People of the Virungas

Life in the Shadow of the Volcanoes

The communities of Kisoro District have lived alongside the Virunga volcanoes for centuries — farming the steep terraced hillsides, fishing the crater lakes, and developing a rich cultural life shaped by the extraordinary landscape around them. The Kiga people, who make up the majority of the population, are known for their warmth, their agricultural ingenuity, and their vibrant traditions of music, dance, and craft.

A community experience in Kisoro takes you beyond the park gates and into the daily life of these communities — visiting local schools, women's craft cooperatives, traditional healers, farming families, and local markets. It's an opportunity to understand the human context of conservation: the communities that live alongside the gorillas, share their water sources, and whose livelihoods are directly affected by the health of the forest.

All community visits are arranged with the full consent and participation of the communities involved, and a portion of the visit fee goes directly to community development projects. We work with local community guides who are from the communities they represent — ensuring that the experience is authentic, respectful, and genuinely beneficial.