Incredible Rwanda & Tanzania

• Hidden amongst the thick rainforest of Volcanoes National Park in the northwest of Rwanda, lives one of the planet’s most endangered species: the Mountain gorilla.
• The park, which contains five out of the eight Virunga Mountain volcanos, is the most accessible gorilla national park in theworld and is home to 10 habituated groups of these rare animals.
• Aside from seeing gorillas, you can track the rare Golden monkey, trek to the top of Mount Bisoke and see its enormous craterlake or take a guided walk through local communities gaining insight into Rwandan culture.
• Another popular activity is hiking to the tomb of American primatologist Dian Fossey who spent nearly two decades studying gorillas in the park -her story has since been told in the film adaptation of her novel Gorillas in the Mist.
• Other nearby activities include a guided trip to the banana beer brewery or Musanze Caves.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• Volcanoes National Park is open for gorilla trekking and hiking throughout the year.
• Trails become very slippery in heavy rain and hiking is definitely easier in the dry season months, from June to August, and to a lesser extent in September, January and February.
• During the rains, the climate at the higher elevations is cooler and the gorillas prefer to remain on the lower slopes; it is therefore easier to track and spot them. 

• The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. At nearly 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) across, 600 meters (1970 feet) deep and 300 square kilometres (115 square miles) in area, the crater is a heart-stoppingly impressive, fully-paid up member of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World club and – as part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Formed more than two million years ago, it began life when a giant volcano – estimated to have rivalled Kilimanjaro in height – blew its top.
• Nicknamed the Garden of Eden of Africa, and called El-Nkoronkoro by the Masai, meaning Gift of Life, the park hosts one of the densest mammal populations on the planet: zebra, buffalo, hyena, wildebeest and lions all thrive here, in their topographically tailored conservation area.
• There are approximately 25,000 resident animals, notable for their absence, though, are giraffe, which are unable to negotiate the crater’s steep sides.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• This season between March and May is normally characterized by intermittent rains and high humidity. Migratory wildebeest herds calve around this time, which attracts plenty of predators.
• The weather is coolest between June to August, with lows of about 45°F or 7°C and highs of about 75°F or 24°C. During this time, the country is refreshingly green.
• September to November is a delightful time to visit, comparable to springtime in North America and Europe. The days are warmer with scattered rains in November, these rains are typically short and localized.
• December, January and February are the warmest months of the year and morning and evening temperatures are refreshingly cool with low humidity.
• At any time of year the temperatures on the Ngorongoro Crater rim can be decidedly cooler than on the crater floor.

• The Serengeti, one of the planet’s biggest and most enduring wildlife havens, stretches all the way from the Ngorongoro Highlands to Lake Victoria. It takes its name from a Maasai word, siringitu, “the place where the land moves on forever”.
• The Serengeti, which covers over 12 000 square kilometres (4633 square miles), is home to over three million large animals across dozens of species; a significant number of which, a million and a half wildebeest, half a million zebra, prodded by the instinct to survive, chase new pasture after the rains and take up an annual march of almost 1 000 kilometres (621 miles); the largest – and one of the last – great terrestrial migrations on earth.
• This awe inspiring mammalian movement supports inevitable predators – from sleek savannah dwelling cheetahs who pick off the weak and straggling to enormous crocodiles that lie inert most of the year in anticipation of an annual feast as a never ending column of animals moves relentlessly on across land and water.
• And within the impressive proportions of the expansive Serengeti, keep your eyes also peeled for the small; showy Agama lizards and Rock hyraxes make their homes amongst granite kopjes that dot the park, more than five hundred bird species have been recorded here as well as 100 varieties of dung beetle, arduously rolling their cargo onward.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• Between January and March the migration is calving in the Southern Serengeti which is spectacular to see.
• Rains arrive between April and May, mostly short afternoon storms. It is low season so it’s usually less crowded. After the rains in April and May, the grass is longer in June and the migration moves up the Western Corridor of the Serengeti.
• The migration arrives in the Northern Serengeti between end of June and early July, and there are numerous river crossings into Kenya.
• October, November and December bring cooler weather, as the early rains start to fall in the Serengeti.