Gorilla safari holidays and Nyiragongo Mountain Climbing is a fun filled adventure safari that combines two of the most unique offers of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park. Mountain gorilla trekking and Nyiragongo Volcano Hike are magical and historical encounters that are a dream of every adventurous world traveler. This safari starts from and end in Kigali for the moment and still the Uganda government and Democratic Republic of Congo are in process of grading the Bunagana border route such that also travelers after experiencing gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can access these experience too at easy connect from Kisoro to Virunga National Park.
After breakfast at your place of stay in Kigali Rwanda, you team up with the driver guide to embark on the transfer to Gisenyi – the largest of all Lake Kivu towns. The place offers beautiful beach environment suitable for relaxation while the expanse lake presents good opportunity for boat cruise. The cruise offers magnificent sights of endless water views, series of Islands and the overlooking Nyiragongo Volcano. Settle for lunch and relax for the day and then overnight in this town of Rwanda. Thereafter tomorrow early in the morning after breakfast transfer to the custom of Rwanda and Congo and clear your exit Rwanda side and get your entry to the Congo side, and after embark your waiting Virunga Jeep and transfer you to the Mikeno Lodge for your lunch and then experience the conservation work that is done at the Senkwenkwe gorilla orphanage center as you wait for your dinner and overnight stay at the Mikeno Lodge.
Early in the morning on the following day with your trekking pack list like hiking shores, rain gears, hut, sun screen, insect repellent, camera and water proof among others transfer to the Bukima point where the gorilla trekking experience begin from, briefing and after with your park rangers enter into the jungle to experience the mountain gorilla trekking experience, you are allowed to stay with them for 1 hour taking photos, videos and after trek back to the start point for your certificates and there after drive back to the lodge and as you stay at the lodge you will experience songs from the chimpanzees in the Tongo forest that is nearly to the lodge.
The Virunga National Park is not only a mountain gorilla haven but also features other great ape species namely; Chimpanzees. The Park is also home to other wild game including the unique Okapi, elephants among others. The gorilla trekking commences in the morning at Bukima ranger post and involves traversing the forested jungle of the park in the company of the ranger guides. The moment with the mountain gorillas is limited to one hour with opportunities for amazing photo shoots and extensive learning about these critically endangered species.
Have breakfast from Mikeno Lodge and with your Mikeno packages transfer to the Kibati point to undertake the hike to the Nyiragongo Volcano. The morning is set to embark on the day long adventure hike to the one of the few remaining active and violent volcanoes on African continent featuring the most fluid and expanse lava lake on global scale. Standing to the east of Democratic Republic of Congo 19km from the town of Goma, Nyiragongo Volcano is noted to the world’s most active Volcano and it has on two subsequent times in 1997 and the year 2002, released a high speed lava liquid from the Volcanic cracks destroying half of Goma town killing a count of people along with their property. The hike is very rewarding lasting 8 – 9 hours depending on the speed of the participants of the day hike and commence at 1989m elevation ascending to 3470m in a short period. The overnight is spent at the crater rim and the best views of the lava lake occur at night. Mountain camps
Descend from Nyiragongo and transfer back to the Goma border from where you meet again the company driver/guide and connect back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight in Kigali or transfer to Kigali international airport for return flight back home or to the next tourism destination.
