Julian Papay
Member
Not long back from Rwanda - I can't recommend it highly enough. Nyungwe Forest is exceptional birding - accessible (if you are fine with steep paths), great views, fantastic experience. Claudien from http://birdingrwanda.com/ recommended Claver Ntoyinkima as guide, and he was exceptional, finding me almost all of the site's Albertine Rift Valley Endemics. Bosco Bizumuremyi was a great driver too. Amazing views of things like Short-tailed Warbler & Willard's Sooty Boubou. Plenty of other stunning birds such as Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill and Doherty's Bush-shrike.
Volcanoes NP was hugely expensive for gorilla tracking, but I am impressed that Rwanda values its wildlife so highly. They can sell all the gorilla tracking permits at US1,500 pp for an hour with the gorillas; I really enjoyed my time with the gorillas - I didn't agonise on whether it was value for money - for me it was making a big contribution to conservation and sustainable development in the country.
Akagera NP was another great site. A leisurely 16 days in the country left me with well over 250 species, a huge number of bird lifers (my only previous times abroad have been two trips to Ghana), lots of mammals including 10 species of primate (not including humans), leopard and an elephant-shrew. Rwenzori Three-horned Chameleon was the trip highlight.
All in all, the country was so much more than I expected - I was out there principally because my wife had been working with Rwandan schools - great excuse for me to visit! I found it tidy, organised and working hard on putting the past behind them and proving themselves to be an African success story.
Volcanoes NP was hugely expensive for gorilla tracking, but I am impressed that Rwanda values its wildlife so highly. They can sell all the gorilla tracking permits at US1,500 pp for an hour with the gorillas; I really enjoyed my time with the gorillas - I didn't agonise on whether it was value for money - for me it was making a big contribution to conservation and sustainable development in the country.
Akagera NP was another great site. A leisurely 16 days in the country left me with well over 250 species, a huge number of bird lifers (my only previous times abroad have been two trips to Ghana), lots of mammals including 10 species of primate (not including humans), leopard and an elephant-shrew. Rwenzori Three-horned Chameleon was the trip highlight.
All in all, the country was so much more than I expected - I was out there principally because my wife had been working with Rwandan schools - great excuse for me to visit! I found it tidy, organised and working hard on putting the past behind them and proving themselves to be an African success story.
