A SAFARI TO RWANDA IS ACOMPLETE TOUR.

Volcanoes National Park.

This is the most famous destination in Rwanda, the park has become famous mostly because of its mountain gorilla tracking safaris and no visit to the country would be complete without visiting these giant primates.

The park boarders Uganda and the DRC. Gorillas, of course, pay no heed to borders and are known to cross between the countries, although most habituated groups are to be found in Volcanoes National Park. Visiting the Gorillas in the mist is an experience you will never forget.

Ruhengeri town now commonly known as Musanze is easily accessible on a 1-2 hour drive from the capital Kigali. Now this town is a tourist hub, with plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants.

The Park’s Headquarters are based in the nearby village of Kinigi, the administrative centre for permits and the place where all visitors gather in the mornings for briefings before starting on their gorilla treks.

Not only Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park but also several other primates have made the Park their home too and it’s possible to track two troops of habituated golden monkeys, a totally different experience to gorilla tracking. Golden monkeys tend to inhabit the bamboo forests on the lower slopes, so the walk to reach them is relatively easy. Again, once you find them, you’ll have just an hour in their presence. They’re fast-moving little creatures, and very entertaining as they constantly swing through the bamboo or chase each other in circles all around you. They’re also very pretty, with shiny reddish-gold backs that blend in perfectly with the golden bamboo.

This is what it's like living in Uganda

This is what it's like living in Uganda

Africa is a place that fascinates many of the people in the West. It still fascinates me and I live here. I don’t know if it’s the beat of those African drums, the relaxed pace of life, the smiling faces that greet me whenever I’m out and about or that I frequently find myself humoured by the fact that some things can only be explained with a shrug and a smile! There’s just something about this continent. Sometimes people ask me, ‘What it’s like living in Uganda’? Depending on the timeframe given, my answer can range from ‘good’ to a 3 hour conversation. Here’s a quick read that i will cut down in no particular order:

1. Security. The moment you step off the plane you will notice it. It might be the fact that the UN and the US Air Force were the only other planes at the tiny airport or the fact that everyday you’ll see 60-85 armed guards cruising the streets carrying automatic weapons. Either way, it’s a slight change from NZ.It’s also not surprising in Uganda to see young men carrying rifles across their chest in a busy marketplace or on their motorbikes. Every time I go into a public place like a shopping district, restaurant, supermarket or hotel – I’ll be patted down, have to put my bag through a check and have my car looked over inside, outside and underside for weapons.

2. Weather. Uganda is on the equator which means that the temperature is pretty constant year round – 27-31 degrees Celsius most days. When it rains, it rains like you would expect in the songs you hear about African rain. These tropical rainstorms usually lasts a couple hours before clearing to the hazy/smoggy blue sky that covers most of the country year round. You sweat every day and your body is consistently caked in a fine layer of red dust that never quite comes out.

3. Transport. One has four options. 1. Walking. 2. Taxi (van that legally seats 10 but actually seats 15 humans, a few chickens and fish strapped to the exterior bullbars). 3. BodaBoda’s  - these motorcycles make the city feel alive. With the loud engines, dodgy driving and colourful characters driving them – if you have a heart attack then this one won't favor you. I have personally seen an average of accidents every few weeks.  4. Cars – we are driving a massive Land Cruiser Troop Carrier 4.2Litre Diesel engine. It feels great to be driving a vehicle that can ram anything off the road. This attitude is of course of great concern to Tim with our company's driving record.

4. Food.  You buy most of your food at markets here and then pick up the rest of your items from a small supermarket.  Fresh vegetables and fruit are offered on almost every street corner in the country. Tropical fruit like mangoes, pineapples and passion fruit are staples and most other vegetables eaten in the West are available. Quality varies from stall to stall and we often buy fruit and veg twice a week to keep things fresh in the constant heat. The local stable food in Uganda is matoke, beans, rice, posho,meat, and g-nut.    If you pull over to the side of the road while driving, you’ll have 25 Ugandans run up to your car trying to sell you anything from toilet paper to a goat (we hope) kebab stick. If we want a quick local snack we go for a rolex (a chapatti (local bread) with a fried egg/tomato/cabbage omelette wrapped inside it). That will fill you up. There’s also a handful of safe and yummy places to go out to eat.

5.Garbage Challenges. Brushing your teeth with bottled water.  Dealing with Mzingu (white people) prices for everyday goods and services. Being surrounded by corruption in every facet of life. Unrelenting traffic almost 24/7. Pot holes so deep and roads so bad I have taken to wearing a sports bra when driving. Sleeping under a mosquito net every single night. Getting in and out of our house with multiple keys and padlocks. Monster sized biting ants, dragon flys, bees, snakes, lizards and birds all around the house you live in.   

6. Time. It is just different in western countries like in New Zealand you plan your days and even weekends into hourly chunks unlike Life in Uganda where everything moves at a slow rate, relaxed pace. Nothing happens quickly. If the water or power goes out, no-one really knows why or when it will be fixed. And they don’t seem to mind. If we do call someone, their phone is off. Then, three days later and with no rhyme or reason, it’s back on. If you’re late it’s not a big deal, it’s expected and appreciated.

7. Morals and Culture. God is important here. The majority of Ugandans would say they have a Christian faith and attend church. Whether or not they’re living a Christian lifestyle is another question. Respect for your elders is paramount and the African saying of it takes a village to raise a child comes to life here. It’s normal to be raised by a variety of ‘Mama’s’ ranging from your Aunt to your Grandmather. A poverty mentality can see some people living for today, not for tomorrow. Instead of letting a tree grow big juicy fruit, they will pick it at ¼ of the size and make the money for today. Instead of letting a small tree grow, they will cut it down for firewood tonight,that's life in Uganda.

African Jungle Adventures LTD, the number one tour company in Uganda and Rwanda.

If you have been in Africa and have not toured Uganda and Rwanda, then you are missing and you must sneak there.   Earlier back in 1909 Sir Winston Churchill called Uganda “the Pearl of Africa”  – a century later, Lonely Planet voted Uganda the No. 1 destination for 2012.It is the perfect location for those who want to experience the unique ambiance of Africa. Meanwhile, Rwanda a country of a thousand hills is a must sneak there, for its beautiful, clean tourism attractions.

Rwanda has got a number of attractions to offer you, from the Mountain Gorilla Tracking, beautiful Golden monkeys, the Grave hike of Dian Fossy a primatologist who fought Mountain Gorilla Poaching and selling between 1967 to 1985. Visit the beautiful Africa’s Primates in Nyungwe Forest National Park which is one of the best places for Primate Watch in Rwanda as well as Africa with troops of Colobus. The canopy walk takes you through the Adventures of Bird watching of colorful Birds in the forest canopy. Akagera National Park is the Rwanda’s savanna national Park with a number of Wildlife and a series of Rivers and Swamps with a number of Swamp and Savannah birds.

 The country is also a great Cultural Destination for Cultural Safaris with a number of presentations which includes Music, Dance and Drama and a number cultural Museums were they are able to explain their origin. Therefore, with African Jungle Adventures get prepared not only for a gorilla treck or Chimpanzee tracking, canopy walk but also a great Rwanda Safari at large.

Based in Kampala, Uganda specialists African Jungle Adventures LTD, is the number one tour company in Uganda and Rwanda, it has been providing expert personalized travel advice to individuals, families and groups for safari, wildlife and adventure activities experiences in Uganda and Rwanda respectively.

We offer travel for gorilla trekking, safaris, chimpanzee tracking, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bird watching, hotel and lodge bookings, Cultural tours, Boat cruise, Forest walk, Kampala city tours.

Whether you choose our budget camping safaris, or our luxurious lodge safaris you can trust that with us you are getting the best value out of your experience possible.

Our company owns 5 Land Cruisers which are all air conditioned, outfitted with safety equipment. Our vehicles are serviced every after a trip for the client’s safety.

Murchison Falls National park-The largest park in Uganda

If you have been in Uganda and have not toured Murchison Falls National park, then you are missing and must sneak there.  It remains me of the animals like elephants, buffaloes, giraffe and a variety of antelopes. Then a visit to the top of the falls isn't a must miss, this visit to the Top of the falls make Murchison Falls National Park one of the most delightful parks in Uganda.

 However, Murchison Falls National Park is the Uganda’s largest park, a game drive on the Northern Bank of River Nile is so interesting, this activity takes about 3-5 hours and Wildlife in the Park includes elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Hartebeest, Uganda kobs, oribis and waterbucks.

Receive a boat cruise on the Albert Nile that will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants, bee-eater and the rare shoebill stork.

Now, let’s talk about lodging at Murchison Falls National Park, Paara Safari Lodge,Sambiya River Lodge, Red chilli rest camp and many others are so comfortable with beautiful views of the River Nile.

Paara Safari Lodge.

Paraa, meaning home of the hippo in the local Luo language, and is among the most prominent attractions within the park as it supports the largest concentration of wildlife in the entire park.

The lodge is well known for its comfortable accommodation. It has about 54 beautiful rooms with nice balconies and some number of suits that offer a perfect view of the River Nile.

Facilities at the lodge include swimming pool, restaurant with both international and local foods, full stocked barman the beautiful natural gardens on the landscape.

Another exciting activity is the boat cruise that will give a chance to see large concentrations of hippos as well as crocodiles resting on the shores of the river.

Paara Safari lodge is well designed with ancient history Architecture that will remind you of the olden days.

Sambiya Safari Lodge.

Simbiya Safari Lodge which is positioned in the glorious Murchison Falls National Park and it has the best accommodation that will favor all tourists. It takes you 15minutes from the lodge to the falls. The lodge has almost 26 thatched Cottages which are designed well with a beautiful balcony which gives a beautiful view of Sambiya River.

The most exciting aspect about this lodge is the fact that they offer budget accommodation at a low price particularly for budget travelers.

Red Chilli Camp

Red Chilli Camp is situated in the hub of Murchison FallsNational Park, on the southern bank of River Nile to offer you an adventurous Welcome to Red Chilli Rest Campencounter with nature. The camp is about 500 meters from the Paraa ferry where all vehicles assemble to cross the Nile for game viewing.

The camp amenities are well designed with an African style. It has a restaurant that serves both international and local cuisines. They have a fully stocked bar with a wide selection of wines and spirits. They are built with an overview looking at the Nile and park. The open hours are often from 6.30am to 9.30pm.The bar is open till midnight. A camp fire is lit every evening for a wonderful encounter with nature.

The camp offers several kinds of accommodation facilities for instance cooking provision, toilets and bathrooms. These range from the less expensive bandas to the low cost tents. If you opt for bandas, you will be well assured of lights, fan, towels and a mosquito net. You can pitch your own tent as well.

Red chilli offers the cheapest prices favoring the budget travelers.

EXPLORE THE MUSANZE CAVE.

Musanze cave.

Explore the Great Musanze Caves and discover the mysteries that lie within the mysterious cavernous depths of the Rwandan Earth. Located in Musanze district in the Notheren province of Rwanda, near Volcanoes national park, a home for mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Musanze cave formerly known as Nyamwasama was forged over centuries of volcanic eruption, and formed from lava basaltic layers from the Bisoke and Sabyinyo volcanoes.

 The lava flowed down, cooling and leaving large pockets and tubes in the earth, which became Rwanda’s magnificent caves.

The Musanze Caves development works were a joint project of the Ministry of Defense Reserve force started in January 2013 for tourism purposes. This home of a bat colony is 1.25 mile long.

So far, the inside of the dark cave depicts a picture of a house with several rooms and corridors. The floor is paved and there are some stairs to ease movement.

The cave is said to have been a result of volcanic eruption decades ago. A visit to the caves costs $50 for the foreign visitors.   Plan well and visit this cave its fun!

ARE YOU READY FOR VIRUNGA ADVENTURE?

Getting to Virunga National Park!

Airline Travel.

Most tourists fly into the Kigali international airport and take a 3-hour car ride to the border crossing at Gisenyi, Rwanda. International flights often arrive in the evening, so we recommend spending the night in Kigali and leaving for Virunga the next morning. Most Kigali hotels will arrange an airport pick up for a small additional charge.

Virunga is an open forest for tourism.We are pleased to announce that even expeditions to the Bwindi national park is available.

Mountain Gorilla Treks.

All treks are led by park rangers and depart from either Kakamero or Bukima. Tourists not staying at the lodge will likely depart from Kakamero, which is one hour from Goma by car. Treks from Kakamero usually require 2-3 hours of hiking in each direction, depending where the mountain gorillas spent the previous night. Tourists staying at the Mikeno lodge will likely begin their trek from Bukima, which is a one-hour drive from Rumangabo. Hiking time can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours in each direction. The duration of the hike and difficulty of the terrain will depend on where the mountain gorillas spent the previous night.

If you’re not worn out you proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and spend yet another day with gorillas in the mist. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. The park is part is situated along the Democratic Republic of Congo border next  to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley. The park has half of the world's population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas. There are four habituated mountain gorilla groups open to tourism: Mubare; Habinyanja; Rushegura near Buhoma; and the Nkuringo group at Nkuringo.

Lodging around Virunga nationalpark.

Accommodation is being offered at a discounted rate for a limited time

The Mikeno Lodge.

The Lodge is a one and a half hour drive from Goma and offers large bungalows and a good restaurant. The lodge and restaurant are located within a forest and offer beautiful views of the rift valley and Nyiragongo and Mikeno volcanoes. Nature walks and visits to local places of interest can be arranged. There is an abundance of bird life, as well as resident blue monkeys, colobus monkeys, and baboons. Chimpanzees are also frequent visitors to the area.