Overview
Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s most ancient national park and East Africa’s oldest It was founded in 1926. Volcanoes National Park is a park with a great history of the conservation of marvelous mountain gorillas, studied and conserved by the late Dr Dian Fossey. She was a primatologist and her efforts stand as living evidence by the increase in the number of mountain gorillas in the world. Today, the Volcanoes National Park is the smallest in Rwanda covering about 160 square kilometers, a land of gold where the golden monkeys beautify the bamboo forests. Volcanoes National Park is made of 5 Virunga volcanoes, contributing to the habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas. These include Mount Bisoke, Mount Muhabura, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Gahinga. Volcanoes National Park borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.
Being a rainforest Area, the mountains in Volcanoes National Park bear distinctive vegetation such as marshes, meadows, grasslands, bamboo forests, and lots more, habiting over 200 bird species. These include the African broad bill, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-chested sunbird, crested barbet, Lesser honey guide, grey-backed fiscal, strange weaver, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Bateleur, African long-eared owl, brown-necked parrot, collard Apalis, Handsome Francolin among others.
Best time to visit Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park is a fascinating national park in Rwanda that every traveler must visit, the oldest national park in East Africa. It is an area with Rwanda’s sorrowful history of the genocide that erased numerous people and wildlife. The mountain gorillas on the other hand and the golden monkeys mark the park a gorgeous heaven to explore throughout the year as it is open for tour any time of the year.
The time to explore the beauty in Volcanoes National Park depends on the visitor’s preferences as there are two seasons experienced mainly the dry and the wet seasons. However, according to park officials, the best time to visit Volcanoes National Park is the dry season. Dry seasons run from June to mid-September and December to February. Each year encounters two dry seasons that offer an assurance of small amounts of rainfall favored by rainforests in the park.
The trails are dry during the dry season with calm winds blowing all over the park. The short grass simplifies guided nature walks, gorilla trekking, boat cruises on Lake Ihema, sport fishing, and canopy walks among others. The sail during the dry season has the spontaneous beauty of the exquisite sunset over the thousand hills of Rwanda. Wildlife spotting in the dry season is far away simpler and easier as all animals anchor on water bodies like Lake Ruhonda and Lake Burera. These are the best areas for sightseeing in Africa and sumptuous for photography.
The wet season is a time for the birders to watch the colorful birds of Volcanoes National Park flying in the woods, walking on the ground, swimming in water, and constructing nests. The pulchritudinous ever-green vegetation covers the rainforests, bamboo, and mashes turning the park into a spectacular place for vacations. The wet season is also experienced twice, from March to May and October to November, with months very cold at night. Travelers intending to visit Volcanoes National Park ought to carry heavy jackets for both the dry and wet seasons since rain is expected at any time of the day no matter the season.
Activities for the season
Since the park is open year-round and has two seasons that are divided four times over the year, there are mainly 3 activities carried out in Volcanoes National Park. These are birding, golden monkey trekking, and gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking is the main activity carried out in Volcanoes National Park. Trekking the wild endangered mountain gorillas involves walking through thickets of vegetation to the natural habitats of the primates and spending an hour in their presence. The mountain gorillas are close cousins to humans bearing 98% of man’s DNA. They are acknowledged by the primatologists being led by the efforts of the late Dr Dian Fossey and the team at Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Mountain gorillas harbor rainforest areas and live in groups called families headed by the dominant silverback. Volcanoes National Park has 10 gorilla families that are open for trekking by tourists.
Golden monkey trekking
This is the second best-done activity in the Volcanoes National Park and the only park in Rwanda harboring the unique golden beautified monkeys. The endangered golden monkeys survive in the bamboo forests of Volcanoes National Park feeding on the leaves and stems of the bamboo and the other edible plants. While on golden monkey trekking, you will be able to spot other wildlife animals such as the Buffalos, bushbucks, vervet monkeys, and white and black colobus monkeys among others.
Birding
Volcanoes National Park hosts over 200 bird species of which 29 species are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley, including, Francolin Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, and African Swamphen. Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Olive-belled, bat Hawk, brown backed-honey bird, red-chested sunbird among others.
