There isn’t a safari out there that brings you closer to wild animals than gorilla tracking in Rwanda. It’s an enlightening, moving and humbling experience and Volcanoes National Park provides a breathtaking setting for it. As you trek through the lush forest, tall trees rise out of the mist and soaring mountainsides stretch endlessly before you. The sound of birdsong fills the air, fuelling the palpable anticipation. Suddenly, they’re right in front of you. Weary legs are instantly forgotten and seem a small price to pay for the spellbinding sight. The light breaking through the thick canopy highlights a family of gorillas just yards away. A mother tends to a young baby, while two older siblings rough and tumble through low hanging branches. The patriarch, a silverback, stands to greet you in a mixture of curiosity and a need to assert his authority. It’s impossible to get closer to nature than this.

Hekaya’s network of lodges in the park provide a luxuriously indulgent base from which to explore. Community visits, volcano hikes, cultural entertainment and of course trekking for the mountain gorillas will make your visit to Volcanoes National Park a life-changing one.