Volcanoes National Park Holidays

The nature walk at Wilderness Sabyinyo is a meditative experience that will help you reconnect with Mother Earth. One of the in-house ornithologists will guide you on the hour-long walk, pointing out some of the 50 different species of birds that live here. The trail winds through the 31-acre grounds and along the way, you’ll learn about the native flora, explore the farm and have the chance to spot wildlife.

The trail begins in the beautiful flower garden and this leads to a trail that meanders through eucalyptus woods. There are plans to start harvesting the leaves to make essential oils and candles, a process to teach local farmers so they’re able to make and export eucalyptus products. They’re also re-wilding this area by planting indigenous trees so that the property merges seamlessly with Volcanoes National Park when they expand their boundaries over the next few years.

You’ll pass the barn, which is home to the artist-in-residency programme, and the large reservoir that is being turned into an eco-friendly aquaponics area. Next, head through the colourful wildflower forest to the vegetable garden. Meet the chickens and sheep - described as their sustainable lawnmowers.

A highlight of the nature walk is the bamboo forest, which leads to a lava cave that was formed over 2.5 million years ago when the neighbouring volcano Mount Sabyinyo erupted; it has amazing white fluorescent algae growing on top. Be sure to spend some time sitting on the meditation bench beside the stream which irrigates the tea plantation. If you’re lucky, you may spot golden monkeys jumping through the trees.

Trekking to see the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park is something you'll never forget. They’re such gentle, majestic creatures and it's a privilege to spend an hour watching them in the wild. The permits to see them are like gold dust and may seem costly but it really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

When you arrive at Volcanoes National Park, it’s still early and the guides do a quick assessment of how fit and agile they think you are and divide you up into groups accordingly. The gorillas are free to roam on the mountains, so the spotters go out the evening before to see where each group has settled down for the night, and some might be only an hour away and others might be three or four hours away. After that, you have a briefing about what to expect and a few rules, like, not going too close to the gorillas and keeping your voice down when you’re near them. You can hire a porter to assist with camera bags and help you up the mountain.

After an often strenuous trek at altitude, the reward is seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. It can be emotionally overwhelming as you see them for the first time. You may encounter a mother with her baby in her arms, youngsters tumbling through the vegetation and a mighty silverback watching his family. You'll spend a magical hour in their company before beginning the trek back.