Tips For A Great Visit

Where To Go - Although the mountain gorillas will be the highlight of your trip (or any trip for that matter), there are many more things to be experienced in Rwanda. Within Parc National des Volcanes itself there is the option to trek for the golden monkey, climb to the top of Bisoke Volcano, or if you are willing to camp overnight, climb to the top of Karisimbe Volcano, camp, and return the following day. There is also Nyungwe Forest, and incredible mountain rainforest with 13 different primates including chimpanzees which can be seen if you're willing to do some off trail trekking. Nyungwe is really amazing. There is a savannah park in the east called Akagera which has more of a traditional (though wetter) East African landscape. It may not compare to other East or South African parks in terms of sheer amount of wildlife, but it is completely empty and you have the park entirely to yourself. You will still see good wildlife and avoid the Disney like atmosphere that some of the other parks have now taken on. Anywhere you drive in Rwanda is scenic as it is all hilly, sometimes mountainous, and the quiltwork of farms is almost artisitic. People are friendly, and it is worth getting a better understanding of all the hardships the country has gone through. So, although Rwanda is typically a 4 day extension to an East African safari, I would highly recommend exploring the country further, for a minimum of 7 days.

When To Go - The driest season, and therefore the easiest to make the gorilla or other treks is between June and September. However, gorillas can be seen at any time of the year and there are some distinct advantages to the rainier seasons. Firstly, rainfall is typically in short intense bursts, so its unlikely to rain all day for days. Rainfall is usually followed up by sunshine, and best of all clear views of the 'thousand hills' and volcanoes. In the dry season, it is very hazy and therefore you can't get a true sense of hills and volcanoes that surround you. Also, it is easier to see the chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest in the wet season, as the trees have more fruit, and they tend to stay in the same tree longer rather than swtiching about driving you crazy as you try and follow them. If I were to do it again, I would definitely go at the beginning or end of the rainy season, as I felt a bit cheated by not being able to see the incredible vistas and landscape that I knew was around. I think I would be ok dealing with the fact that hiking would definitely become harder. By the way, temperatures tend to remain consistent throughout the year - very comfortable during the day and cool to cold at night.

How To Get Around - A 4WD vehicle with driver is your best, though most expensive bet (expect from $125 to $200 a day). This gives you flexibility of travel, the fastest mode of transportation, and a driver/guide who can tell you about the country and talk about his experiences. You can get around using the minibuses that travel the country as long as you don't have much luggage and are ok sitting with 14 people in a 9 seater vehicle. However, once you are at your destination, whether it be Parc National des Volcanes, Nyungwe, or Akagera, you will need some mode of transport. You'll either need to hire something locally (not possible in Nyungwe) or bum rides off of other people, as the starting point for the hikes are not from the park headquarters. For the gorillas, you meet in a central location in Kinigi, and from there, take your vehicle to the starting point for your gorilla trek, from 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours away on very rough roads. In Ruhengeri there are people who you can hire for the day to take you back and forth. I explain more in the Budget section below. 90% of people I met had their own vehicle and driver/guide. Driving yourself is safe and easy, though you don't save much by doing it and the driver/guide can be very helpful, so I don't really see the reason.

What is Gorilla Trekking Like - I'll save the superlatives of the experience and talk through the practicalities. Here's how it goes down. You get to the ORTPN headquarters in Kinigi about 6:45 to 7:00 and sign in, present your permits, etc. After everyone has arrived, they will start separating you into 7 different groups, one for each of the different gorilla groups that can be visited. Those that are hiking to Bisoke or going Golden Monkey Trekking are also separated as well. If there is a particular group or guide that you want, you should get there early and put your preference in (or better yet have your guide do it for you). I found that if they could accomodate you they had no reason not to, but there are no guarantees. Please don't demand anything - they really do their best to accomodate preferences. Most people don't know enough to have any. I think their first priority is ensuring that the most unfit or old looking people get the closest groups. Once you are in your group (maximum of 8), your guide for the day will give you a briefing on the day, tell you about the group you are going to visit and tell you some guidelines. You then head to your vehicles and drive from 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to the parking point for your trek. At this point, there are porters for hire if you want someone to carry your stuff (about $10). The porters come with you up the mountain, and then stay with your stuff while you watch the gorillas. If you have a lot of camera equipment or think you might have trouble negotiating the hills, its worth it to be free of burden on the hike. About the first 1/2 hour to 1 hour of your hike will be through the local farms as you approach the park boundary. Your guide may or may not have told you at this point how far the gorillas are - sometimes they know, sometimes they don't know yet, and sometimes they just mess around with you and tell you they are really far even though they are not. Trackers were with the gorillas the previous day until they made their nests, and headed out really early on this day to locate them and radio their location to your guide. Oh by the way, with you will be one tracker with a machete to cut through the jungle if necessary and two armed guards in case you encounter elephants, wild buffalo, or poachers (all very unlikely). Once you get to the forest, you could be walking for anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 additional hours to find the gorillas - sometimes on a path, but often not. It will get steeper the deeper you get and the forest vegetation will change. It will get muddy and you may need to use your hands to help yourself get up the mountain. Once you are within 5 minutes of the gorillas or so, your guide will give you a briefing of how to behave, you'll leave all your bags, water, in one place, and you will approach the gorillas with nothing more than your cameras. You get about 1 hour with them. It is the fastest hour you will ever experience. If only the hour at the dentist could go that fast. You may see them all in one place, they may be spread out, they may be moving or you may just stay in one area. They may be in trees, they may be sleeping, playing, and undoubtedly eating. You are told that you will remain a distance of 7 meters away, but that is a guideline, and almost assuredly there will be situations where you are much much closer, either because the gorillas approached closer or because there isn't room to be further. It is not uncommon for baby gorillas to get very curious and come very close even touch, though by no means should you ever touch the gorilla. After your hour is up, you gather back your things, and head back to the car and back to your hotel, generally with an afternoon free to spend as you wish.

What type of Shape Should You Be In - Physical activity is necessary in order to see the gorillas. It is interesting to see how many people actually come unprepared enough to believe that they can see them with a short 10 minute walk. Usually, the further they are, the harder the walk becomes, because the mountains get steeper as you go up. The hike is physically demanding enough that it will be more enjoyable if you are reasonably fit, but is not so demanding that it requires real 'training' in order to do it. You should be able to walk up a gradual hill for anywhere from one to four hours, and have knees that can handle the same amount of time downhill. You should also be ok using your hands to scramble up steep tricky parts and have no issues with getting really muddy. There are a number of things in your favor on the hike; It is not a race - the gorillas will be there when you get there, so you can easily take your time and the guides will not push you to go faster. It is not hot and other than the first 1/2 hour to 45 minutes where you walk through the farms, you will be covered by the forest and out of the sun. Finally, there are porters available to carry your backpack or water if you want, thereby lessening the load you need to take up. So, to sum up, you don't need to be an athlete to do this, but be prepared to work your legs and your lungs and be tired at the end of it. There is no easy way to see the gorillas.

Which group should You Visit? - There are 7 groups of varying sizes and proximities within the park. They are all good groups and there is no group which is better or worse than the other in terms of the experience you will get. It is just a matter of what they happen to be doing that day and exactly where you find them. Some people get excited to go to Susa group because its the largest. Largest has the advantage that there are the most gorillas, but a small group gives a better chance of them all being in one place rather than spread out. You are better off not worrying at all about what group you see. If you are going to make requests, base it on expected duration of hike (though nothing is guaranteed), and if you can, do at least one trek with Francois, who is an outstanding guide. He is getting old now and is only assigned to groups which are closer, but he really makes the experience special.

What is there to do after gorilla trekking? - A trek to see the gorillas may have you back at your lodge anytime between 10AM and 5PM depending on how far you had to trek. If you're staying at Kinigi Guest House or Gorilla's Nest, I found that the setting was quite remarkable (especially at Kinigi) and its easy to pass time just walking around and through the farms. You're likely to get a large gathering of kids following you and asking innocent questions, but that is entertaining in itself, and with some of the older kids you can get into some good conversations about the country and the village. You can also talk to your driver/guide about taking you to a more remote village to get a sense of life in Rwanda. One thing you absolutely must do on one of your afternoons is make the drive up to Virunga Lodge. The views on the way and from the top are stunning as you can see all the lakes in the region, endless hills and farmland, and sometimes all five of the volcanoes, with Muhabura right in your face. Sunset is fantastic up here and its a good place to have a drink watching it. The lodge is very hospitible to non guests and coming here is a must.

Where to stay? - You can stay in the town of Ruhengiri, in Kinigi village itself, or at Virunga Lodge about 45 to 60 minutes from the park headquarters. The main places right now (more are in the works) are Muhabura Lodge (Ruhengiri), Gorilla's Nest (Kinigi), Kinigi Guesthouse (Kinigi) and Virunga Lodge. Muhabura Lodge is fine and reasonably priced, but it is in Ruhengiri, which is 20 minutes drive from the park headquarters, and does not offer the views and solitude of staying in Kinigi. I'd only recommend it if you are "winging" your trip, as it is a good base for getting transportation either to Kigali or to the park without having to have pre-booked a vehicle. Kinigi Guesthouse has the best location and is the least expensive. It is run by widows of the genocide and is a very simple place in lovely gardens. The rooms are very simple and the hot water is spotty. This is where I stayed and I thought it was fine - the company in the evenings was good too. Kinigi Guesthouse is about $60/night. Gorilla's Nest is a little further off and is on pretty expansive grounds. Its definitely more upscale, with a nicer restaurant and bar and more of a resort feel. That being said, the rooms are not that much better really, though they have better water pressure and hot water reliability. The cost is substantially more expensive, anywhere from $180-$350/night. Virunga Lodge is beautiful and class all the way. It's location is incredible for the views, but lousy in terms of park accessibility - its a 45 minute to 1 hour drive away, so you need to leave at 5:30-5:45 AM for your trek, while at Kinigi Guesthouse you can literally walk to the park headquarters in 5 minutes. Also, it's $600/night or so, and therefore, in my opinion, not worth it. It's a great place to visit, and its really well done, but its not a $600/night place. If you were going to stay there, I might do it as a last night when the next day was just a return to Kigali or elsewhere in Rwanda.

How to go on a budget? - Rwanda is generally an expensive country to travel in, and especially so if you are going to see the gorillas. The main factor in the cost is the transportation, which can run from $100-$200 a day for the vehicle and driver and therefore quickly adds up over just a short period of time. If you're just going for the gorillas, here's the cheapest way I can see doing it. Upon arrival in Kigali, take a minibus from Kigali bus station to Ruhengiri - you'll be crammed in and won't have much place for luggage, but you can go for around $10 or so. In Ruhengiri, either stay at the Muhabura Lodge for around $60/night, or arrange transport to the Kinigi Guesthouse to stay at the same rate. However, keep in mind that in order to get from the park headquarters to any of the starting points for the trek, you need transportation. Its possible to bum a ride with others who have vehicles, but many guides/drivers don't like to do this and you are taking a slight risk. Assuming you decide not to bum a ride, you'll need to arrange for daily transport from your hotel to the park headquarters, then to the starting point for your trek, and then back to your lodge. All transport will start in Rugengiri, so where you are staying won't impact the cost too much. It's easiest to arrange transport from Muhabura Lodge - you can ask for Greg or Francis - both are good guys, and will charge you about $75/day for the local transport. Your gorilla permit will cost $500. Tips for your guides/trackers will cost you around $10. Then, you can catch a minibus back to Kigali for your return flight. Assuming 3 nights near Parc National Volcans, and a departure on the 4th day, and assuming 2 people sharing the car and room, this means a total of around $2305, or $1150 per person for 3 nights, and 2 gorilla treks in Rwanda. If you don't want to do the minibus, you can get a vehicle as I indicated for around $100-$200 per day, or you can arrange separate private transportation from Kigali to Ruhengiri for around $150 one way, and still do the $75 per day option with Francis or Greg. Nyungwe is much harder to do if you don't have your own transport - you almost assuredly have to bum rides off of others to get to the starting points for many of the treks.

Should you use an operator? - If you don't have much time, I recommend it. Everything will be taken care of, including your permits, and you can just enjoy the trip. The cost doesn't end up being significantly higher provided you use a local company like Access Rwanda or Amohoro Tours, and you are saved a lot of hassle. I used Access Rwanda Tours and was very happy with them. They were also the most reasonably priced and were very open about how they came up with my trip cost. Ossy, the proprietor, was very good about emailing promptly and that puts your mind at rest. If you have more time and more leeway for things not going on schedule, its quite possible to do Rwanda on your own. Driving yourself is not even out of the question.

One last tip that doesn't fall into any category - I wouldn't plan your gorilla trek for the day after your arrival in Kigali. I met two couples that because of problems flights and connections, didn't make it on the day that they had anticipated, and therefore lost out on a day of gorilla trekking. The punishment is too severe to take the risk, and connecting flights in Africa are not the most reliable, so my recommendation is to arrive in Kigali, leave a buffer day, and then do the gorilla trek on day 3. On day 2 you can plan to visit the golden monkeys, hike Bisoke Mountain, visit Dianne Fossey's grave, or take a 1/2 day tour around Kigali.