Great Apes
Meeting gorillas & chimpanzees in the jungles of Rwanda & Uganda
is the most unique experience of a life time.
In Uganda and Rwanda, safari tourists have the opportunity to take part in gorilla tracking and experience the gentle giants up close and watch them go about their daily activities. This also applies to visiting chimpanzee groups. Observing the rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is probably one of the most breathtaking wildlife encounters that safari tourists can experience in Africa - if not the world.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The 331 km² Park in southwest Uganda on the edge of the Central African Rift Valley has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. This protected habitat is home to a large population of mountain gorillas, which make up almost half of the world's population.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Park is located in the south-west of Uganda on the border with Rwanda and the DR Congo and covers an area of just 33.7 km². Since 1991, numerous mountain gorillas have found a protected and safe habitat here on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. The park is accessible all year round, in the rainy season, only by off-road vehicles.
Volcanoes National Park
The Parc National des Volcans (also known as Volcanoes National Park) is located in the far northwest of Rwanda. The peaks of its extinct volcanic chain divide the countries of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. The national park was made famous by the American gorilla researcher Dian Fossey, and even today, these primates are the Volcanoes' greatest asset. If you want to see mountain gorillas and rare golden monkeys or trek the extinct volcanic landscape, the Rwandan Volcanoes National Park is the place to be.
Kibale National Park
Kibale Forest National Park was established in 1993 in western Uganda near Fort Portal. It offers visitors a wonderful combination of dense mountain cloud forests and chimpanzees. The area is very varied, and safari tourists can experience other typical Central African, drier landscapes.
The Park has one of the highest primate densities in the world. The park is also home to over 300 bird species and 140 butterfly species. With some luck, visitors can track down the large herds of forest elephants, although they are usually hidden. Bushbucks, duikers, brush-eared pigs, civets, cape buffalo, and giant forest hogs are also found. The most common primates in the region include guerezas, diademed monkeys, bushbabies, full-bearded monkeys, black-cheeked white-nosed monkeys, and red, black, and white colobus monkeys.
Nyungwe National Park
The Nyungwe Forest (Forêt Naturel de Nyungwe) in the southwest of Rwanda covers an area of 970 km² and is the largest contiguous mountain rainforest in East and Central Africa. Hikers experience a natural backdrop straight out of a fairytale. This natural region, the best preserved in Africa, is home to the highest biodiversity in Rwanda with over 1000 animal species.
Tourists hike among orchids and butterflies in a tropical humid environment, go primate tracking and bird watching and look down on the magnificent 100-year-old treetops from the canopy walks.
