3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda, Primates Tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour
3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda for primates’ tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour encompasses a tour to Akagera National Park with the focal interest on the Big Five animals of the wilderness and to Nyungwe Rainforest Park for a Chimpanzee Trekking adventure.
Akagera National Park is a home of numerous wild mammals not forgetting the Big Five animals of the jungle, a variety of bird species that keep the jungle filled with amazing sounds of their whistles. Furthermore, a tour to Nyungwe Rainforest Park for Chimpanzee trekking will spice up the experience of getting to know more about the wild Chimpanzees.
There is a transition of environment right from Savannah vegetation experienced in the Akagera National Park to mountain rainforest of Nyungwe Rainforest Park, the only African rainforest that harbors multiple chimpanzee species and Columbus monkeys among others. This park also has a unique high suspension bridge which is a canopy walkway overseeing a number of valleys in the forest!
Highlights of 3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda for primates’ tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour
- Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Chimpanzee Trekking Tour
Activities involved in the 3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda for primates’ tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour
- Game drive
- Boat cruise
- Nature walks
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Community walks
3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda
Details of 3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda for primates’ tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After early morning breakfast from the hotel or your preferred place of residence, you will meet with our professional and well-trained driver who also serves as the Rwanda tour guide for a short briefing on how the day’s activities will be conducted and what is expected of you one of the core fulfillment being having packed lunch before setting off for the adventure!
Once on the set, a drive through the park from the South to the North of the park with brief stopovers to get a clear shot and view of animals you come across in the park. This park is typically characterized by woodlands, swamps and low-lying mountains, and savannah vegetation as your transverse through the park!
This unique terrain composition harbors numerous wildlife including zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos with multiple bird species including the rare shoebill stork. The southern part of the park is endowed with Lake Ihema which makes it the habitat for hippos and crocodiles.
This being a full day drive, you will have numerous stopovers to relax and also have time to for the lunch you packed prior to leaving for the adventure and return to the lodge for dinner and as you prepare for the following day.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Akagera game lodge
- Yambi guesthouse
- The retreat
- Volcano view
- Ruzizi tented lodge
- Karenge Bushcamp
- Meal plan: Lunch and dinner
Day 2 of the 3 Days Akagera big five and Nyungwe rainforest Tour: Boat Cruise and transfer to Nyungwe Rainforest Park.
The park being in the Southern province of Rwanda, Butare; an early morning preparation is desired as this day will involve a drive to Lake Ihema for a Boat Cruise and then a drive to Kigali, Nyungwe!
This journey is carefully planned so as to allow you to have vast exposure to Rwanda’s history and any other information that might interest you! As you drive to Kigali, you will branch off to Nyanza King’s Palace; the ultimate destination for an extraordinary experience with the ancient Rwandan norms and practices!
We shall then have lunch and then en route to Butare town which is a historical town with an amazing history. What you will learn here will leave you even more interested in knowing more of what has been said and appreciating the relevance of history in any community!
After this encounter, we shall proceed to the Nyungwe rainforest in the afternoon for various interesting activities like crossing the high suspension bridge as you enjoy the magnificent scenery projection at the lower valleys of the park!
You will then return to your lodge and freshen up as you embark on the community walk around the surrounding communities like Gisakura village and get to know about their cultural practices among others. You will then return to your lodge for dinner and the night stay!
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Nyungwe forest lodge
- One and only Nyungwe house
- Nyungwe Nziza ecolodge
- Kitabi eco-center
- Meal plan: full board
Day 3 of the 3 Days Akagera big five and Nyungwe rainforest Tour: Boat Cruise and transfer to Nyungwe Rainforest Park.
After the morning breakfast, you will meet our driver who will brief you on the day’s activities before driving you off. This is yet another important day of the trip as it will have you imagining what you will encounter throughout the day not skipping the temptation of comparing with the previous 2 days of your trip!
While on the set, you will be driven to the rainforest for Chimpanzee trekking which will last up to 3 hours learning about their patterns and behavior in their terrestrial territories. The tour guide will share with you as much information as possible about the chimpanzees and will leave no question unattended!
You will then return to the hotel after this amazing escapade with the chimpanzee and have some time to freshen up and relax as your lunch is underway. After lunch, you will check out and drive through Lake Kivu for a boat ride and take memorial pictures and then proceed to Kigali, Rwanda’s Capital to your residential facility as you wait for the departure flight!
Background Information on the 3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda for primates’ tour Rwanda, &Chimpanzee Tour
Akagera National Park is located in the Eastern Province of Rwanda and overlooks the Savannah plains of Tanzania, a renowned East African country! This park is the only protected Savannah region sheltering multiple lakes, including Lake Ihema which is the second largest lake in Rwanda. Other lakes include Rwanyakizinga, shakani, Mihindi, and Gishanju. These lakes together combine to form the largest wetland system in the region!
After the end of 1994 genocide, there came a number of disastrous affects that left the park depleted, this was because wild game was hunted for meat till some of the animals faced extinction. The forests were cut down for fuel (firewood), this made biodiversity nearly completely ruined! Local commerce, tourism faced the same threats!
However, it has to be noted that the park has tremendously picked up again that there has been the return of Black Rhinos in 2017 since then for the first. The lions have also been since introduced to the park and their population is steadily picking up!
Owing to strict anti-poaching policies, the population of leopards, elephants, and buffaloes has notably increased as well as monkeys in the park. Other terrestrial animals have also been noted to steadily grow as the ecosystem automatically balances itself!
This pack offers a great deal of Savannah safari experience coupled with game drives, lake adventures, boat cruise, birding activities and nature walk around the park! Bathing or swimming in these waters is extremely prohibited as it harbors the largest population of hippos in the whole of East African region.
Adventure to the King’s Palace Museum on the 3 Days Tour to Rwanda
This palace is situated in Nyazi Butare district currently known as Huye, this site is generously rich in history with a traditional touch and significantly attached to the modern niche which makes it top the list of any tour enthusiast! This site was constructed in 1932!
According to www.visitrwanda.com, this palace is termed as a reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, and the King’s palace is a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive!
This ethnographic museum encapsulates a great deal of Rwandan monarchical history; which approach was abolished after Rwanda obtained independence from its colonial masters. In its backyard, the cattle that formerly belonged to the monarchy are tended to, and their lineage has been maintained even after the abolishment of the kingdom that rewarded them as a great source of prestige!
Miraculously, these cattle have a striking resemblance and also bear a high level of genes of the famous long-horned cattle of Ankole in Uganda which is the most intriguing feature amongst all. These cattle are trained to listen to the voice of their herdsmen right from the time they are calves and known to take and execute instructions from their herdsmen. The herdsmen occasionally sing for them soothing songs as they graze and preciously take care of them!
While at the palace, you will be able to experience all the above mentioned and as well be taken around the palace as you get to know more about the underlying beliefs behind the items kept in the palace such as royal instruments of power, chairs and mats all made in a peculiar way. This kind of experience uniquely arises some sort of curiosity in the visitor that keeps your interest revolving about this mighty palace!
Lake Ihema
Lake Ihema is located in the Southern part of Akagera National Park, this lake has more than what meets the eyes! Owing to its location being in the most protected national park, this lake enjoys a high degree of protection too and doubles as the second largest lake in Rwanda.
According to www.globalnature.org the main threat to this revered Rwandan lake is water hyacinth, which has proven to readily grow on the lake. Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant that readily grows and easily multiplies; it is known to be unlikable in areas outside its native area of growth.
The presence of water hyacinth on this lake therefore poses a serious threat to the biodiversity of the region and as well becomes a big hindrance to water transport within the region.
The negative effects brought about by its presence include lowering of water quality as it covers the water surface hence reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen subsequently killing the aquatic life of the affected area of the water.
The lake is also linked to Akagera swamps by the Akagera River; this only means this disastrous water hyacinth once not controlled can easily spread out into other waterways linked to the lake like Lake Victoria and the Nile River.
A boat cruise on this lake comes with a double opportunity to both explore the aquatic life present like the crocodiles, hippos and birdlife on the water. Unlike other fresh water lakes, Lake Ihema is not so endowed with plethora fish species; one should only anticipate seeing a few reptiles as they cruise through the waters!
Due to strict policies, fishing in any case on this lake is highly prohibited but this does not guarantee that you will be able to see a variety of fish while on the boat cruise!
Adventure in Nyungwe Rain Forest National Park on the 3 Days Wildlife Safari Rwanda
Nyungwe Rain-forest Park is located in the Western Rift Valley arm, also commonly known as the Albertine Rift. The Western Rift Valley is a stretch starting from Lake Albert to Lake Tanganyika with numerous mountains and rivers that flow to the West of Congo River system.
The Albertine rift is not only known for its amazing landscape but also its sprouting flora and fauna. In the Nyungwe rain-forest, there are over 1000 species of plants and more than 240 species of orchids with more discoveries being made each year!
Furthermore, there are about 85 species of mammals found in the Nyungwe Rain-forest Park including 13 primate species. This park accommodates about 350species of birds with 29 of them being endemic to the Albertine Region.
Nyungwe Rain-forest Park has a well blended biodiversity with a unique combination of swamps, open woodlands, bamboo thickets, heath, marshes and infinite micro-habitats. The park is known to its 13 primate species including the famous chimpanzees which makes it the best site for chimpanzee trekking and also the largest troop of the black and white colobus monkeys.
There are also a number of fragmented forest villages like Cyamudongo and Gisakura that are predominantly occupied by small troops of colobus monkeys.
Nyungwe Rain-forest with over 130km of well laid trails allows travelers of different fitness to enjoy the serenity that prevails within its setting!
Safari includes:
- Transportation in a tour van/Land cruiser
- Service of an English -speaking tour guide/driver
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Park admissions
- Accommodation on full board
- Entrance fees to all destinations as per the program
- Transfer to and from the airport
Safari exclusions
- All activities not mentioned in the program
- Phone calls bills
- Tips
- International transfers
- Gratitude to tour guides
- Personal insurance
- Personal effects of any nature
- Hotel fees before and after the safari
