Driedaags Nyungwe Canopy en Kivu Lake Adventure

Ik heb echt genoten van deze natuurvakantie - avontuur. Ik was eerder in Lake Kivu geweest, dus Olivier hielp me vriendelijk om deze reis aan te passen met een chimpanseetrektocht in de vroege ochtend in Nyungwe Park. Het altijd aanwezige uitzicht op Kivu en andere meren was rustgevend en verfrissend, zowel op de weg als in het hotel, en ik was blij om wat smakelijke vis en lokale gerechten te proeven. De canopy walk was fascinerend; en ik was verheugd om verschillende chimpansees en bavianen in hun boshabitat te zien. Het is het regenseizoen, dus ik ging volledig voorbereid met uitrusting op pad, maar gelukkig voor mij bleken beide trekkingdagen aangenaam zonnig te zijn. Mijn chauffeur / gids, John, was erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam, met solide tijd - management en veiligheidsvaardigheden. Zelfs de lange ritten van en naar Kigali waren de moeite waard, met een prachtig landschap van groene terrassen, theeplantages, glooiende heuvels en weelderige bossen.

This tour took us on a drive from Kigali to south-western Rwanda across the land which as its metaphor suggests, is indeed a land of thousands of hills. Nyungwe forest itself can be a hit or miss if you want to spot the elusive fauna. If animals are a must see, then you might be disappointed, but a short trek up and down through the mountainous tropical forest to the canopy has its own thrill. There are other longer trails in Nyungwe, but this tour does not cover them. Night fishing on Lake Kivu was for us the highlight of this tour. One gets to see the action right from the central fishing boat (of three boats). The locals are not pretending to fish for the benefit of tourists but simply going about earning their livelihood. Beware though that this part is subject to security approval by the naval marines, which fortunately we were granted at the last minute, or we wouldn't have known what we missed. The night accommodations might not be luxurious, but are adequate. We went in the rainy season, so a good jacket, umbrellas and shoes for trudging through clayey mud are recommended. Do keep your eyes open throughout the drive and witness the clean green Rwandan countryside, especially on the drive back to Kigali via winding roads or you will miss out on wonderful sights of the lake and misty mountains. Not quite sure how things will look like in the dry season. Our guides, Olivier and Bosco were very professional, friendly, punctual in their pickup from our hotel, pointed out interesting spots throughout the drive and generally made us feel safe. We really enjoyed their company. Did I mention a WiFi hotspot is present in the car should you want to stay connected? Keep it to a minimum though or you will miss out on the more important things. This two-day adventure has my recommendation.

I really enjoyed the tour with Olivier -- the degree of tailoring, friendliness, and strong interest in making this an enjoyable experience was impressive. The tour included several unexpected add-ons that brough strong value to the experience. I also really appreicated that the guides took great pictures of the tour, and sent us these photos after the tour, again unexpected but a great value-add. I would definitely recommend this tour.