Volcanoes National Park — Attraction in Kinigi

Not a good experience…

Before travelling to Rwanda, I was searching for different excursions on Volcanoes National Park. Despite prices in Rwanda are quite cheaper than in Spain, all the options in Volcanoes National Park were pricier than here…

A trek to see the gorilla's it cost $1.400/per person (that's the double of Uganda or more than one month salary in Catalonia), so how the price it was not available for our budget, we decided to book a trek to Bisoke Mount.

Bisoke Mount trek is a trekking to reach the top of a volcano, to reach it you have to cross the jungle where gorillas live. The price was $75 per person (expensive just to reach the top and come back…), but although it was expensive, we booked with the hope to seeing gorillas on the way.

So I wrote to them to ask some doubts about the experience, I have to say that customer service was disastrous. They answer you after days or just not get you any answer (I don't understand why they decide to answer you or not). I wrote different times, with different questions and the first time they answered me just one of the questions, and they answered me just three words, so I wrote again, but they didn't answer… SO I WROTE AGAIN and they and responded with five words! I gave up.

When trekking day arrived, we went to Volcanoes National Park Headquarters, and we found there with our guide who guided us by car to the beginning of the excursion. The excursion starts good, views was nice, very green and wet. We went escorted by an armed guard all the time, he walked a few minutes before us. In the middle of the way, we heard the gorillas very close, but we heard because the guard scared them. We asked to see them, actually we begged him to let us see them and the answer was" If you want to see them, pay the price”. Can you be more selfish and bad person? I mean, we know that the propose of this trek is not to see the gorillas, but If luckily you find them, is it necessary to scare them just because people could not see them?

Besides all of these, the grow was very muddy. You couldn't walk without falling out, and the people who suppose have to help you used to choose the worst way. Oh, and the best thing was when at the finally of the excursion they asked us $10 more… ha ha...

My friend and I recently did the Dian Fossey Tomb Hike, and it was unbelievable. The natural beauty of the landscape is stunning, visiting the old research center and Dian Fossey's grave alongside the graves of poached gorillas was an incredible experience by itself, and we were fortunate enough to see gorillas!!!

I've read hundreds of reviews of the hike that range from, "This is so easy!" to "You will perish on your trek!" The reality lies somewhere in between. Be prepared for altitude changes, and take a lot of breaks! If you're like me and have done most of your hiking below 5000 feet/1500 meters, the ascent is not super-easy. However, our guide, Odile, very obviously recognized this and made everyone take regular breaks. Porters also tag along to carry things if necessary, and while I did not have issues with bags, I did gladly accept a hand on some of the steeper parts of the path because I am not too proud to admit I am a little clumsy.

Wear hiking boots or sturdy wellies! I'd read several reviews saying it is doable in sneakers, and while that may be the case, I am SO glad our Airbnb had boots for borrow because the path is very muddy near the top, and you'll likely step in buffalo and/or gorilla poo along the way. Had I worn my sneakers, I could have done it, but I most certainly would have had one or both stuck in sludgy mud at different points in the walk.

Bring water! With the altitude changes (you go from roughly 7000 feet to nearly 10000 feet) and energy spent hiking, you'll want plenty of water. I downed nearly two liters on the way up, and I was ready for more when we got to the bottom. Bring snacks as well if a big breakfast won't cut it for you. The whole trip, from national park entrance to ascent to return to town, took about six hours.

Have a blast! I will do this hike again one day purely because it is amazing.

Thank you to Odile and all of the porters and guards who made this...

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HIRE A 4X4 TO DO THE HIKES. The park will LIE to you outright and say there is NO other option but to hire a 4x4 for the whole day which will cost 80-100usd. THIS IS A BAREFACED LIE. We did the Dian Fossey walk and you can easily reach the start of the trek with a mototaxi (to Bisate church) and then walk for 15m to the start of the trail (volcano view campsite). The people with a 4x4 will go on a bad road to keep up the pretence that a 4x4 is needed. Other people have mentioned this is also true of the golden monkey, gorillas and most likely all the other trails too. It seems everyone in the tourist industry is in on it too as they will all lie and insist only a 4x4 will do.

Aside from this, our guide (Patience) was rude and interfering with my transport issues, and the park ranger (camouflaged with a gun) who was meant to be guiding us for a while took us the wrong way then ran off leaving my partner and I in the middle of the forest completely on our own. Overall NOT impressed by the sheer incompetence of the park's staff, lack of professionalism and their scamming and lies. The park deserves its only star because the forest itself is beautiful, but this was hard to appreciate as the hike itself was muddy and slippery and unenjoyable in a huge group (15 plus double the amount of porters). We saw one squirrel and zero other wildlife (was told the chance of seeing gorillas in this hike is less than 1% so don't get any high hopes). The info given about Dian Fossey was also very scant, we were told to take photos of some information stuck behind a dirty glass on a wall in the hut and to read it when we got back by our guide. Wouldn't recommend for 75usd. Go to lake Kivu instead and hike for free and don't waste your money and save your sanity, or...