Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Kayaking

Rwanda is near the equator, so temperatures stay fairly consistent year round and can be considered pleasantly warm.  Generally they range from 80-81 F during the day and 52-55 F at night.  In the mountains, particularly in Volcanoes National Park, it is cooler while it can be warmer in the far west due to lower elevation.

There are also seasonal rainy and dry seasons in Rwanda. There is a short dry season from December to February.  This is followed by a rainy season through May.  Then June to mid-September is a longer dry season.  This is followed by a rainy season in October and November. 

Bear in mind there is no perfect science here and also that even during the rainy season the rains typically don’t last long and are often in the afternoon.  To learn more visit: https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/rwanda

You can refer to the packing list under 'Packing and Trip Details tab to the left of this page. 

The official currency is the Rwandan Franc.

English is the second language in Rwanda and many people in the cities and tourism enterprises speak English.  In small villages it is much less common.

On the gorilla trek or gorilla safari that we do, there is an almost certain opportunity to see gorillas.  In Volcanoes National Park there are currently 10 habituated groups (family units that have become accustomed to being around humans).  They can be within a half hour walk of the Park Headquarters, or 2-3 hours away.  Usually we walk somewhere between 1-2 hours to reach our assigned family group.  However, as the gorillas do move, it could be longer. The Park tries to send groups of people that are more fit to the troops that are farther away, and groups desiring less walking or hiking to those closer.

The opportunity to see the gorillas is managed by the Rwandan National Park system. Permits are limited and purchased in advance. The permit allows for one hour of actual viewing time with the gorillas. This is in addition to the time required to hike to and from the gorilla troop. The day starts early at Park headquarters where we are assigned a guide and are divided into groups of no more than 8 people. After a short orientation meeting we drive to whatever location is closest to the gorillas.  Then we walk between a half hour and 2-3 hours to reach the gorillas. Once we arrive at the location of the gorillas, the one-hour clock begins. The guides instruct us where to move and stand as we observe these impressive animals. There is plenty of opportunity to take photographs.

Gorillas are wild animals and thus to a certain degree, are unpredictable.  However, the Park rangers spend several years habituating each troop to be used to human visitors.  Some of the groups have been habituated for over 10-15 years.  Young gorillas born into a habituated troop are immediately habituated as they observe their troop interact with humans.  It is critical to follow the instructions and directions given by the guides and do as they say when we are near the gorillas (and other times as well).

The other primates we observe on this trip (chimpanzees, golden monkeys, black and white colobus and others) are wild animals that move freely in their forest environment.  In each case we have to walk or hike to their location.  In some cases, they are on the move and we may not get very close.  In general, they are much more active and mobile than the gorillas.  Local Park guides do their best to provide the best possible viewing.

There are many birds in Rwanda, some of which are endemic to the area, and we see a number of these during our trip. Outside of the National Parks there are few wild animals. Classic African animals can be found at Akagera National Park. (see below)

Yes! We offer an extension to our main tour to visit Akagera National Park in the east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania.  The Big Five live here!  Thus you can see lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard.  You typically see giraffe, zebra and antelopes as these are all abundant.  In terms of the variety of antelope, there are Klipspringer, eland, impala, Defass waterbuck, common duiker, bushbuck and sitatunga.  In the lakes there are hippos and crocodiles.  There are also baboons, monkeys and warthogs. Other species can only be seen at night and include genets, civets, aardvark, porcupine, bushbabies, elephant shrew and others.

We personally research all our destinations with a goal to design unique itineraries you won’t find anywhere else.  Our Paddling & Primates trip is the only trip that combines primate viewing, a gorilla safari and kayaking on Lake Kivu.  We choose locally-run, unique accommodations and eat in interesting, locally-operated restaurants.  We know our guides and drivers personally and they in turn know our guest expectations.  We do not use high-end accommodations, so our tour is an excellent value for those focused on having an authentic, wildlife-rich active vacation.

Yes, we are happy to accommodate groups as small as 1 and as large as you may wish to travel to Rwanda.  If our itinerary isn’t what you are looking for we can custom design any tour you might wish.

Mountain gorillas are found in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  A number of operators offer tours that combine Rwanda and Uganda and we too are happy to design a custom tour, or an extension to our tour, should you wish to visit the gorillas in other countries.

Eastern lowland gorillas are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park near the south end of Lake Kivu.  We are happy to arrange custom tours to see these gorillas, which are the largest species of gorilla in the world.  We have personally experienced this and highly recommend it for the adventurous traveler.

The food on our trips is locally prepared and delicious. In Kigali there are some very innovative restaurants while those in the countryside and smaller cities are more basic. Meals consist of various ingredients including fish, meat, vegetables, nuts and tropical fruits.  Typical items on menus include beans, bananas, fried plantains, sweet potatoes and cassava.  There is also Umutsima which is a dish of cassava and corn, and isombe (cassava leaves with eggplant and spinach). Brochettes of lamb, goat and fish are common.  A delicacy from Lake Kivu are tiny fish called Sambaza that are deep-fried.

There are some regions in Rwanda where mosquitoes that carry malaria are present.  Check with your personal physician and the CDC website for details on any precautions you may want to take. It’s always wise to wear long sleeves, long pants and socks in the late afternoon/evening when mosquitoes are most likely to be active.

In 2018-19 another Ebola outbreak occurred in the DRC.  A very few cases have crossed the border into either Uganda or Rwanda.  A successful vaccine has been developed and is now in use which is changing the situation dramatically.  Traveling to this area of the world is a personal choice based on your own risk tolerance.

We recommend that you drink only filtered water.  We ask you to bring a water bottle and we provide clean drinking water dispensed from large containers. Of course, there are many other beverages available including soft drinks, tea, coffee, beer and wine.

You will find a wide variety of handmade souvenirs and crafts are available.  On our tour we visit a couple of women’s foundations that make and sell crafts including woven items, textiles and art.

Rwanda is a poor country and gifts are much appreciated.  While we include incidental tips on our tours, tipping hospitality servers and providers is always welcome and an effective way to help people.  Items from your home town such as postcards, or a small picture-book of your home region can be a good conversation-starter and fun gift to connect with people.  Memory sticks are always appreciated.  T-shirts make for good gifts.  Please do not bring cheap plastic things, or things that would require batteries as these are expensive for people.

In Rwanda you find two associated plug types, types C and J. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins as in Europe and plug type J is the plug which has three round pins. Rwanda operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. A few hotels also have US outlets.

Please speak to your travel clinic and look at the CDC (Center for Disease Control)  website, for advice on tropical diseases that are found in Rwanda.

Important note about Yellow Fever:

Yellow Fever is possible in Rwanda so to prevent it becoming re-established, proof of having been vaccinated is mandatory for travellers coming from any country at risk of Yellow Fever (or after visiting a neighboring country on the same trip). Thus whilst visitors arriving directly from Europe, USA and Canada may not need to show a Yellow Fever certificate on arrival, you must have a Yellow Fever certificate if you visit a neighboring country on the same trip.

When kayaking on Lake Kivu, which is fresh water, there could be, in theory, a parasite that can cause schistosomiasis. There is no vaccine or prophylaxis for this. We consider the risk to be low, and the main precaution is to not swim in the shallow water near shore. 

Should you become unwell after your visit to Rwanda, explain to your doctor where you have travelled and the activities you have taken part in so that they can advise the correct treatment. The treatment for schistosomiasis is a short course of a tablet called Praziquantel, which the World Health Organisations describes as “effective, safe, and low-cost”

During your visit to Rwanda you will come across many amazing people and places. It is an incredible country. We visit a couple of non-profit cooperatives along the way, and buying things from their gift store is a great way to give back and support them. Or you can simply offer a donation.  

Other great organizations are Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, both of which work in Rwanda. It is much better to give to an organization that understands the needs of community and has long-term goals, so we ask you not bring or give gifts of money or any other items to local people except as noted above. Especially do not give things to children.

You will have a main driver/guide with you during the day, at all times during the trip except when kayaking. During those days, you will have a kayak guide.  There will be many other staff that come and go along the way.  On the primate treks there are “trackers” that go out early in the morning to find the animals. They then communicate this information to the “Park Guide” and/or “Rangers” who will be hiking with you.  At some point, usually at the end of the trek, this entire group of people will be present to say good-bye.  This is the time to offer them a gratuity as outlined below.  The “Park Guide” will return with you to the start of the trek and can be tipped when you say good-bye to them.  While this may seem a bit like “nickle and diming” we have no other good way to coordinate this.  Tipping is totally at your discretion.  However, remember that the animals in the forest are surviving because tourism has created an economic benefit that exceeds poaching, hunting for bushmeat, clear-cutting the forest, etc.  

During the gorilla trek, there are men who offer to carry your daypack. Even if it is small and light, we recommend that each couple hire one of these to support the local community.  The normal gratuity for them is around $10-15.

• Activity guides (kayak guides )$5-10 per person per day
• National park guide: $5-8 per person, per trek
• Ranger: $2-3 per person per ranger
• Trackers: $2-3 per person per tracker
• Hotel/lodge staff: $5 per person per day – more at more upscale places as you see fit
• Driver/guide: $5-10 per person per day (Tipped on return to Kigali at end)

Note that when you go to Akagera National Park you will have a new guide/driver from the Lodge, so will be saying good-bye to your main guide/driver at the point you leave Kigali for the National Park.

Please see our full Terms & Conditions HERE.