9 Days Bird watching, Wildlife, Gorilla Safari in Rwanda

 

ITINERARY: 9 Days Birding Trip, wildlife viewing, Culture & Gorilla Tracking

This birding tour starts and ends in Rwanda, with a visit to the major birding areas in Rwanda.
Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda
On arrival at Kanombe airport, you will be received by our company representative, who will transfer you to your hotel, and give you brief about your safari. Dinner and overnight at your chosen hotel.

Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National park
In the morning, you will have a scenic drive to Akagera National park, a home to over 200 bird species. You will drive along the Rwamagana road, where you will see such bird species as yellow-billed stork, grey woodpecker, black-lored, glossy ibis, pink-backed pelican, sacred ibis, eastern grey plantain eater, greater blue-eared starling, arnott’s chat, fork-tailed drongo, black-breasted snake eagle, augur buzzard among others along the way. Once around the park, you will see bird species such as the Red-necked Spurfowl, Long-crested Eagle, Sooty Chat, African Grey Hornbill, Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling, Coqui Francolin, and loads of Violet-backed Starling flying over. You will also spot some mammals such as giraffe, Zebra, topi,impala grazing in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Akagera game lodge.

Day 3: Birding in the park
In the morning, you will start off your birding experience with view of many bird species in the Akagera lodge gardens. After breakfast, move to the park along the cassia tree with in the park, where you will see mant rising birds as they make morning noise. You will see birds as Red-faced Crombec, Red-faced Barbet, pairs of Brubrus, Lesser-striped and Angola Swallows, Little and African Palm Swifts, the rare Souza's shrike, Spot-flanked Barbet, and many others. You will have more birding experience in alomg the wetlands in the papyrus area where you will see birds as the Swamp Flycatcher, Carruther's Cisticola, the elusive White-winged Warbler, and the stunning Papyrus Gonolek. At the water's edge, look for the localized Brown-chested Lapwing and the attractive, widely distributed Long-toed Lapwing. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4: More birding along the lakes
On the fourth day, you will trail to the fishing area on Lake ihema,  where you will see birds as the Common Scimitar bill, Black-lored Babbler, Paradise Flycatcher, Openbill flying over head, and Black-lored Barbets. Down at the lake and fishing village, there are chances of viewing the Black Crake, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Little, Great White Egret, Squacco Heron, African Jacana, Swamp Flycatcher, Marabou stork. Boat cruise on lake ihema and Bihengero will reward you with a variety of bird species such as Pygmy Kingfisher, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, White-helmet Shrike, Little Sparrow-hawk, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Purple-banded Sunbird, White-browed Coucal, Little Bee-eater, White-headed Saw-wing. You will also see mammals such as crocodiles, buffalos  and schools of hippos huffing and puffing in the waters. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Transfer to Ruhengeri
After breakfast, you will set off for Ruhengeri, where you will see such bird species  along the way as White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Bronze Sunbird, White-browed Robin Chat, Common Bulbul, Spot-flanked Barbet, White-necked Raven. You will see very many bird species in the prak, some of which are albertine endemics. You check in Muhabura guest house/La palme hotel/gorillas nest hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi
In the morning, you will set off to Gisenyi, on Lake Kivu with enroute view of a variety of bird species such as Black Crake, Black Saw-wing, Lesser-striped, Red-rumped, Mosque, Angola Swallows, African Black, Little Swift, plenty of Martins. After lunch at your hotel, you will have a tour around the Lake Kivu, where you will see bird species as Southern Red Bishop, Black-crowned Waxbill, Olive Pigeons, Little Bee-eater, Grassland Pipit, Holub's Golden Weaver, Grey-rumped Swallow, Common Kestrels, Great Cormorant. A boat cruise to the nearby Akeza Island  will give you chance to see birds as the Water Thick-knee, Common Fiscal, Bronze Sunbird, Grey-capped Warbler, Green-headed Sunbird, Red-chested Sunbird, Common Waxbill, Baglafecht Weaver, and Pin-tailed Whydah.

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bulera and Rusumo Falls
In the morning, you set off to do the birding on the lakes Bulera and Rusumo Falls. You will be rewarded with view of bird species as Village Weaver, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Thick-billed, Streaky Seedeaters, Yellow-fronted, Yellow, Brimstone Canaries, Little, Cinnamon Bee-eater, Little Grebe, Black-headed, Grey Herons, African Jacana, Intermediate Egret, Cape Wagtail, Grey-crowned Crane, Malachite, Pied Kingfishers, Common Waxbill, Mackinnon's Fiscal Shrike, White-headed Saw-wing, Dusky Flycatcher  Common Fiscal, Rock Martin, Lanner Falcon, Augur Buzzard, Black Kite, Variable Sunbird, Black Saw-wing, Yellow-billed, Comb Ducks, , Bronze Mannikin, Yellow Bishop, Speckled Mousebird, Yellow-bellied, Black-crowned Waxbills, Tropical Boubou, Great Cormorant. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8: Transfer to Kigali
In the morning, you will transfer to Kigali, with enroute view of various bird species. You will also do the shopping of the souvenirs and visit the genocide memorial museum. Dinner and overnight at your chosen hotel.

Day 9: Departure
On this day, you will relax at the hotel, and later transfer to the airport for your departure flight to your next destination.

End of tour