Rwanda
“In the heart of Central Africa, so high that you shiver more then you sweat,” wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey, “are the great old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet and heavily covered in rich, green rainforest – the Virungas”.
The Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of the magnificent Virunga mountain range and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, with its evergreens, bamboo forests, open grassland, swamp and heath. Volcanoes National Park (Parc National de Volcans) is situated in north-western Rwanda – and this is where you find the gorillas. This is one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth – spending time with the gorillas as they go about their daily life: feeding, playing, resting and raising their young.
Highlight: Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest is the largest swath of montane forest left in East or Central Africa. It harbors 275 species of birds, hundreds of butterflies and orchids, and over 75 different species of mammals, including 13 primates. A canopy walk on a bridge suspended through the rainforest canopy offers a new perspective on the animals that dwell in the upper reaches of the forest.
