17 Days Rwanda Congo safari is a 16nights/17 day Rwanda Congo tourCross-border Adventure starting in Rwanda’s capital Kigali and ends in Congo’s capital Kinshasha. The safari is an exciting journey to the authentic wilderness and historical sites generating lasting Africa Safari memories. The sites to explore include; Gisozi genocide site in Kigali, Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, Lwiro Center, Lake Kivu Idwiji Island, Nyiragongo Volcano, and Virunga Mountain Gorillas, Bambuti pygmies and Okapi animal in the Ituri forest, Kinshasha and Kisangani presenting ground for exploring the Zongo Falls, Lola ya Bonobos along with Kisantu Botanical Gardens.
Day 1: Arrive at Kigali International Airport Rwanda & visit the Gisozi genocide memorial if time allows
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe National Park. Tour the Royal Palace at Nyanza & Rwanda National Museum in Butare en route
Day 3: Undertake Chimpanzee trekking in the morning & afternoon Canopy walk
Day 4: Drive to Kahuzi Biega National Park crossing at Cyangungu border post. Upon arrival, you visit Chibati Falls and the Lwiro Scientific Research Station to view chimpanzee viewing
Day 5: Undertake Eastern Lowland Gorilla trekking & embark on a boat transfer to Idjwi Island. Explore the Island community, the Plantations of Pineapple and Quinquinas along with King’s Museum
Day 6: Transfer by Motorbike to the harbor and connect by boat to Goma – North Kivu Province. Afternoon Sightseeing in the Virunga volcanoes including the famous Nyiragongo Mountain – with the world’s largest lava lake
Day 7: Transfer by flight to Beni from Goma. Scenic drive around Beni
Day 8: Drive to Ituri forest close to Epulu via Komanda and Mamba
Day 9: Ituri forest walks, walking wildlife viewing, evening & overnight with Pygmies Community.
Day 10: More time with the Pygmies and connect back to Epulu.
Day 11: Drive to Kisangani through Nia Nia and Bafwasende.
Day 12: Tour Kisangani – the Wagenia Fishery, Pirogue & Tchopo Rover, and Chiefs.
Day 13: Flight transfer to Kinshasha.
Day 14: Day trip to the Zongo / Congo falls for an amazing sightseeing experience.
Day 15: Tour the Botanical Gardens in Kisantu exploring the Congo endemic Flora species.
Day 16: Tour the Lola ya Bonobos Reserve and the Lukaya Waterfalls.
Day 17: Take a flight back home from Kinshasha.
You land at Rwanda’s main gateway – the famous Kigali International Airport Kanombe where you will meet our representative for a courteous welcome after which you connect to the hotel for check-in and freshening up. In the afternoon, you embark on the tour to the Kigali genocide memorial at Gisozi learning about the tragic ethnic conflict that befell the destination Rwanda in 1994 leaving over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead. The Museum features a range of human remains, historical writings, and audio presentations detailing the account of the genocide event. Take a drive through Kigali city before connecting to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.
Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Hotel des Milles Collines, Midrange / Standard: Hotel Chez Lando, Budget / Basic: Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel
Following breakfast at your hotel in Kigali, you set off on the drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the South West of Rwanda. You make an en-route stop at the Royal Palace at Nyanza – the seat for the last Monarchical Kings of Rwanda namely; King Musinga and King Rudahigwa housing a royal hut with a very impressive traditional Rwandan architecture. The Intore dance troupe & the Inyambo cows that can make an exciting parade are also available for exploration at the site. From the encounter, you proceed on the drive to Butare for lunch and a visit to the National Museum of Rwanda with over 100,000 artifacts making it the largest in Rwanda. From here, you proceed to Nyungwe for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Nyugwe Forest Lodge, Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Lodge, Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
You depart the lodge at 5 am connecting to Kyamudongo Forest for a Chimpanzee trekking experience. Briefing commences at 8 am by the Rwanda Development Board staff after which you head to the forest in search of the Common Chimpanzees. Nyungwe Forest is a pre-historic forest that is known to have survived the last ice age and thus endowed with great biodiversity including 13 species of Primates, 1068 species of Plants, 275 Species of birds, 85 Mammal Species, 38 Reptile Species, and 32 Amphibian Species. You walk through the verdant forest and the entire chimp trek can last 2 – 5 hours inclusive of one-hour direct viewing. Settle for lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, you embark on the famous Nyungwe canopy walk starting at Uwinka visitor center. The 2-hour canopy walk offers lush views of the forest, forested hills, and gorges along with birds, butterflies, and primates which dwell in the high layers of the tree canopy. Spend the evening at leisure at the lodge.
Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Midrange / Standard: Nyugwe Hill Top View Hotel, Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Following breakfast, you drive to the Democratic Republic of Congo passing through the border post at Cyangungu connecting to Kahuzi Biega National Park in the South Kivu Province. Lunch in Bukavu – the largest town in the area and in the afternoon, you embark on the tour on foot to Tshibati falls for sightseeing before proceeding to Lwiro Sanctuary to spend time with the Orphaned Chimpanzees.
Accommodation: Luxury / Midrange: Orchid Safari Lodge, Budget: Hotel Horizon
Embark on the Eastern lowland Gorilla Trekking encounter in one of the world’s re-known lowland gorilla sanctuaries – Kahuzi Biega National Park. You traverse the dense equatorial jungle of Congo which is only second to Amazon on a world scale in search of the Great Ape subspecies. The Eastern Lowland Gorillas are considerably larger in size by appearance and thrive in larger groups compared to the Mountain Gorillas. The trek to the Eastern Lowland Gorillas normally lasts 2 – 4 hours with one hour of direct viewing. You retreat from the activity and connect by boat on Lake Kivu to Idwiji Island. On the Island, you take a walk to explore the Island Community, the Plantations of Pineapple and Quinquinas along with King’s Museum.
Accommodation: Congoman Hotel
Connect to the harbor on a Motorbike from where you will get on the boat to the mainland. You reach Goma in the North Kivu Province and spend the rest of the day doing sightseeing of the Virunga Volcanoes including the famous Nyiragongo Volcano that features the largest and the most violent lava lake in the world. Virunga National Park shelters the critically endangered Mountain Gorillas and you can as well spend an extra day to track them if interested.
Accommodation: Luxury / Upmarket: Mikeno Lodge, Midrange / Standard: Bukima Tented Camp, Budget / Basic: Hotel Cape Kivu
Transfer by flight to Beni from Goma. Beni is among the big towns in the Democratic Republic of Congo and upon arrival, you undertake a scenic drive through the town exploring the town landscape. You can as well tour the Christian Bilingual University of Congo.
Accommodation: Vyahe Hotel
Connect on the drive to the dense Ituri forest jungle passing through Komanda and Mamba. Upon arrival, you spend the rest of the day at leisure amidst the soothing air from the virgin Congo Natural Forest.
Accommodation: Okapi Reserve Lodge
The Ituri forest stretches to 63,000km2 where 1/5 of it is under the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The splendid Ituri River traverses the Ituri forest presenting good sights along the walk which the forest jungle features very lush flora that is exciting to explore. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is home to a range of 5000 Okapi animals known to be thriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo on a world scale. The Reserve also features Elephants, Crocodiles, Chimpanzees, and Leopards not to forget the 300 species of birds. You enjoy the likely views of the above listed as you make your way to the Mbuti pygmies.
Accommodation: Pygmies Tents
You spend the morning at Mbuti Pygmies one of the few remaining groups of short people in the world who are still living a forest dweller culture practicing food gathering and hunting. The Mbuti are noted to be among the indigenous tribes of the Congo basin and their numbers stand at 30,000 – 40,000 people. Learn more about their traditions, way of life, and cultural customs before connecting back to Epulu.
Accommodation: Okapi Reserve Lodge
Connect on the drive to Kisangani one of the main areas in the destination Congo. You drive through impressive places like Bafswande and Nia Nia along with the dense Congo jungle before approaching Kisangani for relaxation and overnight.
Accommodation: Ramela Hotel
You spend the full day enjoying the amazing offers of Kisangani which stand as the capital of Orientale Province and the third-largest city in Congo. The sites to explore include; Wagenia Fishery along with Islands tours to explore the Tchopo River and the waterfall.
Accommodation: Ramela Hotel
Embark on the flight transfer from Kisangani to Kinshasha – the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo enjoying the Aerial views of the countryside include the dense Congo Jungle noted to be the second to Amazon on a world scale. Retire for relaxation and overnight.
Accommodation: Luxury / Upmarket: Kempinski Hotel Pleuve Congo, Midrange / Standard: Hotel Memling, Budget / Basic: Guesthouse Residence
You embark on the exploration of Zongo Falls that rises to 65m in height standing as beautiful water mass-producing the intense sound with a range of plenty of water that equally sustains the notion of endless rain. The guiding and interpretation of the site are conducted by the locals at Matanda giving a long-held knowledge and the traditions that surround the site. The site presents remarkable picturesque opportunities.
Accommodation: Seli Safari Lodge
This is dedicated to Kisantu Botanical Garden exploration which is located 120km to the South of Kinshasa in the Bas- Congo Province. Covering 225ha, the maiden garden is marked by 12.5km of trails and pathways which allows the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Established by Jesuit Justin Gillet in 1990, the Botanical Gardens served their purpose until 2004 when they were further upgraded with help from the Belgium National Botanical Garden and the European Union. The Kisantu Botanical Gardens are noted to be among the main ex-situ conservation sites in Central Africa marked by over 3,000 indigenous and non-indigenous plants. The Orchid shade house and Cactus greenhouse are among the components of the garden.
Accommodation: Luxury / Upmarket: Kempinski Hotel Pleuve Congo, Midrange / Standard: Hotel Memling, Budget / Basic: Guesthouse Residence
This is dedicated to the visit to the Loya ya Bonobos – the only home to Orphaned Bonobos. The Bonobos listed among the Great Apes live only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are regarded as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. With the current population estimated at 50,000 – 75,000, these species are feared to be extinct in 75 years period. The visit to Loya Ya Bonobos is an amazing journey to spend time with the rescued Bonobos which are later re-introduced in the wild. Explore the Lukaya falls as you head back to Kinshasa for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation: Luxury / Upmarket: Kempinski Hotel Pleuve Congo, Midrange / Standard: Hotel Memling, Budget / Basic: Guesthouse Residence
Depending on your flight, connect to the Airport for the flight departure back home.
Airport transfers Transportation by safari van Accommodation and meals as per itinerary Gorilla permits, one per person to be paid in advance Driver allowances En-route lunches Visit the equator and igongo cultural Centre.
personal nature expenses of excludes: laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, Air fare, Visa, drinks, personal insurance, personal shopping bills and cigarettes.
Cate
Samuel
Robert
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