Reasons to Visit Volcanoes National Park

Reasons to Visit Volcanoes National Park will point out the key features, attractions and things that would cause a traveler to engage in a volcanoes national park safari. Volcanoes National Park is known for its ultimate primate safaris where tourists will get to see a number of primate species but there is more to the park than the primate species because, in the park, you will get to see a number of attractions and participate in the different activities making your time in the park memorable. Here are some of the reasons to visit Volcanoes national park which will ensure that you have an amazing time while on your Rwanda tour.

Home to the Virunga Mountains: Volcanoes national park is home to five of the eight Virunga mountains that are shared by Mgahinga National Park where you will see the mountains when you visit Uganda, volcanoes national park in which you can see the mountains while on your Rwanda tour and Virunga national park when you get to visit Congo. While you visit volcanoes national park, you will get to see the different Virunga mountains where you can find the different Rwanda gorilla families in the park. The different mountain gorillas can be found on mount Sabyinyo, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Muhabura and Mount Gahinga.

On the different Virunga mountains in the park, tourists can go hike in order to have amazing experiences in the park with the different attractions that can be seen like the golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys. You will also get to see a number of bird species within the park like Pockefellers’s sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, strange weaver, red-throated alethe, the blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long-tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola and many others. You will get to see exceptional views while you hike the different Virunga mountains for instance at the summit you will get to see the twin lake of Burera and Ruhondo, lake kivu, the coffee plantations in the neighboring communities in order to have an amazing tour while in the park.

Ultimate primate destinations: Volcanoes national park is the ultimate primate safaris destination in Rwanda where you will get to see the different primate species during the various activities in the park. While in volcanoes national park, you will see different monkey species like the golden monkeys, the vervet monkey, Mona monkey, Black and White colobus monkeys among other monkey species which you can track during nature walks in the park. Still in the park you will get to see the endangered mountain gorillas by participating in the gorilla trekking while in the park.

Golden monkey trekking

During golden monkey trekking, you will have to hike the different Virunga mountains to access the golden monkeys that are found in the bamboo tree along the different Virunga mountains. Golden monkey trekking will enable you to spend time with the primate species and identify their behavior in the park, for instance, their co-existence with one another, you will get to know what their diet consists of when you get to spend time with them and you will be able to see how they use bamboo as their source of food among other interesting facts about the black and golden fur covered monkeys.

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park is quite rewarding as well because you will get to spend an hour with the gorilla species as you get to learn more about them. In the park, there are over 18 gorilla families where you get to visit one of them. Some of the gorilla families that can be visited include; Hirwa gorilla family, the Agashya gorilla family, Hirwa gorilla family, Ugenda gorilla family among other Rwanda gorilla families in the park.

Home to Dian Fossey’s grave

While visiting Volcanoes National Park, you will get the chance to visit Dian Fossey’s grave. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who spent part of her life trying to research the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes national park.

While researching the mountain gorillas, Dian Fosse fell in love with the gorillas which were constantly being poached by poachers and started on the programs of protecting and conserving by this she carried out a number of patrols in the park destroying the poacher’s equipment, their snares and even reached the extent of burning their houses.

She used different media platforms like the newspapers, television, radio to send the warnings to the poachers against poaching in the park but unfortunately she was found dead in her cabin. She was buried at the gorilla cemetery in the park which she established for her gorilla friends that were killed and here tourists can access the gorilla cemetery to see Dian Fossey’s grave.

Safety of the park

The park is highly secure and there are a number of safety precautions that can be carried out in the park to ensure that you have an amazing time in the park. Some of the different precautions that are carried out in the park include the following;

Briefing, before tourists participating in activities of the park, they first to undergo a briefing session where they will be briefed on how to act while in the park, for instance following the lead of the guide in order to have a safe activity in the park.
Military personnel, the park premises are protected by military personnel who ensure that the tourists are protected from any attacks.
Before tourists access the park, they have to first go through the security checkpoint where they will be searched for any security threats like firearms, knives among other weapons that can inflict pain on other people.

Easily accessible

Easy access is another reason why you should visit Volcanoes National Park. The park can easily be accessed by travelers from around the world by using the different means of transport. The park is only 120 kilometers away from Kigali international airport which will take about 2 hours for you to reach. On landing at the Kigali international airport in Kigali city you will be picked by your tour operator and you will embark on your journey to the park. you will go through different towns like Gisenyi town, Musanze town where you will see exceptional views of the country and the locals and within 2 hours you will be at the park entrance ready to take part in the different activities in volcanoes national park.