Volcanoes National Park is among the national parks that Rwanda proudly boasts of, also it is referred as the ‘’Parc National des Volcans’’ in French language, the park is located in the Musanze town, in the northwestern province Rwanda. Volcanoes national park is wildlife safari haven in that the park has got a huge number of bird species, and animal species. Volcanoes national park is a home to the endangered species of Mountain Gorillas in the world, though others can be seen in Virunga National park in DRC and then the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The park borders Virunga national park in the DRC and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and also includes 5 of the 8 volcanoes of the Virunga volcano region such as Mount Bisoke, Mount muhabura, Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Karisimbi. Volcanoes national park covers an area of 160km2 (62 sq. mi) and it was gazette as a national park in 1925.
Attractions in Volcanoes National Park.
Animal species in Volcanoes National Park.
The most popular attractions in Volcanoes national park are the mountain gorillas, these have successfully placed volcanoes national park on the world map because of the work of Dian Fossey and the movie ‘’Gorilla in the Mist’’. Volcanoes national park hosts the most amazing rare and endangered golden monkeys only found in the Virunga region, other animals found in the forest includes the forest elephant, buffaloes, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, duikers, spotted hyenas, bush-bucks and several primates.
Mountain Gorillas.
Volcanoes National Park is a home to a half of the world’s endangered mountain gorilla species, these animal species gained popularity after of scientist and conservationist Dian Fossey in 1985 who completely carried a compressive scientific study about the mountain gorilla families in the park. The mountain gorillas can be found in the family groups that consist of 30 individuals then led by an adult called a silverback, the adult male gorilla can weigh between 136 to 195 kilograms while the female adult gorilla can weigh between 68 to 113 kilograms.
Karisoke Research Centre.
Karisoke research Centre, this was used as a base by Dian Fossey where she had her team carried out their research work, during a safari at the Karisoke Research Centre, the tourists can learn more about Dian Fossey and her remarkable contribution towards conserving the national park.
Bird species in Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes national park is a birding safari paradise in that it is a home of over 200 bird species with number of the Albertine rift endemics for bird watching enthusiasts to enjoy, birding is the next awesome activity to do in this park after the mountain gorilla tracking and the golden monkey trekking, some of the bird species to look out include the handsome francolin, strange weaver, dusky crimson wing, collared Apalis, red-faced woodland warbler, Archer’s ground robin, Grauer’s rush warbler and many others.
Musanze Caves.
Musanze caves are due to the volcanic eruption which formed an underground space large enough for humans to enter, they are two kilometers long with walkways and stairs that take you to the dark interior of the caves, the Musanze caves can be seen after monitoring the gorillas.
Dian Fossey Grave site.
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and the conservationist whose scientific study on the mountain gorillas contributed a lot towards our understanding of these species and need for their conservation, Fossey was found dead in her camp in 1985 in Rwanda, then she was buried at the grave site near her favorite gorilla by the name of Digit, a safari to Volcanoes National Park cannot be complete without a visit to the Dian Fossey’s tomb.
Mount Bisoke.
Mount Bisoke is a dormant volcano and it is also one of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga field, the last eruption of the volcanic eruption on the mountain took place in 1957. Mount Bisoke is so attractive to the tourists in that it is such beautiful Crater Lake at its summit, the tourists engage in adventure thrilling hikes to the crater lake of the mountain.
Mount Karisimbi.
Mount Karisimbi is a stratovolcano which is the highest of the all 8 volcanoes in the Virunga volcanic realm, it is 4507 meters above sea level and 5th highest mountain on the African continent, the mountain has numerous numbers of the bird, plant species and also home to some mountain gorillas, hiking safari is also done by the tourists at Mount Karisimbi at the same time while the tourists are also sighting number of bird, plant species and many others.
Activities in Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking safari is the dominant activity in the Volcanoes National Park, here the gorillas can be sighted by the tourists which is a great activity done in the park, other gorillas can be trekked in Virunga in Congo, Mgahinga and Bwindi national parks in Uganda. In Volcanoes national park over 10 habituated Rwanda gorillas groups are available for tracking under the guidance of experienced and motivated rangers. It is important to be in good shape before embarking on activity that can prove demanding depending on the gorilla group you are assigned.
Golden monkey tracking.
Tracking the golden monkeys has gained the popularity over the years in Volcanoes national park and is the second activity after watching the gorillas, the tracking the golden monkeys can be done before or after gorilla trekking. The Golden monkey tracking is less strenuous than the gorillas because they do not go to high altitudes in search of fresh food like the way gorillas do, they prefer to feed on the Bamboo shoots that grow at the base of the volcanoes.
Visiting the Tomb of Dian Fossey.
The Dian Fossey is one of the greatest primatologist of all time that is because of her courage and determination, poaching of animals and particularly mountain gorillas was greatly reduced in the Volcanoes national park, without her efforts the mountain gorillas would be extinct now, she also credited for introducing new ways of making gorillas comfortable around human presence by imitating their sounds and gaining the trust of the dominant male. Currently the tourists who are over hundreds go to pay the homage to this great conservationist by visiting her grave and former Karisoke Research Centre located between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke.
Hiking Mount Karisimbi Volcano.
Mount Karisimbi is an extinct volcano that reaches a height of about 4,507 meters, the hiking safari at mount karisimbi is one of the top activities in musanze, it is known as the fifth highest in Africa and thus requires mental and physical preparation in order to ensure the effective hiking, as this involves the navigating through thick forests before stopping at an altitude of 3700 meters for the first stop, rest and overnight.
Mount Muhabura hiking.
Mount Muhabura is one of the most interesting and adventurous volcanoes to climb while visiting the Volcanoes National Park, at 4,127 meters, it is the third highest mountain within Virunga ranges, the hiking safari at Mount Muhabura starts at a height of 1200 meters and by the time one reaches the summit, tourists pass through the beautiful green forests and marveled at the other volcanoes within the wider Virunga region.
Mount Bisoke Hiking.
Mount Bisoke is an extinct volcano that forms part of the wider Virunga range of mountains, the hiking safari takes about 3 hours of driving to reach the foot of the mountain from the capital Kigali, hiking mount Bisoke takes one day and is relatively easier compared to other mountains like Karisimbi.
Visiting the Twin Lakes Ruhondo and Burera.
After the whole day activities, visiting the Twin Lakes Ruhondo and Burera is one way of relaxing while doing a boat cruise through the deep waters of these two lakes will reward you the most beautiful sights of birds and the vats hilly landscape with waterfalls, visiting the lakes gives you time to mingle with the locals to learn about their rich heritage and culture that defines them and makes them different from the other tribes in Rwanda.
Cultural tours near the Volcanoes national park.
Tourists during a cultural tour near the Volcanoes national park will enjoy an experience of the village by taking part in the activities with them like joining royalty by being crowned king or queen for the day, by learning about the traditional lifestyles and enjoying music and dance.
Caving.
Tourists during their safari to Volcanoes national park can also pay a fee and go hike to Musanze caves that are located within the park, the caves were created as a result of the volcanic eruption about 65 million years ago, and they opened to the public in 2013 by the Rwanda Development Board. Tourists visiting the caves are provided with essential equipment’s like the knee caps, boots, face masks, helmet, gloves, and many others.
Where to stay in Volcanoes national park.
The accommodation facilities found around the Volcanoes National Park are divided into the Budget, Mid-range and Luxury, the choice of which hotel to select depends on the entirely on a travelers budget, such as the Mountain gorilla view, Kinigi guesthouse, Gorilla Volcanoes lodge, Babyinyo Silverback lodge and many others.
How to get Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park can be accessed by road from the Gisenyi town or Kigali city, all trips to the national park begin at Kigali international Airport, it will take 2 hours for the visitors to drive to the park’s headquarters in Kinigi. Volcanoes national park is approximately close to Kigali city which makes it a convenient destination for the short safari and at the same time as gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda.
