Gorillas and Beaches

Virunga

Day 1: Arrive in Kigali, City Tour & Drive to Parc National des Volcans Upon arrival in Kigali you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you can explore this vibrant city with a guide and you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Genocide Memorial and Education Centre which is a permanent memorial to those who were killed during the genocide. After your city tour you’ll be transferred to Kinigi at the foothills of the Virungas in Parc National des Volcans. Upon arrival you’ll check in to your accommodation where you’ll stay for the next three nights.  

Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking After another early breakfast you’ll once again be driven to the Parc National des Volcans HQ where you’ll meet your guide who will brief you about your golden monkey trek. Tracking golden monkeys and gorillas is a similar experience – you’ll be in a small group of no more than eight people and you can spend just one hour with the monkeys once you find them. However as the golden monkeys live in the bamboo vegetation at the base of the volcanoes, the trek is not as strenuous as tracking gorillas. The monkeys are very active and it is likely that you’ll find them leaping between the bamboo branches in the trees above you or playing on the forest floor. After your golden monkey trek you can visit the Iby’Iwacu cultural village before returning to your accommodation.

Day 5: Fly to Mafia Island After breakfast you’ll be picked up and transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Mafia Island. On arrival in Kilindoni you’ll be met by a driver and taken to your chosen accommodation where you’ll spend the next five nights.

Day 7: Swimming with Whale Sharks Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. If you’re visiting Mafia Island between October and March you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel with Whale Sharks, or if you’re visiting between July and October you may be lucky enough to see Humpback Whales. If you’re visiting from June to September you can join a turtle-hatching trip and witness hundreds of baby turtles scramble from the sandy beaches to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Day 9: Mafia Island at Lesiure Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. You may wish to stroll through Chole village where you can visit the old mosque, the Fruit Bat sanctuary or the boat yard or you may wish to explore Mrora Forest, Ras Mbizi Coconut Plantation or the Lighthouse at Ras Mkumbi.