Primate Safari in Rwanda

by Vicky Papa

I chose to go on Exodus' 10 day Primate Safari in Rwanda. The main reactions I got when I told people that I was going to Rwanda were 'Why?' and "Isn't there something going on there?" Basically, I wanted to go see the mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees and that is where they live. It also helped me make my decision knowing that the genocide occurred over 15 years ago and the country and government had been stable for many years. I didn't need a visa and I figured there wouldn't be that many tourists, which also appealed to me. I'll admit, though, I didn't know much more about Rwanda outside of the above mentioned items.

Rwanda turned out to be an unexpected delight! It is a landlocked country, smaller than nearby Lake Victoria, surrounded by the volcanic borders of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. There are many lakes and lush, steep hills and valleys. These were filled with coffee, tea and banana plantations of vibrant red and green colors, which made the short drives very scenic and pleasant. The roads were good and there weren't a lot of cars or motorbikes.Most locals walked or biked with massive bags on their heads full of potatoes, tea leaves, bananas, jugs of water, or whatever and usually with a baby on their back as well! The food was great and had a strong French influence. Meals were sometimes a challenge, but you knew whatever came out was going to taste good. Surprisingly, it was probably the cleanest country I have ever been in.

With our great local guide and driver, we visited a few historical cities, as well as the Genocide Memorial to learn about Rwandan life and culture of the past, present and future. Kigali, the capital, is a modern city and growing rapidly. You can see the hope in the people's faces and smiles all over the country. The trip also took us to Rwanda's 3 national parks. Akagera National Park lies in the east and has a backdrop of Tanzania with great wildlife viewing. Our game drive ended with watching the hippos lounge in the lake while the sun set in the background. Nyungwe National Park has Africa's oldest remaining rainforest. Here chimpanzee and colobus monkey troops, 400 strong, roam around freely. The chimpanzee trek was intense! It included a lot of scrambling on all fours up the side of mountains and was more difficult than I imagined. While in the park, we stayed at a tea plantation and trekked to a waterfall. Finally, we visited Volcanoes National Park for the treks in search of the gorillas and the golden monkeys (only found in Rwanda). This is the location where Dian Fossey studied gorillas and where I saw the most tourists. The day of our trek was, coincidentally, the 'Naming of the Gorilla Baby' yearly celebration. Every person that lived in town was walking to see it, dignitaries and dancers were there and events all day. It was quite a big to-do. The trek to the gorillas wasn't bad at all, but it still took us three and a half hours to find them. We spent an amazing hour with them, looking at their sweet brown eyes and watching them interact with each other. It was completely worth it!

I knew that seeing the gorillas was going to be amazing, but everything else in Rwanda was fascinating and it was great to see the rebirth of a country with such a difficult past. Come check out Rwanda before it comes overcrowded with tourists.

To learn more about this Primate Safari in Rwanda and to see current dates and prices click here.

Vicky Papa is an Adventure Specialist at Adventure Center and is available to answer your questions about travel to Africa, her toll free direct number is 1-877-285-0656 or her email address is vicky at adventurecenter.com