I wanted to visit Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda in one trip. It just made sense. In early 2018, I arranged a customized program for the coming November with Obed. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (also known as DR Congo or the DRC), but now residing across the border in Rwanda, Obed had the contacts and expertise to make my plan happen.

Gorilla trekking permits are notoriously expensive. But, seeing the gorillas has been on my bucket list for quite some time. My research led me to believe that Virunga National Park in the DRC was the place to be – the perfect destination for gorillas and volcanoes without breaking the budget. For comparison, look at the following costs for gorilla trekking permits (keep in mind that each permit is only valid for one day and limited to one hour with the gorillas after finding the group): Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda – $1,500 USD; Bwindi Forest National Park, Uganda – $600 USD; Virunga National Park and Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC – $400 USD.

My trip was planned around visiting Virunga National Park – I wanted to see the country’s famous mountain gorillas and climb Mount Nyiragongo. Unfortunately, the national park has been hit by rising instability and violence in the country. Shortly after booking, Africa’s oldest national park closed its gates to visitors until 2019 following the death of a ranger and the abduction of two British tourists by local rebels in May. Instead of canceling the trip, I rearranged my itinerary and rerouted to Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the DRC to see the eastern lowland gorillas.

Here is the day-by-day itinerary from my 17-day trip that started in Kigali, Rwanda and ended in Kampala/Entebbe, Uganda:

[Day 1] Friday, November 9
Arrive in Kigali, Rwanda. Overnight at 2000 Hotel.

[Day 2] Saturday, November 10
Go for a city tour of Kigali with Go Kigali. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Overnight at 2000 Hotel.

[Day 3] Sunday, November 11
Depart Kigali for Bujumbura, Burundi. Drive to Rutana to see the Karera Waterfalls and the source of the Nile in Rutovu. Visit the catholic schools and the cathedral of Mushasha. Overnight at Tropitel Gitega Hotel.

[Day 4] Monday, November 12
Visit the National Museum of Gitega and the Gishora Drum Sanctuary. Return to Bujumbura. Visit Rusizi National Park to see the hippos in Lake Tanganyika. Go for a city tour of Bujumbura. Depart Bujumbura for Kigali. Overnight at Kings Hostel.

[Day 5] Tuesday, November 13
Begin Obed’s tour. Drive southwest through Rwanda to Nyungwe Forest National Park. From the starting point at Uwinka Visitor Center, enter the park and complete the Canopy Walk. Overnight at Kitabi Eco-Center.

[Day 6] Wednesday, November 14
Return to Nyungwe Forest National Park for colobus monkey trekking. Using the Kivu Belt road, drive to the Rwanda-DRC border, and enter the DRC via Rusizi border post. Go for a walking city tour of Bukavu. Overnight at Elizabeth Hotel.

[Day 7] Thursday, November 15
Drive to Kahuzi-Biega National Park for eastern lowland gorilla trekking. Trek the Bonane Gorilla Group. Return to Bukavu. Overnight at Elizabeth Hotel.

[Day 8] Friday, November 16
Visit the Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro (or the Lwiro Primate Sanctuary). Return to Bukavu and take a speed boat to Goma. Overnight at Hotel Linda.

[Day 9] Saturday, November 17
Attend the civil ceremony for the wedding of Elisee and Joseph. Visit the school and children that our friend Ina has helped since 2015. Take a boat ride along the shores of Lake Kivu and visit the surrounding villages outside of Goma. Overnight at Hotel Linda.

[Day 10] Sunday, November 18
Go for a short city tour of Goma. Visit a whisky factory. Attend the church ceremony for the wedding of Elisee and Joseph. Drive to the DRC-Rwanda border and cross back into Rwanda. Overnight at Dian Fossey Hotel Nyiramacibiri in Gisenyi.

[Day 11] Monday, November 19
Drive to Ruhengeri to visit the Musanze Caves. Go for a walking tour of a Cultural Village near Volcanoes National Park. Drive to the Rwanda-Uganda border, and enter Uganda. Overnight at Virunga Hotel and Campsite in Kisoro.

[Day 12] Tuesday, November 20
Drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for mountain gorilla trekking. Trek the Nyakagezi Gorilla Group. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Overnight at Engiri Game Lodge and Campsite.

[Day 13] Wednesday, November 21
Enter the Kyambura Game Reserve for chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura Gorge. Take a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. Go for an evening game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Overnight at Engiri Game Lodge and Campsite.

[Day 14] Thursday, November 22
Drive to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee trekking. Overnight at Isunga Lodge.

[Day 15] Friday, November 23
Drive to Kampala. Overnight at Forest Cottages.

[Day 16] Saturday, November 24
Transfer to Jinja with Nalubale Rafting for whitewater rafting on the Nile River. Return to Kampala. Overnight at Forest Cottages.

[Day 17] Sunday, November 25
Drive to the Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch for a bush walk. Return to Kampala and go for a short city tour of Uganda’s capital city. Visit Lake Victoria. Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for the midnight flight to Chicago via Brussels.

Ranked in order:

#1. Democratic Republic of the Congo – Chaotic
High: Being dressed and attending wedding ceremonies.
Low: Lwiro Primate Sanctuary.

#2. Rwanda – Clean
High: Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park + the ample amount of passion fruit.
Low: Cultural Village.

#3. Uganda – Quiet
High: Chimpanzee trekking at Kibale National Park.
Low: Getting stung twice in one day + the ridiculous amount of speed bumps.

#4. Burundi – Green
High: Source of the Nile.
Low: Gishora Drum Sanctuary.

Want to see pictures? See galleries: Two Days in Burundi, In and Around Rwanda: Kigali to Nyungwe Forest and Musanze, The Gorillas of DR Congo and Uganda, In Search of Authenticity: Bukavu to Goma, The Chimps of Uganda, and Across the Pearl of Africa: A Week in Uganda.

Things to Note
Instead of applying for the regular tourist visa for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you can contact Kahuzi-Biega National Park via email to obtain one. Per the national park’s website, Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, the Congolese wildlife authority, has an agreement with Direction Generale de Migration, the Congolese immigration service, to facilitate obtaining two-week, single entry tourist visas for people visiting Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The cost of the visa is $150 USD. To qualify for a tourist visa, you must first purchase an eastern lowland gorilla trek permit, chimpanzee tracking/primate tracking, or book and pay for accommodation at the Bukavu Lodge. Note: Visas facilitated by Kahuzi-Biega National Park require that you enter the DRC via Rusizi border post and exit via Rusizi or Goma. (When in operation, Virunga National Park also offers this option with entrance via Goma).

If you get the East Africa Tourist Visa, keep in mind that leaving Kenya, Rwanda, or Uganda to visit the DRC or Burundi (for example) invalidates the visa. For this trip, I had to get one single entry tourist visa for Burundi, three single entry tourist visas for Rwanda, and one single entry tourist visa for Uganda (in addition to the one tourist visa facilitated by Kahuzi-Biega National Park for the DRC).

Speaking of Burundi, squeezing in a visit caused a lot of headaches. Originally, I was supposed to go overland from Rwanda, but after some discussion, I decided to fly. The 30-minute round-trip flight from Kigali to Bujumbura ended up costing me more than getting to Kigali from Chicago. Was it the right call? I am not sure. Unlike others, I felt completely safe. I guess at the end of the day, it really does come down to “being at the wrong place, at the wrong time”.