Virunga Primates And Mafia Island

Upon arrival in Kigali you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you can explore this vibrant city with a guide and you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Genocide Memorial and Education Centre which is a permanent memorial to those who were killed during the genocide.

After your city tour you’ll be transferred to Kinigi at the foothills of the Virungas in Parc National des Volcans. Upon arrival you’ll check in to your accommodation where you’ll stay for the next three nights.

After an early breakfast you’ll be driven to the Parc National des Volcans HQ where you’ll meet your guide who will brief you about your trek and the various aspects of ‘gorilla etiquette’.

Your professional guide will lead you into the forest in search of your allocated gorilla family. The high altitude and steep, slippery trails and the humidity under the forest canopy can make the trek challenging, but it’s definitely worth the effort to spend time with wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

After another early breakfast you’ll once again be driven to the Parc National des Volcans HQ where you’ll meet your guide who will brief you about your golden monkey trek.

Tracking golden monkeys and gorillas is a similar experience – you’ll be in a small group of no more than eight people and you can spend just one hour with the monkeys once you find them. However as the golden monkeys live in the bamboo vegetation at the base of the volcanoes, the trek is not as strenuous as tracking gorillas. The monkeys are very active and it is likely that you’ll find them leaping between the bamboo branches in the trees above you or playing on the forest floor.

After your golden monkey trek you can visit the Iby’Iwacu cultural village before returning to your accommodation.

After breakfast you’ll be transferred to Kigali Airport for your flight to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Upon arrival you’ll be transferred to your beachfront accommodation in Dar es Salaam and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to explore this fascinating city.

After breakfast you’ll be picked up and transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Mafia Island. On arrival in Kilindoni, you’ll be met by a driver and taken to your chosen accommodation where you’ll spend the next five nights on a half-board basis.

Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. You can dive or snorkel in Mafia Island Marine Park (the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean), or try windsurfing, kayaking or stand up paddle boarding.

Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. If you’re visiting Mafia Island between October and March you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel with Whale Sharks, or if you’re visiting between July and October you may be lucky enough to see Humpback Whales. If you’re visiting from June to September you can join a turtle-hatching trip and witness hundreds of baby turtles scramble from the sandy beaches to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. You may wish to join a full day excursion to the sand banks, or enjoy a sunset cruise on a traditional dhow.

Free day to enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure. You may wish to stroll through Chole village where you can visit the old mosque, the Fruit Bat sanctuary or the boat yard or you may wish to explore Mrora Forest, Ras Mbizi Coconut Plantation or the Lighthouse at Ras Mkumbi.

Today you’ll be driven back to Kilondoni Airport for your flight to Dar es Salaam. A driver will meet you at the domestic airport to transfer you to the international airport for your flight home.