Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park
“In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat, are great, old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest - the Virungas".
That description of the location, given by the primatologist Dian Fossey, explains what to look forward to when planning a visit to the Volcanoes National Park.
Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range - home of the rare mountain gorilla - and the rich mosaic of montane eco-systems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.
Accessibility
A fantastic bonus of Volcanoes National Park is that it lies only an easy 2 hour drive from Kigali, which allows for a very quick and easy gorilla trekking add-on to any African safari.
With regular flights to Kigali from Nairobi, it is excellent to combine a wildlife safari itinerary with an amazing gorilla trekking experience, while only needing to add on 3 to 4 nights to the trip.
Gorilla Trekking
While there may be some wildlife experiences to match it, there is surely no animal encounter in the world to beat gorilla trekking.
It is a truly emotional and enthralling experience, with the very idea of hacking through the jungles of central Africa being enough to tingle the toughest of nerves.
Spending time with our majestic cousins, while being dwarfed by the mighty silverbacks, is one of those hours which you wish could last a lifetime.
