Honeymoon safari in Volcanoes national park Rwanda
Hiking trip on your honeymoon in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park is in the northwest of Rwanda, in the town of Musanze. It is one of the most popular national parks in Rwanda. Mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, different kinds of birds, and volcanic mountains are just a few of the famous animals that live in the national park. Volcanoes National Park is one place you could go on your honeymoon. This piece will tell you about the best time to go on your honeymoon safari, what activities you can do, and where to stay during the safari, among other things.
Things to do on your honeymoon in Volcanoes National Park
Going to see gorillas
Many tourists come to Volcanoes National Park to go gorilla hiking, which means walking through the tropical jungle in search of mountain gorillas that are used to people. Once you find them, you spend an hour with them in their natural environment. You can go trekking every day in Volcanoes National Park to see the Karisimbi gorilla family, the Hirwa gorilla family, the Amahoro gorilla family, the Umubano gorilla family, the Agashya gorilla family, the Sabyinyo gorilla family, the Susa A gorilla group, the Kwitonda gorilla group, the Bwenge gorilla group, and the Ugenda gorilla family.
When you go gorilla climbing in Volcanoes National Park, the day starts early with a talk about the rules you need to follow. You will start walking in the bush with an experienced park ranger after the training. The hike will last between 2 and 6 hours, based on where they are. You will be able to spend an hour with the mountain gorillas in their natural environment once they are found. This gives you a chance to learn more about how they behave, watch them go about their daily lives, take pictures, and record videos.
Going on a hike with golden monkeys
The second best thing to do in Volcanoes National Park on your vacation is to go golden monkey climbing. At the park offices, golden monkey walking also starts with a talk about the rules, regulations, and what to expect. Following paths made of old bamboo leaves and shoots, you will start walking in the forest after the training. The hike will last for about two to four hours. While hiking, you can see other monkeys, and once you find the golden monkeys, you can spend an hour with them in their natural habitat. During that time, you can watch them eat, play, and jump up in trees, take pictures, and write down memories.
Seeing birds
Over 200 kinds of birds live in Volcanoes National Park. These include native birds to the Albertine Rift, forest birds, migrant birds, and more. This makes the park a great place to watch birds. A knowledgeable bird guide will be with you while you go bird watching and help you find many types of birds, such as the Black-crowned Waxbill, the Archers Robin-chat, the Ruwenzori Turaco, the Baglafecht Weaver, the Brown Woodland Warber, the Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, the Red-faced Woodland Warbler, the Handsome Francolin, the Dusky Crimsonwing, the Ruwenzori Nightjar, and Strange Weaver.
Going up mountains
Five of the eight Virunga mountains can be found in mountains National Park. These are Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Muhavura. Mount Sabyinyo is the only mountain in Volcanoes National Park that isn’t used for mountain climbing. This is because it has sharp peaks that make it unsafe to climb. Mount Bisoke is 3,711 meters above sea level, and the round-trip hike takes about 6 hours. Mount Karisimbi is 4,507 meters above sea level, and the round-trip hike takes two days. Mount Muhavura is 4,127 meters above sea level, and the round-trip hike takes about 6 to 8 hours. Mount Gahinga is the shortest volcanic mountain, at 3,474 meters above sea level.
Experience with the Iby’iwacu culture
Another fun thing you can do in Volcanoes National Park during your wedding trip is an Iby’iwacu traditional adventure. When you go on the iby’iwacu cultural experience, you can meet the locals, learn about their culture, traditions, and way of life, listen to their interesting stories, see their traditional healers, eat and dance their traditional foods, and even learn how to make banana beer.
Besides viewing the tomb of Dian Fossey, you can do other outdoor activities in Volcanoes National Park during your honeymoon. These include seeing the twin lakes of Lake Ruhondo and Lake Burera, as well as Kigali city.
When is the best time to visit Volcanoes National Park on a honeymoon?
You can go on a honeymoon safari in Volcanoes National Park at any time of the year, but the best time is during the dry season, which is also known as the peak season. This is when the park gets the least amount of rain, so the trails for gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, and mountain climbing are dry and easy to use.
You can also go on a honeymoon tour in Volcanoes National Park during the low/rainy season, from March to May and October to November. This is the best time to go bird watching, when you can see a wide range of colorful and moving bird species.
Where to stay in Volcanoes National Park for your honeymoon
You can stay at a variety of hotels in Volcanoes National Park, ranging from cheap to high-end, during your honeymoon safari. These include the Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, the Mountain Gorillas Nest Lodge, the Virunga Inn Spa and Resort, the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, the Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, the Gorilla Solution Lodge, the Virunga Lodge, the Le Bambou Gorilla Village, the Amakoro Songa Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Sambora Kinigi Lodge, Eagle View Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, and Kinigi Guesthouse, among others.
The best way to get to Volcanoes National Park
To get to Volcanoes National Park, which is in the northwest of Rwanda, you can take a car. The drive from Kigali to the park offices takes about three hours.
