Rwanda

Rwanda  is Situated in central Africa, Rwanda is a country of astounding natural beauty. Known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, its majestic mountain ranges are blanketed in lush tropical rainforests.

The rolling scenery is accentuated with vast glimmering lakes and striking dormant volcanoes, most famously the Virunga volcanoes, where you’ll find the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas hidden deep in the bamboo forests.

Renowned for its unparalleled concentration of incredible nature and wildlife, Rwanda has three protected national parks, Akagera Parc, National des Volcans, and Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Here you can trek through rainforests to find native golden monkeys, a growing population of chimpanzees, and rare troops of mountain gorillas and silverbacks.

Descend from the mountains to discover Lake Kivu, the second biggest freshwater lake in the world and one of the African Great Lakes.

Boasting some of the best inland beaches in Africa, Lake Kivu offers swimming, kayaking and even scuba diving below the mystical depths. You can stay overnight on the eastern shore and take a day trip to Napoleon Island, home to thousands of bats.

Explore Kigali, Rwanda’s picturesque capital city. Surrounded by rolling hills and lined with leafy boulevards, Kigali is one of Africa’s safest and cleanest cities.

A name synonymous with a horrific past, Rwanda has made leaps and bounds towards a dynamic future. Today the country is an upcoming leader in environmental conservation and responsible tourism.

A trip to Rwanda offers the chance to contribute to conservation and a prosperous future, while experiencing the breathtaking privilege of meeting the last precious mountain gorillas in their unspoiled homes.

Due to its central location, Rwanda combines beautifully with its east African neighbours. Extend your trip to Tanzania and Kenya to the see the Great Migration, or round out your luxury holiday with a relaxing visit to the sunny shores of Zanzibar.

Rwanda Tourist places

Kigali

Start your Rwandan adventure in “Africa’s cleanest city”, Kigali

Why we love it

Kigali is a very clean city which is partly because plastic bags are banned in Rwanda and also because of a practice called Umuganda. The word Umuganda can be translated as ‘coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome’ and once a month Kigali residents come together to work on community projects such as keeping streets clean, tending to gardens and helping neighbours.

If you’re visiting Rwanda it is likely that you’ll arrive and depart from the capital and largest city, Kigali. Surrounded by picturesque rolling hills, with tree-lined boulevards and well-maintained gardens set in the city squares, Kigali is one of Africa’s most attractive capital cities, and it is one of the safest and cleanest.

Conveniently located in the heart of Rwanda, Kigali is the perfect place to spend a day or two before exploring the rest of the country.

The city’s best known landmark is the Kigali Genocide Memorial which is set on one of the many hills that surround the city.

The centre’s exhibitions explain the history of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and it includes poignant displays of victims’ photographs and belongings, bringing the realities of the atrocities to life.

While it may seem an unusual tourist attraction and can be upsetting, visiting the centre helps to put into context how and why the genocide happened and gives visitors an appreciation of how far Rwanda has moved on.

We also recommend that you visit the Nyamata and Ntarama Genocide Memorials located an hour outside of Kigali these were both churches where thousands of Rwandans were massacred, and the Camp Kigali Belgian Monument.

Discover the picturesque scenery, sandy beaches and tranquil atmosphere of Lake Kivu

Why we love it

We love the quaint town of Gisenyi at the north of Lake Kivu. At only an hour away from in Park National des Volcans, Gisenyi is a lovely place to unwind after trekking adventures. Gisenyi marks the beginning of the Congo Nile Trail, which extends 227 km to Cyangugu, and there’s plenty of biking and hiking trails for those who are seeking some more adventure.

Lake Kivu is located on the western edge of Rwanda, approximately an hour drive from the Parc National des Volcan, a two and a half hour drive from Kigali, and a four hour drive from Nyungwe Forest National Park.

There are three main towns along the lakeshore – Gisenyi (Rubavu), Kibuye (Karongi) and Cyangugu (Rusizi). The towns are approximately three to four hours’ drive from each other.

Around Lake Kivu you’ll find long stretches of palm-fringed sandy beaches, dotted with friendly fishing villages, making it the perfect place to relax after your gorilla or chimpanzee trekking adventures.

There are no hippos or crocodiles in the lake, so you can safely swim here and you can also enjoy water-based activities such as kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing and windsurfing.

There are numerous activities to take part in during a stay at Lake Kivu, including guided kayaking trips from Gisenyi and Kibuye, excursions to the nearby coffee plantations, hiking through banana groves, rainforest and woodlands, mountain biking though the lush green hills, visits to local communities to gain an insight into rural life and Rwandan culture, boat trips to Napoleon Island to seek out the colony of bats, and bird watching trips to spot the kingfishers, pelicans and cranes and other bird species which can be seen along the shores of Lake Kivu.

Track chimpanzees and other primates in Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda’s mountainous southwest

Why we love it

We highly recommend that you experience Nyungwe’s famous canopy walkway – the only one of its kind in East Africa! This 200m long metal bridge is suspended between giant trees 50m above the forest floor and offers breathtaking views of the upper canopy! You’ll be able to spot a variety of wildlife, plus you’ll also see many colourful birds and butterflies.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in the southwest corner of Rwanda, near the border with Burundi. It’s about a five hour drive from Kigali and if you’re coming from the capital city you can visit the King’s Palace Museum at Nyanza and the Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda (Rwanda National Museum) in Butare Town en-route.

Covering an area of over 1,000km², Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife, and it’s a birder’s paradise with over 300 species of bird. Nyungwe is renowned for its primate population – 13 different primate species can be found in the forest, including chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, and Rwenzori colobus monkeys which can often be seen in troops of several hundred!

Nyungwe Forest offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy an array of adventure, wildlife and cultural experiences – including hiking along the colour-coded walking trails (there are over 130km of walking trails ranging from a gentle 2km stroll through the forest on the Buhoro Trail, to a more challenging 10km trek up steep forested slopes on the Imbaraga Trail), tracking chimpanzees and Rwenzori colobus monkeys in their natural habitat, spotting beautiful birds and butterflies, experiencing the suspended canopy walkway, discovering spectacular waterfalls, and visiting local communities such as Kitabi Cultural Village and Banda Village.

Track endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Parc National des Volcans

Why we love it

Parc National des Volcans is a must on any Rwanda itinerary. In addition to tracking gorillas and golden monkeys, there are many other activities that you can enjoy, including climbing Karisimbi or Bisoke volcano, hiking to Dian Fossey grave site at Karisoke, or visiting Ibyiwacu Village, located just outside of the park in Kinigi.

Located in northwest Rwanda, Parc National des Volcans (also known as Volcanoes National Park) borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

The park is covered in rainforest and bamboo and it is renowned as a haven for the rare and endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkeys.

Parc National des Volcans offers one of the best gorilla tracking experiences in the world and most visitors to Rwanda include this once-in-a-lifetime activity in their itinerary.

There are currently 10 habituated mountain gorilla families in the park and on a gorilla trek you’ll venture deep into the forests with an expert tracker in search of a specific family. When you meet them you’ll be allowed to spend up to one hour observing them in their natural habitat.

Tracking endangered golden monkeys in their natural environment in Parc National des Volcans is highly recommended in addition to a gorilla trek.

These beautiful monkeys can be found easily as they live in the bamboo forests along the lower slopes of the mountains, and by following clues of fresh leftovers from eaten bamboo shoots trackers are usually able to locate them in less than an hour.

You’ll then spend a maximum of one hour watching these striking monkeys as they pick bamboo shoots and leap from tree to tree above you.