Rwanda - Primate Tour
Trip Report: 10 to 19 June 2005
Introduction
This 8-day trip to Rwanda was an exploratory visit to assess the potential of tours to the country as well as an 
opportunity to enjoy some Albertine Rift endemics, and record several lifers for those on the trip.
Rwanda has been largely un-explored due to the remaining wariness of a country once ravaged by genocide; its potential remains yet to be tapped. Pleasantly surprising the country shows promise of a developing infrastructure and there is great emphasis present on safety for tourists. Custom clearing at the airport is quick and hassle free and the roads around Kigali are well maintained.
Our aim was to visit the three national parks of Rwanda, with a chance to see such specials as Shoebill, Rwenzori Toraco, Handsome Francolin and several sunbird species. The trip also gave us the opportunity to experience chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe rainforest as well as gorilla trekking in the misty Virunga mountains of the Volcans National Park.
The trip concluded with the final day spent in Nairobi National Park, Kenya.
Trip Report
Day 1: 11 June 2005 Arrived in Kigali, Rwanda after a brief layover in Nairobi. We were surprised at the job creation present as we drove passed a multitude of laborers laying large cement pavements and maintaining manicured gardens around recent memorial statues in Kigali. A brief stop for final payments of the tour and a chance to exchange some US Dollars for Rwandan Francs before we set off for Akagera National Park for our two night's stay.
Akagera National Park lies in the east of Rwanda presently only one third of its former size, 
game has also been reduced significantly due to the war and recent land distribution. The Parks vegetation consists mainly of savannah and open grassland with several lakes forming part of the Albertine Rift system. During the 2 to 3 hour drive on both tar and gravel roads some birding from the vehicle was enjoyed with sightings of Spur-winged Goose, Bateleur, African-Harrier Hawk, Kestrel, Yellow-billed Storks and Grey-crowned Cranes.
Akagera Lodge is situated in pleasant surroundings, overlooking breathtaking lakes in the valley below, and after our many hours of travel we appreciated the scenery from the restaurant's balcony. Lunch consisted of excellent cheeseburgers, which were enjoyed while identifying Red-rumped and Angola Swallows, and white-headed Black-chats flying overhead and into the trees around the lodge.
After lunch we set off on a late afternoon walk along the road leading out of Akagera National Park. Seen along the way included Senegal Wattled Lapwing, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Levaillant's Cuckoo, White-browed Coucal, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, Little Bee-eater, Green Woodhoopoe, Rufous-Naped Lark, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Slate-colored Boubou, African Marsh Harrier and Brown Parrot. Dinner was served in the pleasant dining area of the lodge.
Day 2: 12 June 2005
An early wake up on the Sunday morning was rewarded with a spectacular sunrise over the rift lake system in the 
valley below the lodge. Some of the early risers enjoyed close views of waterbuck grazing below their balconies on the lodge grounds.
An early breakfast before we set off for the Akagera National Park Reception to pay entrance fees into the park and to meet our guide for the day; visitors into the park must be accompanied by a guide at all times and we welcomed Joseph to the group. Regrettably there was very little game to be seen on our drive down to Lake Ihema, with only some sightings of 2 Oribi, a herd of Cape buffalo in the distance, Impala, and Topi. The drive down to the lake took longer than anticipated, perhaps because our guides wanted to show us some of Akagera and were unaware of our urgency to reach the water.
Some two hours later we reached the Papyrus-lined banks of the lake. No sooner had we climbed out of the bus than our first Shoebill was spotted on the opposite banks. The scopes were used to achieve better views of this prehistoric-looking bird and we were even rewarded with the sight of its awkward flight over the water. Fish Eagles called magically from the lake banks with hippopotamuses grunting their replies. Some of the notable birds seen along the water's edge included Swamp flycatcher, African Jacana, and Western Banded Snake Eagle.
Packed lunches had been supplied by the lodge and were enjoyed in the shade of the woodland before we continued with our birding in the park. Birds seen included Spot-flanked and Double-toothed Barbets, Bennets Woodpecker, Black-headed Gonalek, Grey backed Fiscal, Sooty Chat, Black-lored Babbler, Trilling Cisticola, White-winged Tit, Ruppels Starling and Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
Night in Akagera National Park.
Day 3: 13 June 2005 Early morning birding before breakfast in the hopes of seeing the Red-Faced Barbet 
before our departure proved unsuccessful, however our early wake-up was rewarded with good views of Spot-flanked barbet, Purple-banded and Coppery sunbirds, and both Angola and Red-rumped Swallows perched and in the scope.
Departed Akagera National Park, briefly stopping at the reception for some last minute photographs and goodbyes before traveling back to Kigali.
Lunch was enjoyed at a German Café in Kigali that served delicious baguettes and offered an impressive bread selection. Our order however took a long time to be served and our departure for Nyungwe National Forest was further delayed by the change over of our drivers.
Finally on the road we traveled southwest along well-maintained roads past crowded subsistence farms that scarred furrows and squares into the hills and valleys. Our journey to Nyungwe took us through Gikongora, known infamously for the 50,000 people who died in the village during the genocide. A memorial has been built in place of the technical school where the villagers lost their lives.
Approaching Nyungwe National Forest the road began to deteriorate and our excellent driver often had to avoid large potholes. The exotic wattle and blue-gum trees, stained red with lichen, began to recede as we approached the first of the tea estates.
Nyungwe is an Albertine Rift montane rainforest contiguous with the Kabira National Park in Burundi. It is the largest protected high altitude rain forest in Africa. The forest has 300 species of birds with 27 Albertine Rift endemics as well as primates such as L'Hoest, Black and White Colobus, and blue monkeys and chimpanzee.
As we entered the forest L'Hoest monkeys greeted us from the side of the road. The first bird to be seen in Nyungwe was Great Blue Turaco. We continued on towards the town of Cyangugu, bordering the DRC, and on to Peace Guest House, our accommodation for two days that overlooked the now tranquil Lake Kivu. Dinner served at the guesthouse was basic and not the best culinary experience since our arrival in Rwanda. With the sound of Wood Owls calling in the distance we retired for the night looking forward to our full day of birding on day 4. Night at Peace Guest House.
Day 4: 14 June 2005
An early rise to set out for Uwinka reception of the Nyungwe National Park, an hour and a half drive from Cyangugu, stopping along the way to do some roadside birding. The forest birding proved to be quite an overwhelming experience for everyone, with split second views afforded for the many birds flitting by in the canopy in front of us. The high pitched chipping notes of a Rwenzori Turaco calling in the forest attracted our attention and our vigilance was soon rewarded with our first sighting of this superb Turaco. Other birds seen included Great Blue and Black-billed Turacos, Barred Cuckoo, Cinnamon Chested Bee-eater, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Mountain Greenbul, Red Throated Alethe, Archers Robinchat, Chubbs Cisticola, Rwenzori, Mountain-masked and Black-throated Apalisis, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, White-tailed Blue, White-eyed 
Slaty and Yellow-eyed black Flycatchers, Slender-billed and Wallers Starlings, Streaky and Thick-billed Serins, Purple-breasted, Blue-headed, Purple-banded, Yellow-bellied, Stuhlmans, Regal Sunbirds, and Strange Weavers. Chimpanzees could be heard calling in the forest and Ruwenzori's Turacos unusual call echoed close by.
Packed lunch was enjoyed along the side of the road with spectacular views of the Kimiranzovu Marsh, a 13 sq kilometer basin that has been flooded for over 45,000 years. The last remaining elephant in Nyungwe was poached from Kimiranzovu "the place that swallows elephants" in 1999.
Birding continued in the afternoon along the Blue Trail in the Nyungwe Forest with birds seen including Doherty's Bushshrike,and Grey-chested Illadopsis. Those who were to opt for the chimpanzee trekking the following day were informed that the Blue Trail afforded them the best possibility to encounter chimpanzees and Blue monkeys.
The day was concluded with a late afternoon drive back to Cyangugu, passed the sprawling tea estates amongst the rainforest, to a restaurant situated on the banks of Lake Kivu and overlooking the hills of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Day 5: 15 June 2005
Rising early for Nyungwe Forest, we departed for Uwinka Reception to meet with our guides who were to take some chimpanzee trekking on the Blue Trail and the rest of the group on the Kimiranzovu Trail for some birding at the marsh.
Trekking for chimpanzees involved navigating steep valleys along small game trails at a frenzied pace to catch up with the constantly moving chimpanzees, their screeches and tree beating heard echoing through the forest. The group's efforts were finally rewarded with sightings of a pair of chimpanzees in the distance. Nyungwe chimpanzees are unfortunately not as habituated as Uganda's chimps and so it was not long before the pair moved on. Primates also encountered were a troop of blue monkeys feeding from the Carapa grandiflora and spectacular views of Black and white Casqued Hornbills were enjoyed.
Birding along the Kimiranzovu Trail was excellent. The trail is a 5 km circuit dropping slowly down to the level of the Kimiranzovu Swamp, the mica-flecked path winds through the lush forest before crossing the swamp along a small walkway. Within 20 minutes of setting off on the trail we were rewarded with Nyungwe's biggest prize for birders, the Red-collared Mountain Babbler, while other good birds included Dusky Crimson-wing, Bar-tailed Trogon, Stripe-breasted Tit, and Strange Weaver. Neumans Short-tailed Warbler was heard briefly but this skulker eluded us.
The two groups rejoined at Uwinka reception just in time to take cover from the refreshing rain falling over the forest. It was not long before the shower let up and we continued birding along the road, happening upon a dirt road leading towards a village and called out a Black-billed Turaco from the dense trees. A fleeting glimpse of a fleeing Handsome Francolin had everyone whooping in delight and Lagdens Bush Shrike, as well as a Mountain Oriole was also seen.
Return to Cyangugu for dinner at our restaurant overlooking the DRC border before our final night at Peace Guest House.
Day 6: 16 June 2005
Breakfast at Peace Guest House, with a couple of good birds in the grounds including Ross's Turaco and African Hobby with an opportunity to buy some local curios before departing for Kigali once more. This day was a travel day with a brief stop on Kigali to pick up lunch rations from our favourite German Café before heading off to the Northwestern side of Rwanda and the Volcans National Park, home of Dian Fossey and her Gorillas in the Mist. With no time to stop birding was done from a moving vehicle, passing beehives farmed from logs in Blue-gum trees and gazing in amazement at the concentration of subsistence farming along the way. We arrived in the early evening at Kinigi Guest House, ominous black volcanoes towering over in the distance. Widows of the genocide are in charge of running the guesthouse and they appear to be doing a good job of it. The rooms were neat and clean with hot water. A fire burns in the guest lounge with comfortable couches to rest weary bodies and enjoy an evening drink. Dinner at Kinigi was excellent, the best we had encountered since our travels had begun, and while we enjoyed the meal we discussed the following day and our anticipated gorilla trekking.
Day 7: 17 June 2005
Up early in the morning for a quick breakfast and a walk to the Volcans National Park reception. We divided up and joined two groups, one group to visit the Sabyinyo group and the other for the Suza Group, the largest group of Gorillas in the park. Park guides gave us a rundown of the gorillas we would be visiting before we all departed for the mountain, some 30 minutes drive from the reception.
A flat tire along the way delayed the Suza group, villagers appearing instantly to lend a hand and watch the activities, the group arriving finally some 45 minutes later for the trekking. A climb up past farmlands, the forest sadly cut back as cultivation continues to grow in the area, before entering the bamboo and rainforest. The 
trackers informed the group that the gorillas were close at hand and the group hurried to cross paths with the magnificent primates. The gorilla group encountered was constantly on the move and it took some serious mountain climbing before the trekkers caught up and enjoyed astonishingly close views of the gorillas.
The Sabyinyo team had a short 15-minute drive before setting off on foot across the pastures for the forest edge. The total walk to the forest edge was an easy 30 minutes walk and proved uneventful with a few small distractions to add Mackinnons Shrike and White-necked Raven to the list.
On arrival at the forest we were briefed once again and were informed that the gorilla group was only 20 minutes away in the deep forest. Taking only our camera gear we headed into the forest and 20 meters along the bamboo shrouded trail we encountered a female gorilla with her 5-day old baby. All enjoyed spectacular views however poor lighting did not permit good photographs. Several minutes later the large Silverback of the group treated us to a formidable show of his might when he charged and roared his supremacy before leading his group further long the trail with us following behind excitedly. Our pursuit was rewarded with the entire group settling in a small forest clearing to feed on Red Bracket fungus that grows on the Bamboo.
The hours viewing seemed to be over in minutes and we headed back down the hill with half the group in tears, overcome with emotions from a poignant experience.
Lunch at Mahabara Hotel, the oldest hotel in Rwanda before our departure for Kigali. Our hopes that we might arrive at our hotel while it was still light for the first time were dashed when we were informed that our rooms had been given away. The only accommodation available was at the Inter-Continental and we gratefully checked in to the four star hotel. Dinner was enjoyed at an Indian Restaurant in Kigali with excellent food served in pleasant surroundings, an agreeable end to our travels of Rwanda.
Day 8 & 9: 18-19 June 2005
An early morning departure for our Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi and our optional day of birding in Nairobi National Park before our return the following day to Johannesburg, after a successful birding and gorilla exploratory trip to Rwanda.
