Destination: Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National park lies in Northwest Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eifgt volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains namelybKarisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabinyo which are covered in rain forest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.
The park is gazette in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke and Mikeno intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. In 1929, the borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and into (now) Democratic Republic of Congo to form the Albert National Park, a huge area of 8090 sq km which in 1960 was split into Virunga and Volcanoes National Park after both countries attained independence.
The country has diverse vegetation that is dominated by bamboo forest and lobelia. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur but their total area is relatively small. The park is best known for the mountain gorillas abut also is home for golden monkeys, black fronted duiker, buffalo, spotted hyena and bushbuck. There are 178 recorded bird species, with atleast 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Rwenzori Mountains. The most prominent tourist activities in Volcanoes National Park include Gorilla trekking, mountain hiking, nature walks, Visiting the Dian Fossey grave, golden monkey tracking and birding.