Spending Christmas Holidays in Rwanda
Are you planning to spend your Christmas holidays in Rwanda this year and you are uncertain how you can go about it? Rwanda is the best destination in Africa that is worth spending a Christmas holiday. There is a lot that awaits you on the Christmas holidays in Rwanda. Spending the Christmas holidays in Rwanda is fun and leaves long-lasting memories among families. There are many ways of spending the Christmas holiday in Rwanda. The available opportunities range from primate adventures, and wildlife, to cultural or community interactions. Visitors can also choose to have great moments in their respective comfortable lodges.
How to go about Christmas Holidays in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is one perfect way that visitors can spend their Christmas holiday in Rwanda. Booking a gorilla tour with the local expert is a great opportunity to embark on a journey to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Over 350 out of 1063 mountain gorillas survive in the jungles of Volcanoes National Park alone with more than 13 groups already undergone full habituation. The presence of these large apes in the lush Volcanoes National Park makes Rwanda an ideal spot to consider for a Christmas holiday, especially for enthusiastic primate trekkers.
Rwanda has recorded an incredible mountain gorilla conservation history. Embarking on a Rwanda gorilla trekking adventure during your festive season allows you to explore in depth more about the distinct behaviors of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, and also take photos.
A valid gorilla permit is needed for you to have a chance to engage in the trek to see mountain gorillas in the wild. A single gorilla permit in Rwanda costs USD 1500 per person. Obtaining one should be done before the Christmas holiday given the high demand. When you obtain a valid gorilla permit, you get a chance to be allocated a gorilla group to visit in Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla permits are available for booking by only persons who fall within the acceptable age limit. The set acceptable age limit for gorilla trekkers to obtain permits is 15 years and above. Plan and book your Rwanda gorilla permit through the expert on the ground.
Golden monkey tracking
Golden monkey tracking is an enriching primate adventure that you should expect to enjoy on the Christmas holiday in Rwanda. Spending your Christmas holiday in Rwanda on a captivating golden monkey trek never leaves you the same way you traveled to Africa. The golden monkeys live in the Virunga region where Volcanoes National Park Rwanda also falls. Visiting Volcanoes National Park during the Christmas holiday is a great opportunity to encounter the strikingly beautiful golden monkeys in the wild. Golden monkeys are stunning and interesting creatures to interact with but keen care must be taken when taking pictures considering their jumpy behaviors.
Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda takes between 2 and 5 hours and the adventure involves navigating via the scenic bamboo forest. The trek is led by an experienced park ranger guide from Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.
Chimpanzee tracking
Another memorable way to spend your Christmas holiday in Rwanda, especially as primate lovers is by embarking on a chimpanzee tracking tour. Chimpanzee tracking excursions in Rwanda are excellently enjoyed in Nyungwe Forest National Park and Gishwati Mukura Park. These primate parks shelter a significant population of the common chimpanzees also most popular as the Eastern chimpanzees.
In Nyungwe National Park alone, over 13 primate species freely roam in its diverse vegetation including over 500 chimpanzees. Other primates that you should expect to come across during the trek with chimpanzees include the blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, Dent’s Mona monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, crowned monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and more.
Birding
Visitors on the Christmas holiday can also engage in a guided bird-watching tour across the different destinations in Rwanda. Over 700 bird species exist in the various birding sites in Rwanda. Top birding destinations to explore on Rwanda safaris include Nyungwe Forest National Park, Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Akagera National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
Nyungwe birding tours take birders on a rewarding avifaunal tour to sight over 310 species of bird that survive in the park’s diverse habitat. The birds of interest in Nyungwe include among others the red-throated lathe, regal sunbird, white-tailed flycatchers, Kungwe Apalis, barred long-tailed cuckoos, red-collared babblers, yellow-eyed black flycatchers, great blue turacos, and Shelley’s Crimsonwing.
Nyungwe bird-watching excursion also brings you great sights of other birds such as stripe-breasted tit, Archer’s robin-chat, mountain sooty boubou, Albertine owlet, African hill babblers, bar-tailed trogon, dwarf honey guide, and strange weaver birds.
Akagera National Park bird-watching adventures involve exploring some of the park’s 500 bird species. Akagera’s diverse bird species to expect to come across include the white-backed ducks, Knob-billed ducks, sooty chat, African fish eagle, white-browed coucal, marabou stork, black-headed gonoleks, shoebill storks, Carruthers’s cisticola, yellow-billed eremomera, palm-nut vultures, ring-winged francolins, crested barbet, white-browed coucal, northern fiscal, eastern grey plantain, red-billed fire finch, African rock pigeon, and more.
Game/wildlife safaris in Rwanda
Game viewing in Rwanda as a family can be memorable. The beauty of game-viewing excursions in Rwanda is that visitors get a chance to embark on a journey to search for the Big Five and other mammals. This is only possible if you plan to spend your Christmas holiday in Akagera National Park Rwanda.
The different animals to expect to encounter during the guided game-viewing excursions include leopards, lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, Masai giraffes, zebras, hippos, hyenas, and warthogs. Akagera is also known for its huge concentration of antelope families including the roan antelopes, elands, waterbucks, bushbucks, impalas, and Kobs.
Places to stay during the Christmas holidays in Rwanda
Kigali Serena Hotel: This is a luxury hotel in Kigali city with over 148 comfortable rooms. The available rooms range from standard, superior, deluxe, junior, presidential, and executive. Kigali Serena Hotel is a complete luxury accommodation with a myriad of facilities and amenities. These include; flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and the best restaurants (Sokoni or Milima).
Wilderness Bisate Lodge: A perfect luxury gorilla lodge option for visitors on the Christmas holiday in Volcanoes National Park. Bisate features 6 luxurious villages and is set in stunning forested areas.
One&Only Gorilla’s Nest: Perched right in the middle of the forest, this luxurious lodge option. This luxurious gorilla lodge was officially opened in 2019. It stands out as one of the most sought-after high-end accommodations by visitors on gorilla tours in Volcanoes National Park.
Virunga Lodge: This is one of the best lodges in Rwanda that guarantees guests complete comfort and lasting memories. It is strategically built in an area where guests can enjoy views of the Musanze Valley, the Twin Lakes (Burera and Ruhondo), and the Virunga Volcanoes.
Magashi Luxury Camp: This is an ideal luxury accommodation option for visitors who plan to have their Christmas holidays in Akagera National Park. It overviews the scenic Lake Rwanyakazinga and features 6 luxurious tents each offering breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. From Magashi Tented Camp, guests can easily connect and engage in several activities including guided game drives, launch cruises, birding, etc.
Additional accommodation choices to consider spending a night this Christmas holiday in Rwanda include Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Gishwati Lodge, Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, One&Only Nyungwe House, etc.
