I’m sitting typing on a Ugandan bus, crawling up winding dirt roads towards Kisoro in the dawn light (after only 5 hours kip) with low mist in the valleys, a pink tinge in the sky behind and a distraught hen clucking in the arms of the passenger in front – I do so love Africa.
Rwanda to Hold 5th Annual Kwita Izina
Rwanda’s Tourism premier tourism event- Kwita Izina Ceremony (Gorilla Naming Ceremony) is set for June 20th 2009. In particular, this year’s event coincides with the United Nation’s declaration of 2009 as the “Year of the Gorilla”. In Rwanda, every gorilla birth is a reason for celebration for the successful conservation efforts. This year, we shall
Bill and Melinda Gates Visit Mountain Gorillas
The Rwanda Office of Tourism played host to the Gates family who visited the Akagera Game Park were they had an evening Game drive and enjoyed the Hospitality of Akagera Game lodge.On the second day of their stay in Rwanda they visited the Mountain Gorillas in The Volcanoes National Park. After what they described as
ORTPN in Eco-tourism Drive
Born in its current form in the late 1980s, Eco-tourism came of age in 2002, when the United Nations celebrated the “International Year of Ecotourism”. It essentially means ecological tourism; where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. Though it may vary with different countries, it is both a concept and movement in the tourism
New Tourism Revenue Sharing Guideline Released
The National Tourism Office has put in place a new policy on how to share revenue with communities surrounding national parks. The ORTPN Director General, Chantal Rugamba, said, “We have been dispatching a certain percentage of money to local communities around the three national parks, but not in a proper way. That’s why we have
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family Migrates to Rwanda
From December 2004, a group of habituated gorillas known as Nyakagezi crossed over from Mgahinga National Park in Uganda to the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. This group made up of 8 individuals is now on Muhabura Volcano on Rwandan side. The Virunga massive is one ecosystem which is shared between the 3 countries: DRC,
Baby Gorilla Rescued from Poachers
From December 19th, 4 men have been arrested after investigations showed that they had captured a baby gorilla from the Democratic Republic of Congo in an area called BUKIMA and were selling it for 3,000,000 Rwandan Frws. Following information by the local population that a baby gorilla was in captivity and being sold, the Office
New Baby Gorillas Born in Rwanda
On 21st December early morning in the Parc national des Volcans a gorilla infant was found in group 13 while trackers were on their regular morning patrol. It is with great pleasure that the Office of Tourism and National Parks announces to the public the birth of a baby gorilla from Rugendo Mother in Group
New Baby Born in Sabinyo Group
ORTPN has a pleasure to announce the public that on Saturday 11 September 2004, we had a new baby gorilla from SABYINYO group. This follows the birth of another baby from AMAHORO B group on 26 July 2004 and twins from the largest SUSA group by the end of May 2004. This increase in mountain
Report from Karisoke Research Centre, Rwanda
For the first nine months of 1998, Karisoke staff had no access to the Parc National des Volcans. Negotiations to visit the gorillas took place from late August, and these led to the first visit on September, 29 permitted and facilitated by military escorts. When Karisoke trackers began making weekly visits to the three research