The Wall Street Journal, Deborah Dunn, November 2019
Gorilla Treks in Rwanda: A Bucket-List Must
The country’s mountain gorillas are luring an upscale crowd, generating funds that help sustain the rare apes. Finally, a wildly extravagant vacation you can feel good about.
Staying There: Several of the 35 hotels—and counting—near Volcanoes National Park contribute to various community and conservation projects. Among them: Virunga Lodge, about an hour’s drive from the park, offers 10 elegant cottages with private terraces.
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Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.
Chimpanzee tracking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.
