RWANDA, THE LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS

The story of Rwanda, a small nation in East Africa is nothing but REMARKABLE!

Rwanda has beaten all odds; re-emerging from the horrific genocide of 1994 where over 800,000 people died, to becoming one of the most peaceful, united and fastest growing countries in Africa.

Today, Rwanda is one of the leading leisure and business travel attractions in Africa, as ranked by most reputable travel magazines and tour operators.

Sitting astride an arm of the Albertine Rift Valley, the small, mountainous, populous, exceedingly fertile, country feels intimate and intricate.

Gorillas and Genocide are the leading attractions to this small country.

However, there is more about Rwanda than trekking the Gorillas at Volcanoes National Park or visiting the genocide memorial sites. Today, Rwanda is attracting thousands of individuals from around the world, seeking investment opportunities in her fast-growing economy. Tourists are also thronging the land of a thousand hills seeking to explore its wildlife, crater lakes, breathtaking scenery and culture.

Kigali:

Kigali is Rwanda’s capital city.  Strategically positioned in the Centre of Rwanda, the city of Kigali extends across several hills and valleys, with good road network to the rest of the country. The verdant capital city is pleasantly low key yet dynamic and progressive, with just over one million inhabitants.

One of the notable remarks amongst first time visitors to Kigali, a bustling and colorful Centre, is how clean the streets are, a matter of pride across every community throughout the country.

Founded as an administrative capital in 1907, the relatively new city became Rwanda’s capital in 1962 when the country gained its independence. The city’s wide tree-lined boulevards and immaculate squares are safe to stroll, where outsiders are generally left to their own devices unless they need assistance, in which case they will be greeted with warm hospitality by most locals that they come across.

Today, Kigali is developing rapidly, with emergence of new shopping malls, office buildings and, of course, the Kigali convention Centre, lighting up the night sky atop of one of the many hills.

Lake Nyarutarama Lake, also called the Lover’s Lake, borders an 18-hole golf course in one of the city’s main valleys. The track around the lake is remarkably peaceful and makes for an excellent urban nature walk, offering a chance to see some of Rwanda’s incredible birds.

It is often said that no visit to Rwanda would be complete without a tour of the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which, through education and peace-building, honors the memory of the more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994. The three permanent exhibitions and burial gardens form part of a meaningful tribute to those who perished, and provide a powerful educational tool for visitors.

Volcanoes National Park:

Volcanoes National Park, situated far on the north west of Rwanda, protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorillas and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.

The Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

The main attraction here is tracking the endangered mountain Gorillas through the mysterious intimacy of the rain forest, alive with chattering of the rare Golden monkeys, and calls of the over 200 bird’s species that reside here, forming a truly unique experience in this park.

Akagera National Park:

To many, Rwanda is more known as a Gorilla trekking destination, rather than a BIG 5 safari destination. However, it is now possible to visit a park where you can encounter the BIG 5, just east of the country, at Akagera National Park. The relatively warm and low-lying plains of Akagera comprise savannah, woodland, wetland and a dozen lakes. Rwanda and Africa Parks have been in the last couple of years trying to transform the park into a world class safari experience. So far, a Lion Pride from South Africa has been settling well and breeding successfully, while 18 eastern Black Rhinos have also been reintroduced.

While still not as great a safari destination compared to leading ones like Kenya’s Masai Mara or Tanzania’s Serengeti, Akagera where sightings of Elephant, Leopard and Rhino are not common is one park where you can view wildlife species that you cannot see anywhere else in Rwanda.

Akagera, with over 490 species of birds is an ornithologist paradise. We recommend a boat trip on Lake Ihema, a highlight of any visit to Akagera, with its large pods of hippos, Nile crocodiles and abundant waterbirds on the island in the middle of the lake.

Its proximity to Kigali makes ideal for a day trip or an overnight stay, and can also be added to your 3 days Gorilla tracking safari as an extension.

Nyungwe Forest National Park:

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located on the southern part of Rwanda, on the border with Burundi. Being one of the oldest rain forests in Africa, Nyungwe boasts of a rich biodiversity and spectacular beauty. Teeming with wildlife, this mountainous region hosts a small Chimpanzee population together with 12 other primate species, one of them being the L’Hoest’s Monkey which is endemic to the Albertine Lakes.

Primate tracking is the leading attraction to visitors to this park, although there are more activities. For Botanists, Nyungwe will amaze you with 1,068 plant species and 140 orchids. The parks birdwatching experience is among the best in Africa, with 322 bird species residing here, among them the rare Red Collared Babbler and 29 others that are endemic to the Albertine Rift. The park is also home to at least 120 butterfly species. To mammal lovers, Nyungwe Forest is home to at least 75 mammal species. This include the rare Serval Cat, Congo Clawless Otter, Mongoose and Leopard, but wildlife seems to be shy here, meaning that sightings are mainly by luck.

At Nyungwe Forest, photogenic visitors have an opportunity to capture awesome shots as they enjoy the Nyungwe Canopy Walk Suspension Bridge (very popular activity), or when walking up to the Isumo Water Fall. With Tea Plantations bordering the edges of the park, and with a habituated troop of Ruwenzori colobus monkeys at Gisakura as well as forest fringe birds, this park offers a truly amazing encounter with nature.