Volcanoes National Park is the most famous National Park in Rwanda located in the northwestern part of the country. The park is bounded by the DRC and Uganda. The Volcanoes national park spans 160 square kilometers and was established in 1925 to primarily conserve and protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is some of the oldest on the high plains of Africa, and it is cooler as compared to other parts of the Rwanda National Park.
The Volcanoes National Park is also one of the best destinations and it features the best volcanoes, including the Karisimbi, Muhabura, Bisoke, Gahinga, and the Sabinyo, and it is characterized by other vegetation types, which include lakes, marshes, bamboo forests, caves, and rainforests. After Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the Volcanoes National Park has the second-highest population of mountain gorillas. Golden monkeys, forest elephants, spotted hyenas, bushbucks, buffaloes, lesser primates, and 178 species of birds can all be found in the park.
The rich biodiversity of the Volcanoes National Park makes it the best park for the wonderful habitat for gorilla species. The park was also famous because of Diane Fossey, who made it known through research studies about conservation and the mountain gorillas. The Diane Fossey Karisoke Research Center, which has in most cases helped to stop poaching within the park, has been termed a success. Unfortunately, in the mid-1990s, common strife and devastation resulted in massive poaching and infringements on park territory.
Later, the public authorities discovered legitimate measures to eliminate poaching and state armies in the national park area to the point where there are virtually no threats to visitors. Visitors to the Volcanoes public park can participate in a variety of activities such as gorilla tracking, visiting the Musanze caves, traveling with the bright monkeys, and climbing one of the five volcanoes. Climbing Mount Karisimbi is reportedly the most well-known, followed by climbing Mount Bisoke. From Uganda’s side, Mount Sabinyo, Muhabura, and Gahinga are the best climbs.
This is the best experience for visitors who are interested in visiting Rwanda. The golden monkeys are the second activity that is done in the park after gorilla tracking. Golden monkeys can move in a group of 100, and visitors will need $100 to see the golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. It is not all that long and strenuous to hike with the golden monkeys, and they don’t go to high altitudes as they keep on searching for food.
This is the best and most popular activity that is done in Volcanoes National Park. Other than the gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, the gorilla trekking activities can also be seen in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in Congo. You will need $1,500 to go and enjoy the gorilla trekking in Volcano National Park.
The Volcanoes National Park also includes a portion of the Virunga volcanoes, and visitors can hike to various volcanoes within the park, such as Mt. Karismbi, which stands 4507 meters above sea level. Other volcanoes that you can hike include the Bisoke hike and the Muhjabura hike.
Visitors to the Volcanoes national park can also take a tour of Lake Ruhondo and Lake Burera. Once you are done with one of the challenging workouts, such as gorilla trekking, one way to relax is to go to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera. A boat trip over the deep waters of these two lakes will reward you with beautiful bird sightings and an expansive, uneven panorama of cascading waterfalls. Visiting the lake islands allows you to mingle with the locals and learn about their rich heritage and culture, which distinguishes them from other clans in Rwanda.
Volcanoes national is found in Musanze District, located in Rwanda’s northern province, is only two hours away from Kigali. This means that if you leave Kigali at 4 a.m., you may go gorilla trekking in a single day. Visitors can also take public transportation to Musanze from Kigali or Gisenyi and then hire a private automobile to get to the park headquarters.
The ideal option is to engage a tour operator who will pick you up from the airport and transport you to the Kinigi Park Headquarters, where you will be briefed on the various activities. Those traveling from Uganda to the Volcanoes National Park will have to endure a 10-hour trip from Entebbe Airport to the border crossing point, passing through Mbarara and Kisoro. Please come and explore the wonderful places in Rwanda by visiting Volcanoes National Park.
