The Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park were first made internationally famous by pioneering primatologist Dian Fossey and her work with families of mountain gorillas, including her favourite whom she called ‘Digit’.
Today, guests are able to experience the same awe as Fossey did in a 4-day flying safari that kicks off in Kigali and see you spending three nights at the Virunga Lodge, which has sensational vistas of not only the surrounding volcanoes but also of Lakes Ruhonda and Bulera.
Trekking gorillas through dense forest is thrilling: experienced guides and trackers will find clues to the families’ overnight movements in the verdant vegetation. Once you encounter a family, you will be able to spend an hour observing them before returning to the lodge for a hot shower, delicious meal and a personal meditation on how it feels to come face to face with our closest living relatives. Volcanoes Safaris is, to date, the only safari company to have signed the United Nations’ Kinshasa Declaration on Safeguarding the Great Apes.
Other activities at Virunga Lodge include visiting Fossey and Digit’s graves, seeking out rare golden monkeys, discovering the untouched inland beaches of Lake Kivu, and learning more about Rwandan life at nearby schools, villages and orphanages.