Ultimate Rwanda
Rwanda
5 days from $7,995 per person
* Prices are in US dollars, based on double occupancy.
Ultimate Rwanda
Follow in the footsteps of late activist Dian Fossey and observe the “Gorillas in the Mist” on this extraordinary journey into Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains and Parc National des Volcans.
Highlights
Explore the rich green rainforests, alive with colorful birds, chattering golden monkeys and its most important residents, the endangered mountain gorilla.
Discover the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ and be enchanted by the welcoming Rwandan people and their gracious hospitality.
Experience that magical hour when you observe the magnificent mountain gorillas as they interact and forage in the forest.
Enjoy the spectacular views of the brooding Bisoke and Karisimbi Volcanoes from your luxury forest villa.
Accommodations
1. Kigali Serena Hotel
Rwanda, Kigali
Kigali Serena Hotel is ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards. It is built around a polished granite atrium, showcasing the very best of Rwandese cultural art. The en-suite hotel rooms are decorated in pan-African style, features. Amenities include hairdryer, mini-bar, safe, tea and coffee-making facilities, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, direct dial phone, and satellite TV. The lounge and bar open onto a wide sundeck overlooking the swimming pool. The popular Milima Restaurant offers a wide range of all-day buffet choices, while the relaxed Sokoni Café offers inside and outside poolside seating. The hotel also features The Maisha Health Club, a business center, and a gift shop.
2. Bisate Lodge
Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park
Bisate Lodge lies in the natural amphitheater of an eroded volcanic cone. The word bisate means ‘pieces’ in Kinyarwanda, describing how the cone was once whole but worn away by natural erosion. The area has dramatic views of the volcano peaks of Bisoke and Karisimbi, rearing up through the Afro-alpine forests. The lodge’s spherical thatched structures echo the thousands of hills that dot the Rwandan, landscape, while the richly detailed interior exhibits surfaces and screens made from a variety of woven materials with strong resonance in Rwandan culture. Each of the six forest villas consists of a generous, yet intimate combination of bedroom, reception space and bathroom, featuring an indoor shower, bathtub and double vanity with separate toilet. All warmed by a central fireplace with breath taking views out across a private deck. Complimentary wireless internet connection is available in the villas only. Bisate is within easy driving distance of the Park Headquarters, from where gorilla treks depart daily.
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrive Kigali, Rwanda
You are welcomed on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your first night in Rwanda, the "land of a thousand hills."
Kigali Serena Hotel
Day 2. Kigali / Parc National des Volcans
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a moving testimony to this country’s past, courageously overcome. After lunch, travel through the beautiful terraced hillsides, gradually ascending into the Virunga Mountains. Settle into your luxury eco lodge and let the sights and sounds of the rainforest envelop you. (BLD)
Bisate Lodge
Day 3. Parc National des Volcans
Your exhilarating trek for the rare and critically endangered Mountain Gorillas, starts in the cultivated foothills of the Virungas. Weaving through overhanging vines, your experienced trackers, will guide you through the forest. While you may be lucky and catch up with the gorillas by mid-morning, sometimes tracking them down can take a full day, especially when it is wet. For one magical hour, observe a gorilla family as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting and raising their young. Coming face to face with a giant silverback is truly one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth! (BLD)
Bisate Lodge
Day 4. Parc National des Volcans
Today you have several options to spend your day. Enjoy another gorilla tracking experience (pre-purchase of the gorilla permit is required at the time of booking). Guests at Bisate are also invited to participate in the lodge’s conservation efforts and spend an afternoon with the team at the reforestation nursery. Additional activities include guided community walks, nature and birding walks, coffee and tea tastings, guided hikes in Volcanoes National Park or treks to see the endemic golden monkey, as well as hikes to see Dian Fossey’s grave. (BLD)
Bisate Lodge
Day 5. Parc National des Volcans / Depart
Travel back to Kigali. Enjoy lunch, and then transfer to the airport for your onward arrangements. (BL)
Pricing
Land Arrangements (Price per person)
**Surcharges Apply .
Air Arrangements (Internal Airfare)
No internal air is required for this itinerary.
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