Primates & Lake Kivu: Active Rwanda Adventure

Today you journey north from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, through the glorious scenery of the Land of a Thousand Hills. The scenic drive winds past endless terraced slopes, banana groves and neat villages, climbing towards the misty Virunga volcanoes that form Rwanda's northern border. On arrival near Musanze, you settle into your comfortable lodge at the forest edge, with the volcanoes rising dramatically above the emerald farmland. In the afternoon you might take an acclimatising walk through the foothills or a nearby community, visit a coffee cooperative, or explore the excellent interpretation centre, learning about the gorillas, the Karisoke legacy of Dian Fossey, and the conservation work that protects these mountains. The cool, fresh mountain air is invigorating and helps you acclimatise. As the day ends, you dine at your lodge, filled with anticipation. Rest well tonight, for tomorrow brings a strenuous, unforgettable trek to the mountain gorillas.

Today brings the thrilling heart of your adventure: tracking wild mountain gorillas on foot. After an early breakfast and a briefing at park headquarters, you set out with expert rangers and trackers into Volcanoes National Park, climbing through bamboo, nettles and dripping montane forest on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. The trek can be genuinely strenuous, part of the adventure, and a porter is a worthwhile hire. When you reach the group, your permitted hour begins: a mighty silverback at rest, mothers cradling infants, youngsters tumbling and playing just metres away. To sit quietly among these gentle giants in the wild, having climbed to reach them, is one of the most profound experiences on earth. As the day ends, you return to your lodge, exhilarated and elated. This evening, celebrate a hard-earned, unforgettable day among the volcanoes.

This morning you enjoy an energetic trek to find the rare and playful golden monkeys, endemic to the Virungas, leaping through the bamboo in flashes of amber fur; keen, fit adventurers may instead choose the demanding, moving hike to Dian Fossey's Karisoke research site and grave. After your mountain adventure you drive down to Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Lakes, through more beautiful terraced scenery, arriving at a lakeside town such as Gisenyi or Kibuye. You settle into your lakeshore lodge as the sun sinks over the water and fishermen paddle home singing, trading the cool mountains for the warm, easygoing lake. As the day ends, you dine by the water, savouring fresh lake tilapia. Rest well tonight, for tomorrow you get active on beautiful Lake Kivu, kayaking, cycling and swimming in its warm, safe waters.

Today is an exhilarating active day on beautiful Lake Kivu. You paddle a kayak along the shoreline and out among the lake's little islands, gliding past fishermen in their graceful three-hulled boats and swimming from quiet coves in the warm, bilharzia-free water. Later you cycle or hike a scenic section of the famous Congo Nile Trail, which runs along the beautiful eastern shore, riding past terraced hillsides, banana groves, coffee plantations and welcoming villages, with the shimmering lake always beside you and the volcanoes on the horizon. You might stop at a coffee estate to taste Rwanda's celebrated beans at source. As the day ends, you watch a glorious sunset over the water, tired and happy. This evening, savour a well-earned lakeside dinner. Rest well amid the beauty and adventure of Lake Kivu, ready to return to Kigali tomorrow.

After a final active morning by Lake Kivu, perhaps a last kayak or swim, you begin the scenic drive back to Kigali through the Land of a Thousand Hills, winding past terraced ridges, misty valleys and busy roadside markets, a final immersion in Rwanda's glorious green scenery. On arrival in the capital you have time to explore a little more, revisiting the craft markets for souvenirs, gifts and Rwandan coffee, or relaxing at your hotel; you might also visit the moving Kigali Genocide Memorial if you have not already done so. This evening you might enjoy a final dinner in one of Kigali's excellent restaurants, reflecting on the primates, hiking, paddling and cycling you have experienced. As the day ends, you gather your impressions of this beautiful, active country. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories of adventurous Rwanda.

After a final morning in clean, calm Kigali, perhaps a last coffee or some souvenir shopping in a craft cooperative, you are transferred to Kigali International Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having earned every reward of this active adventure: a hard-won morning among wild mountain gorillas in the Virunga volcanoes, the playful golden monkeys, and exhilarating days kayaking, cycling and hiking on beautiful Lake Kivu and the Congo Nile Trail, all amid the emerald scenery of the Land of a Thousand Hills. The images stay vivid long after you land: the calm eyes of a silverback reached on foot, the paddle strokes on the shining lake, and the ridges of the Congo Nile Trail. Rwanda offers wildlife, adventure, beauty and warmth in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to hike, paddle and track once more.