2 Night Gorilla Safari to Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Below is the proposed 3 days Gorilla safari in Volcanoes National park Rwanda with 2 night accommodation at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and Cultural Tour
Kigali is a wonderful city offering you a rich history and cultural insights. Provided you arrive early, you will have a city tour around Kigali where you will visit places such as Gisozi Genocide Memorial museum, local markets, art and craft shops, Dinner and overnight at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge on the edges of Volcanoes Gorilla Park.
Day 2: Mountain Gorilla tracking
After break fast, you will be picked from Sabyinyo Lodge to the park headquarters in Kinigi. Be at the briefing point by 7:00am for the tips concerning gorilla tracking. In a company of senior ranger guides, move into the jungle and start searching for the intelligent, gentle apes. Stay amidst gorillas for a maximum of one hour, take photos. Return to Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge for relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3: Golden monkey tracking OR Optional activities below; Departure
After breakfast, you will go to track the golden monkeys in the bamboo forest. You can also choose from the optional activities such as hike to Dian Fossey Tombs and have lunch or dinner with gorilla doctors, Mout. Bishoke and Karisimbi hiking, community walk or caves exploration among others. You can also choose to do a second gorilla trek but this should be booked in advance and secure a second gorilla permit. Return to the lodge for lunch and leave for Kigali, do last minute shopping before heading to the airport for your departure flight.
End of the service
About Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge in Rwanda
The Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is situated near the headquarters of the volcanoes National park from where clients can trek on foot to see the magnificent Mountain gorilla. This lodge is located on the foothills of the mighty Virungas which is shared between by Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, affords wonderful views of the volcanoes and the surrounding countryside.
The premises of Sabyinyo silverback lodge have been beautifully constructed and appointed and operated by Governors’ Camp and is owned by a community trust, SACOLA, which uses rentals and community fees from the lodge to drive socio-economic and conservation initiatives in the communities adjacent to the National Park.
Accommodation and description:
There are five double cottages, two suites and one family suite. They are stone buildings with Rwandese terracotta tile roofs, and feature large sitting areas, fireplaces, stylish en-suite bathrooms finished with Venetian plaster a dressing room and a sheltered veranda. Heat exchangers in the fireplaces provide a plentiful supply of hot water. The family suite has a second bedroom with en-suite bathroom.
The main lodge building comprises reception, sitting room with snug area, dining room, library / games room, a responsible tourism / community awareness room, shop and bathrooms. Three large fireplaces provide warmth and all rooms are finished with a polished wooden floor. Two patio areas afford wonderful and dramatic views to the Virunga Volcanoes and the surrounding lowland farmland.
Activities while at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge:
- Gorilla Trekking
Since the lodge is located near Volcanoes national park and at the starting point for Gorilla tracking, whoever wants to track gorillas can reside here. In the Park National des Volcans in Rwanda there are eight families of Mountain Gorilla living on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes that you can trek to see. For many, seeing gorillas in the wild offers a wildlife experience of a lifetime.
- Golden Monkey Treks
Along side gorilla trekking, visitors can also see the golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. They also known as the “Blue Monkey” and is endemic to the high altitude forests of the Park area. Golden monkeys are playful and interesting to see.
- Guided Bird Watching
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge property extends over some 7 hectares (about 17 acres) and is a heaven for all kinds of local birds that do not easily thrive in the surrounding agricultural plots, where natural shelter is rare and disturbance by human activity high.
- Guided community Walks and Mountain Bike Excursions
Guided community walks can also be arranged to the nearby communities around Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. Such walks are lead by professional staff from this lodge which is knowledgeable with the current and historical issues of the area. Expect to interact with people in the nearby areas.
The staff members and provide a fascinating introduction into daily rural life in the Volcanoes area. There are four good qualities and well serviced mountain bikes available at the lodge for guests to use. We can arrange for one of our staff members to take guests on an escorted mountain bike ride to explore the local area.
- Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
This cultural village is located 15 minutes drive from Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge and is an interesting cultural excursion. The village convinced ex- poachers to turn their back on poaching and instead perform for visitors. Visiting the village you can discover the traditional house of a local king, watch an authentic medicine man prepare herbal mixtures, try your hand at bow and arrow shooting or enjoy cultural dances and drumming performed by people from the local area.
- Trek to Dian Fossey Tomb
While at this lodge, visit Dian Fossey’s original scientific base Karisoke, a trek is available from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters. Karisoke scientific base was established by Dian Fossey in the saddle area between two volcanoes; Mt Visoke and Mt Karisimbi.
- Visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Buhondo
Between Musanze and the Ugandan border are two scenic lakes usually referred to as the twin lakes; Lake Bulera and Lake Ruhondo. Visitors can enjoy ascenic canoe ride on these beautiful lakes for breath taking view.
- Buhanga Sacred Forest
Buhanga Sacred Forest is a true hidden gem. Despite its small size (around 31 hectares) the forest is a site of tremendous ecological importance and astonishing beauty. The forest takes on a different dimension depending on the time of day, season of year and weather conditions. Visitors walk beneath the cover of tall majestic trees and are rewarded by the sights of many different birds and colour-ful butterflies.
- Gisenyi Lakeside Resort
Located at around 80 km from Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (2 hours by car), the lakeside resort of Gisenyi offers a pleasant contrast to the high altitudes of the Virunga Volcanoes. The atmosphere is tropical and the climate is mild, making it seem like the never ending springtime. Gisenyi rests in the nostalgia of its opulent past.
- Musanze Market
The town is town was formerly know as Ruhengeri, but still widely used is the most important town in Rwanda’s Northern Province and in the Volcanoes area. Musanze serves as the area’s administrative, commercial and service capital. It is a bustling town with plenty of local character. A daily market is held in the new market compound in the centre of town.
- Lake Ngezi
This is the shortest trail and one of the most interesting lake to visit while at in Volcanoes National park and leads to a small scenic lake nestled in a volcanic depression at the foot of Mt Visoke. The hike takes around three hours in total and is not physically demanding. The trek is accompanied by ORTPN rangers and there is the possibility of encountering wildlife on the trek. The trail offers scenic views over the congolese parts of the Virunga range where the forests are much larger.
- Mountain Visoke hiking
Mt Visoke stands at 3700m; it has the typical conic shape of a “perfect” volcano and in its crater lies a deep crater lake. For those interested in climbing Mt Visoke the volcano does not present an exceptionally demanding climb but it is nevertheless still a tough hike. The high elevation demands extra strength of climbers and the whole excursion can take between 5 hours and the whole day depending on the speed of the walk and the frequency of stops.
- Mountain Gahinga climbing
At around 3400m, this is the smallest among the six volcanoes in the Virunga Range. As from January 2010, the trail leading to the summit crater is open again to visitors. Compared to the other volcanoes in the Virungas, Mt M’Gahinga makes a pleasant climbing and has several interesting features like its volcanic caves.
- Mountain Muhabura
This is the second highest peak in the Volcanoes National Park, Mountain Muhabura is also the most easterly volcano in the Virunga range, and demarcates Rwanda and Uganda. While at the top of the volcano, you can have a clear view of the beautiful Lakes of Burera and Buhondo.
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