance at any time. After our chimpanzee encounter, we’ll return to Nyungwe Forest Lodge for an afternoon of relaxation and updating your journal before settling in here for the night. For those who haven’t had enough hiking, you might try a three-hour moderate hike deep into the tropical forest to enjoy a stunning waterfall, birds, and orchids along the way. For those who prefer to relax after the morning’s activity, this 5-star lodge offers indulgences that include a pool, a full spa with forest-based herbal treatments, and exceptional views from your room or the lounge into the adjacent forest with glimpses of vervet monkeys, sunbirds, and misty landscapes that will have your cameras busy. B, L, D included January 27 – KITABI/MUSANZE We say goodbye to Nyungwe National Forest as we exit the park after breakfast. On the way out of the park, we’ll visit the Kitabi Cultural Village where a local cooperative venture has created a replica of the former king’s palace and demonstrate traditional dances and customs in an effort to share their cultural history with visitors and young Rwandans who were born long after the country changed its governance and lifestyles. Light hiking is required for this activity. After our visit to the cultural village, we’ll head to Musanze, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park where we stay in the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge with direct views of the volcanoes. B, L, D included. January 28 – VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – GORILLA TREK This morning we’re in for a real treat – spending quality time with a group of mountain gorillas in the wild. There are no bars, no windows, nothing between you and the gorillas except the requirement that you do not approach within 21 feet. Gorillas, however, are not good at measuring distances and may come closer to you out of curiosity. These gentle giants have been well habituated and are not aggressive towards humans, preferring to go about their daily business while you quietly observe and take as many photos or videos as you wish. This indescribable experience is truly one of a kind, but we can guarantee you will not be unaffected in some way by this unique encounter. Each of the ten habituated gorilla families can be visited by only one group of eight travelers and only for one contact hour to ensure a quality experience for all. Moderate hiking is required for this activity. After our gorilla trek, we’ll have lunch en route to our third and last of Rwanda’s national parks, where we’ll check in for the evening at Rusizi Tent Camp, a permanent tent camp on the banks of Rwanda’s second largest lake overlooking shorelines frequented by a variety of wading birds and hippos. B, L, D included. January 29 – AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK You may be awakened early to the sounds of hippos grazing near your tent or vervet monkeys checking to see who’s moved in. The air is full of bird song, preparing you for a day of exploration in this mixed savannah and lakeshore environment. This park provides an extraordinary opportunity for birders to see such unusual species as the squacco heron or vulturine sea-eagle, and for non-birders to enjoy the astonishing variety of hoofed animals, from giraffes and black rhinos to the aquatic sittatunga antelope. We’ll take a picnic lunch to enjoy on our vehicle safari through the park and return in the late afternoon to Rusizi Tent Camp for sundowners (lakeside drinks) and dinner. Easy walking may be an option. Currently, there are no lions in the park, but that could change between now and our trip. B, L, D included.