On 6th September 25 baby gorillas will be celebrated and given names in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park as part of the Kwita Izina Ceremony. If a gorilla trek is on your bucket list, there can be no better time to schedule a visit.

Kwita Izina has, since the first ceremony in 2005, has become an unmissable annual tradition in Rwanda when dignitaries, park rangers, researchers, friends of gorillas, media and tourists gather at Kinigi in the Volcanoes National Park to take part in naming all the baby gorillas born that year.

Besides being a very moving, “bucket list” experience, naming them also helps with monitoring each individual gorilla in their family and habitat and highlight the plight of this endangered species and their habitats in the Virunga mountain range. Each baby are usually named according to the circumstances of its birth, its future expectations or where it was born. Volcanoes National Park currently shelters over 340 mountain gorillas, which have been habituated into 10 families, namely the Titus, Kwitonda, Susa, karisimbi, Amahoro, Umubano, Sabyinyo, Agashya, Hirwa, and Ugenda families.

This year the official ceremony will be held on 6th September 2019, with a week-long schedule of activities planned, including beer brewing, basket weaving, music and food tasting experiences.

It may be too late to book for this year - but you can still get out there to see the newly-named stars of the show.

BOOK IT:

Africa Travel (www.africatravel.com / info@africatravel.co.uk / 0207 843 3500) offers an affordable option to go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda, from £3,695 per person. The trip includes return flights from the UK with Kenya Airways and KLM, one night on bed & breakfast basis at Kigali Serena Hotel, two nights on half board basis at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, a tour of Kigali city and the Memorial Centre, and private ground transportation throughout with an English- speaking guide. The package also includes lunch at the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge after your exhilarating gorilla encounter. Because you stay outside of the Park with Serena Hotels this is a much more affordable option than most gorilla packages. This price includes the gorilla permit (currently costing USD$1500).

Should you wish to include the Kwita Izina gorilla naming experience in 2020 please get in touch.

Kigali Serena Hotel offers a private and peaceful retreat just 5 minutes' walk from the CBD.

Lake Kivu Serena is located on the white sandy shores of the sixth largest lake in Africa and offers a range of activities to enjoy after your gorilla trek including its own private beach, boating, swimming, volley ball, tennis, fishing, hiking and trekking as well as a spa.

For more information on the properties email claire@ethosmarketing.co.uk or visit www.serenahotels.com