5 DAYS GORILLA TRACKING AND WILDLIFE (NEW)

Meet the Batwa pygmies, go mountain gorilla trekking, go on a boat cruise and enjoy exciting game drives in Uganda!

DAY 1: KIGALI – BWINDI IMPENETRABLE
Our driver guide will pick you up from the airport and transfer you on a 3-hour car journey via the Gatuna Border to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Proceed to Buhoma for your lunch, followed by a Batwa (Pygmies) community walk in the evening. Enjoy dinner and spend the night at your lodge.

Duration: 3 hours

Activity: Bwindi Transfer

Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge / Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full board: Dinner, Lunch, Bed & breakfast.

DAY 2: GORILLA TRACKING
Wake up very early in the morning for your breakfast. Afterwards, you will proceed to the National Park headquarters to meet your guides for the day. After completing the necessary formalities at the park, we will embark on an unforgettable mountain gorilla tracking expedition. Once you spot them, you will be able to spend an hour watching your long-lost cousin in his natural habitat. Return to your hotel for lunch, dinner and overnight.

Duration: 3 hours

Activity: Gorilla Tracking in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest

Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge / Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full board: Dinner, Lunch, Bed & breakfast.

DAY 3: DEPART FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, we will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and reach Mweya at midday, a place with a stunningly beautiful view over the Kazinga Channel. You will check in at your accommodation and have lunch. Late in the afternoon (4.00- 7.00pm), we will go on a game drive. You will then enjoy dinner and rest at your lodge.

Duration: 5hrs

Activities: afternoon game drive

Accommodation: Pumba Safari Cottages

Meal Plan: Dinner, Lunch, Bed & Breakfast

DAY 4: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
This day will be spent on a game drive on the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where thousands of Ugandan kobs, lions, elephants, etc. will pose for the camera. Also in the programme is a 2-hour cruise on the Kazinga Channel where we will see all the animals from the waterside. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Duration: 5hrs

Activities: Full day Game drive + Kazinga channel boat ride

Accommodation: Pumba Safari Cottages

Meal Plan: Dinner, Lunch, Bed & Breakfast

DAY 5: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK – KIGALI AIRPORT
Early in the morning, we depart with a game drive en route to Kigali, and then cross the Gatuna Border for your homebound flight.

Duration: 5hrs

Activities: Airport transfer

Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast

Top Attractions in the Virunga Conservation Area

The mountain gorillas, which can only be found in the Virunga range of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda needs no introduction to any adventurous tourist who visits east and central Africa. Apart from coming to see the Big 5 in Akagera National Park, most tourists also come to the Virunga to trek the mountain gorillas.

However, the Virunga range is not all about these incredible primates. There’s still a lot to see and experience here, and your vacation is going to be most exciting if you can take time to adventure into some of these attraction sites. Ecotourism also has taken a lead in the Virunga range, and you will not only see and trek animals here but experience the local people’s culture.

 Virunga Community Programs has compiled to you a list of other alternative attractions to see and experience.

1.   Golden Monkeys

You may also trek so as to see the golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda). Golden monkeys, just like the mountain gorillas, live in groups. And different groups also have been habituated for trekking. You can contact Virunga Community Programs about trekking golden monkeys and the cost of permit. But one thing for sure, trekking golden monkeys is going to be a memorable adventure.

2.   The Virunga’s mountains

Tourism in the Virunga massif is not only about wildlife. You are also going to enjoy hiking the volcanoes. This amazing conservation range is home to eight volcanic mountains, which two of them are active (Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo), both found in the DRC at the heart of Virunga National Park.

From instance, according to Volcano Live, an online magazine,  Nyiragongo volcano is one of the most active in Africa. It is noted for long active lava lakes which appear in the summit crater. The volcano is located near the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Apart from these, there are also six non-active volcanoes namely Mikeno, Bisoke, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

Tourists may participate in hiking any of the above mentioned volcanoes whose peaks offer clear and panoramic view of the neighboring communities. Researchers have indicated that hiking these mountains is a lifetime experience.

3.   The Batwa Pigmies in Uganda and DRC

You also can take time to visit the Batwas when you want to learn the rich history of these ancient forest dwellers. They lived in forests before the introduction of tourism and the national parks were gazetted. They were later evicted to the boundaries of the forest, and forced to adapt to lifestyle they were not only used to but also uncomfortable with. The Batwa, while interacting with them, introduce tourists to their traditional forest life which include fruit gathering, making fires, stories, songs, poems, hunting and dances. So as to improve their standard of living, different activities like the Buniga forest walks and the Batwa cultural trail have been introduced. The community takes the lead in the activities that earn them a living they use to sustain their livelihoods and support their families. You are going to feel like part of the Batwa community when you participate in these activities.

4.   The Dian Fossey Grave

You also may visit the grave of Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey was an American conservationist and primatologist who is reputed to have begun gorilla tourism in the Virunga range because of rampant poaching at that time. In 1968, she came to the area in order to conserve the endangered gorillas. Dian Fossey made her home in the slopes of Mount Bisoke from where she conducted her studies and research so as to protect these endangered species. But because of her work, particularly her campaign against poaching, Dian Fossey was killed after 18 years. Her grave has become a tourist attraction site.

The Virunga massif should be in your bucket list for your next east and central Africa adventure. You are not only going to trek the amazing mountain gorillas but also the golden monkeys while you also have a lifetime experience seeing other sites and hiking the volcanoes. The Virunga Community Programs is going to ensure you enjoy your experience to the maximum.

6 Funny Facts About The Mountain Gorillas

Most tourists come to the Virunga massif with only one intention: to trek the mountain gorillas. Yes, these primates have become like tourism holy grail to the three countries; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that share the vast Virunga range.

Mountain gorillas are endangered species, with only 1004 of them estimated to be remaining on earth, according to the latest census. But every year, increasing number of tourists come to these countries for gorilla trekking, and they still cannot get enough of these amazing animals. Is gorilla trekking in your bucket list this year? Virunga Community Programs will ensure that you do have a good experience with the animals when you book your gorilla trekking with us to see them in all the three countries. The following are some interesting facts about the mountain gorillas.

1. They live in forested mountains

As their name suggests, they live in the mountains, and these mountains are forested. They sometimes climb up the peak of these mountains. Virunga Community Programs advises that when you are doing mountain gorilla safaris, you should be ready to hike through forested mountains. However, this shouldn’t scare you since they live on relatively lower slopes and they can be tracked for shorter periods of time, normally between one and two hours.

2. They feed predominantly on plant leaves and bamboo shoots

Mountain gorillas are vegetarians. They spend most of their time feeding on leaves and bamboo shoots. Sometimes they sit and grab all the edible leaves their arms can reach. They also eat wild fruits. The baby gorillas breastfeed till they reach a reasonable age when they are able to begin feeding on their own.

3. They live in families and groups of their choice

Mountain gorillas live in families or groups ranging between 10 and 30 or even more. The families are led by a silverback, which is a dominant male gorilla which fights hard to protect the family. When a male mountain gorilla feels that it is strong enough, it will fight hard to get females and when possible it will leave the main group to begin a new life.

4. They are very aggressive if provoked

These are very peaceful animals. However, try provoking it. That is when you are going to see its bestial side. When people are in their presence, they will continue relaxing or feeding. They will move away to keep a reasonable distance with tourists. But do not provoke them in any way. They are quite strong and when disturbed may lose their temper and attack. Therefore, to avoid any fracas with them, Virunga Community Programs recommend that you should keep a reasonable distance away when you go tracking them (This is normally 7 meters). Also avoid aping their habits like chest beating since this would appear you are challenging them to a fight. Do not make a lot of noise and do not also use flash photography.

5. They are mobile animals

They normally move from one place to another in search of fresh foods. They therefore don’t have a permanent place to call home. Instead they build new sleeping nests every day where they are going to sleep that night. It’s among the reasons why trekking them normally involves moving since they are also on the move.

6. They are prone to human diseases

Mountain gorillas have 98% DNA similar to human being. They may therefore easily contract human diseases such as flu and several other communicable illnesses within a short period of time. This is why there’s a cap on the number of tourists (8) visiting a gorilla family in a day and strictly spending only one hour with them.

Going for a gorilla trekking safari in DRC, Rwanda and Uganda is an exciting and memorable experience. But you should take necessary precaution before starting your tour. Virunga Community Programs Staff is going to adequately prepare you for your trekking by giving you necessary advice prior to your excursion into the mountainous forests.

Africa hunger should be a shame to all

HAPPY WORLD FOOD DAY

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) on October 16 each year celebrates World Food Day to commemorate the day it was founded in 1945. And according to FAO, various events from marathons and hunger marches, to exhibitions, cultural performances, contests and concerts – are organised in around 130 countries across the world to celebrate this day, which makes it among the most celebrated days in the UN calendar.

Goal two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed in 2016 strives for “Zero Hunger” by the year 2030. Regretfully, hunger and malnutrition remain large barriers of development in many regions, including Africa.

Hunger has several causes, and these are always mutually inclusive. Basically, the main causes of hunger include conflict, poverty, lack of investment in agriculture, weather and climate and unstable markets.

In Africa and elsewhere poverty is the main cause of hunger. Often people living in poverty are unable to afford sufficient quantity and quality of food to enable them live healthy lives. And poverty often is a cycle!

There are many areas in Africa that suffers from incessant conflicts, like some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Violence and conflicts may have both direct and indirect impacts on all levels of food system. This leads to food security and hunger.

Environmental challenges like drought and water shortages, deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion may have detrimental impact on food security. According to statistics, 2017, 23 countries experienced food crises due to climate and weather conditions. Two-thirds of these countries were in Africa, affecting approximately 32 million people.

At Virunga Community Programs we have initiated different initiatives that seek to mitigate food security in the Virunga massif. We believe that the world has enough for everyone, and human beings should just act prudently to ensure that all of us share that nature has to provide. The Virunga range has been a source of conflict, particularly in the Eastern DRC as a result of human thirst for natural resources.

As we continue to come up with innovative programs that will address poverty and conservation challenges in the Virunga massif, it is our hope that every one of us behaves responsibly so that we can all together address challenges of food security and hunger

The Critical Role Women Play in Society Development

By Virunga Community Programs

Women play a critical role in society. That cannot be disputed. For instance, they ensure the sustainability of households and communities.

In rural areas of Africa, women face different challenges in pursuit of their natural duties. And these challenges, sadly, have not been recognized. They contribute to a massive proportion in agricultural sector, which include formal work. They perform the bulk of unpaid domestic work and unpaid care within households and families in rural areas. In a nutshell, women make vital contributions to food security and nutrition.

However, women in rural areas of Africa still disproportionately from multi-dimensional social issues like poverty. According to http://www.un.org/en/events/ruralwomenday/,  

Even so, women and girls in rural areas suffer from multi-dimensional poverty. While extreme poverty has declined globally, the world’s 1 billion people who continue to live in unacceptable conditions of poverty are heavily concentrated in rural areas. Poverty rates in rural areas across most regions are higher than those in urban areas. Yet smallholder agriculture produces nearly 80 per cent of food in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and supports the livelihoods of some 2.5 billion people. Women farmers may be as productive and enterprising as their male counterparts, but are less able to access land, credit, agricultural inputs, markets and high-value agrifood chains and obtain lower prices for their crops.

It further says structural barriers and discriminatory social norms continue to constrain women’s decision-making power and political participation in rural households and communities.

But we all can change the tide against all these challenges facing women. And it starts with you. 

Virunga Community Programs will continue supporting ways through which women can develop socially and economically. For Amelia Earhart said and we quote, “ Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.

Let us all support education of the girl child and empower the whole community

www.virungaprograms.com

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child. Basically, the resolution was meant to recognize unique challenges that girls face around the world.

Almost seven years later, girls have shown their resilience in almost all spheres of life, that what men can do they also can do, and even better, as the saying goes.

In the whole Virunga massif, we have seen women now taking a leading role in conservation efforts. This is just a fraction of what women can achieve when they are empowered, particularly through education. Women in this region are now involving themselves in tree planting, and sensitizing their communities about the importance of conservation.

But this is not all. Some of the women are now serving as tour guides, rangers and porters. These are economic activities that help to uplift the lives of their families, while they contribute to protection of wildlife. They also teach others about illegal activities like poaching in the national parks.

The issue of girl child is a global problem. But it is so much deep in Africa where economic and social issues still run deeply.

Particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the war torn region is grappling with the effects of girls not attending schools. Some of them chose to be girl soldiers or wives to men soldiers at a young age when they should be attending schools to secure their future.

But all they hope for is normal lives, where they can raise their future families. The recognition of girl child should be a moral responsibility for those who care about life, and not just to be left to institutions like the UN. So, as we celebrate 11 October as a day specifically dedicated for the girl child, we should look back and forward to what the world has achieved in promotion of the girl child, particularly in education.

Virunga Community Programs promotes development of the girl child in all spheres. They are our sisters today and tomorrow they will be our mothers. We hope that through educating the girl child, we are securing a better future for the next generation. You who is reading this piece can make a change by supporting our programs that target education of the girl child in the wider Virunga range, particularly in Northern Kivu where education remains a challenge due to incessant conflicts that has been running for many decades there.

Let us treat all animals with tender loving care

Let us treat all animals with tender loving care

By Virunga Community Programs

October 4 every year is a day dedicated to animals. The World Animal Day is an international day of action for the rights and welfare of animals and is celebrated on the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

The Virunga Community Programs would like to take this opportunity to salute those who care about various animals, particularly those animals people normally think are of no value to them. There are also animal orphanages around the world, like Nairobi Animal Orphanage that also deserve our salute.

All animals are equal even though to human beings, some animals are regarded as more equal than others. For instance, in the wider virunga massif, so much attention is given to the iconic mountain gorillas simply because these animals are regarded as cash cows, so to speak, because of their status as tourists’ attractions. Therefore, so much care is given to them, they are treated royally when they are sick, their movements are monitored by the second, and they are given protections like POTUS. This goes for other wildlife species like the Big 5 that are also equally given tender loving care because they attract the coveted tourist dollar.

However, even the smallest of animals need our protection, and this is what World Animal Day is all about. All animals are living beings that feel joy, pain, fear, hunger, thirst and everything imaginable. God, in His wisdom, created man and gave them dominion over animals. It implies that we should be their protectors who cherish them, care for them, respect them and show them compassion. We should feel their pain when they are in trouble and share their joy when they are happy.

But disturbingly, are we honestly doing all these? Just recently, it was reported that bushmeat hunting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is still rampant, despite abundance of alternative food that man has at his disposal.

Poaching is still a major threat to the lives of wild animals in the Virunga massif, and this has not only led to the death of animals but also their protectors like rangers. The Virunga National Park was closed to tourism activities this year because of the insecurity situation that targeted both wildlife and humans.

In other parts of the world, animals are treated inhumanely. They are not given enough food though they work like donkeys (pun intended). Those for food are inhumanely slaughtered. Even animals deserve some dignity!

Yes, some animals do tough work for man but less care is given to them. They will only be treated when they are seriously ill. You probably have seen how animals like pigs are transported when headed for slaughter. Are we compassionate enough to these animals?

We all should unite to make this world a better place for animals. Virunga Community Programs proposes that we should establish animal orphanages everywhere, not just in big cities so that animals can be taken care of and rehabilitated. For instance, there are many cats and dogs that roam the streets without anyone to take care of them. But if only we can show a little love and tenderness to them and adopt them! This can go a long way in showing our human compassion.

The World Animal Day is celebrated in different ways in every country, regardless of faith, political ideology, nationality or religion. Through increased awareness and education, human beings are able to create a world where animals are regarded as sentient beings and always full regard is paid to their welfare.