Guide to Rwanda

Category: Experiences

  • A Day Trip to See Rwanda Gorillas

    Rwanda is a very beautiful Africa country with a lot to see and discover but just a day in Rwanda is enough for one to enjoy the best country attractions and adventures. Are you a first time visitor or you got less time?.If you’re planning unforgettable Rwanda trip outside the city, a 1 Day Rwanda gorilla safari is that you must not miss in Rwanda especially for saving and limited time travelers.

    This trip simplifies life for many travelers with fixed travel schedules and budget because, you experience the most loved wildlife encounter and also maintain your work or travel schedules.Less is spent on this trip and travelers save much on accommodation, transport and the entire holiday than those who go for long Rwanda holidays. The amazing thing is that it converts many from city noise and hassles to the wild and the breathtaking jungle tiled in bamboo trees and green vegetation. The one day Rwanda trip to Volcanoes national park and the finest gorilla tracking destination in Africa fulfills all human imaginations of Africa gorilla safaris as well as offering impressive jungle experience.

    Volcanoes national park location is for history because it qualifies as the nearest mountain gorilla tracking destination for everyone visiting Africa for gorilla tracking holidays. Travelers have breakfast very early before leaving there lodge of residence in Kigali and also enjoy a morning cup of coffee before briefing in company of Rwanda cultural dancers. After the trek you can have lunch in any of the gorilla lodge around the park or drive back to Kigali city and have it done in complete comfort and relaxation. No entrance fees are paid and the trip permits one to explore Kigali city as well because the Rwanda gorilla safaris end a little bit early than expected. Please be aware those Rwanda gorillas permits are on high demand year round so book your gorilla pass as early as possible in order not to be disappointed. However, lucky travelers book last minute Rwanda gorilla tracking tours and still find gorilla permits available though some ones luck can never be yours. The one day trip does not need one to book accommodation at the park on the day for the trek since you will leave immediately.

    All you need is only, the valid passport, Rwanda gorilla permit, tracking gears, some little cash that is you want to tip or donate to any local community project around the park.Some times its tricky during the high season so would highly recommend travelers to book their gorilla permits, transport and other essential through a trusted and genuine Rwanda travel agent.

    Those with more time in the country can engage in other park tour activities like golden monkey trek, hiking, birding, community visits, Dian Fossey visit, forest walk, hiking ,or visit other Rwanda tourist attractions near the gorilla park like Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest, Akagera national park among others.In Africa its only Rwanda with perfect tour destinations and spots to unwind, rejuvenate and also enjoy the fresh atmosphere.

  • Planning Family Safaris in Rwanda

    Like any other travel destination, Rwanda the land of great views welcomes all kinds of visitors at any time of the year to explore its natural beauty. Despite it being the smallest in the region, the country is bordered by Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Burundi which make it act as the most convenient connecting hub to most amazing regional tourist attractions. Bwindi forest, Mgahinga national park, Virunga conservation area, active volcanoes – Nyirangongo and Nyinamulagira plus rewarding mountains ,Muhavura, Bisoke & Karisimbi are one of the most selected attractions which make travellers to Rwanda cross borders for more adventure fun. Among the many new and creative tour options that are available for families and group tours to Rwanda include the 5-9 day gorilla and wildlife safari Uganda & Rwanda and a 5 day gorilla tracking tour Rwanda & Congo. These Rwanda gorilla safaris turn into life time opportunities for multi generations even those yet to come.

    Opportunities don’t seem to end when travel expats modify tour itinerary programs to suit different tastes of traveller to Rwanda for holidays.

    Rwanda family and group tours are always down to earth in costs and affordable by many despite the pricy gorilla permits at US$1500. Lodging facilities also fit in many traveller budgets because 2-3 people can share a room and cost unlike the single occupancy. Tourists get worried when it comes to connecting between different destinations in foreign country but the solution is only to travel in a group or family so that you can share the same vehicle and also spend less on both car hire and fuel. Besides for those interested in visiting other tourist attractions in the region still safari vehicles are allowed to cross from one country to the other hence adventuring on minimal budget.No family holiday can end in Rwanda without taking a wild forest walk to Volcanoes national park to meet the endangered mountain gorillas. Also Learning about the Rwanda culture is a must for many travellers because no guest can fail to steer at a live cultural dance performance before the Gorilla trek or even after. Those who get to the park late at the time for Gorilla briefing can still catch up with the most Rwanda cultural tour experience after the trek that is they are stay around the country for an extra day.

    Guests are allowed to be part of all the different cultural activities, the cultural dance, the warrior performance, king and queen performance, marriage celebration performances etc a thing which make them love the foreign culture even more. It’s a great experience to be treated as a royal in the foreign land. Wonderful afternoon forest walks also count a lot in most Rwanda group and family holidays providing unforgettable moment together as one.Imagine being one of them on your Rwanda Gorilla tracking tour. Don’t feel sad if you planning your Rwanda safari holiday alone but you can still join others on a group tour or convince your friends to join you and explore Rwanda’s main attraction together. I understand some times travel dates can be a problem to match with friends but try and set distant dates for everyone to plan. Though Gorilla permit prices are bound to be higher by 2020 I believe family and group tours will be the best tour option for every travellers Rwanda.

  • On the Trails of Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest

    On the Trails of Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest

    Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park may not get as much attention as the Volcanoes National Park – home to the rare mountain-dwelling gorillas – but it’s no less impressive.

    Spanning more than 1,000 sq kilometres, wandering through Nyungwe Forest is ideal for travellers seeking a classic wilderness experience or those who merely want to clear their heads of clouded thoughts.

    Located in southwestern Rwanda at the border with Burundi, Nyungwe is said to be the largest and best preserved montane rainforest in the whole of East and Central Africa.

    The forest protects more than 1,000 plant species, at least 120 butterfly species, 310 bird species, 13 primate species and 38 reptile species – according to the Rwanda Development Board, the state-run agency in charge of the country’s flora and fauna.

    Attractions in Nyungwe Forest

    Nyungwe Forest National Park’s star attraction has always been the chimpanzee, followed closely by the Black & White Colobus Monkey, birdlife, as well as the only canopy walkway in East Africa, which spans 160 metres and rises 70 metres above the forest floor.

    In my case, however, the primary motivator for my recent visit to Nyungwe Forest National Park was simple: to get back to nature and leave all the emotional baggage behind.

    I was with a group of travel bloggers and journalists from around the world. We travelled to Rwanda on a media familiarisation trip sponsored by the Rwanda Development Board in the run-up to the 2018 installment of Kwita Izina, the country’s annual baby gorilla naming and conservation fete.

    We visited Nyungwe Forest National Park on our third day in the country after checking out Kibuye, Rwanda’s tranquil vacation town that nests on the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes.

    After our car pulled into the Gisakura Station on the western edge of the park, we were warmly welcomed by one of the park’s guides who, after a few hellos, gave us some commentary on Nyungwe.

    The park is named Nyungwe because, many years ago, locals believed that leopards were roaming the forest. Nyungwe, we were told, means “the place of leopards” in Kinyarwanda.

    The Rwandan government gazetted the forest in 2005 because of its outstanding natural value as it contributes significantly to the survival of both people and wildlife in the country.

    “This forest is the source of 70 per cent of Rwanda’s water,” our guide said as we set off for our first hike in the forest.

    Isumo Waterfall Trail

    We pursued the path that leads to the Isumo Waterfall, located about five kilometres from One&Only Nyungwe House, the newest luxury lodge in the park.

    Our mid-morning hike seemed quite comfortable at the beginning, and everyone in our group of 21 was enjoying it – or so it seemed. But it became a little unnerving for some of my colleagues as we progressed deeper into the forest.

    The snaking Isumo Waterfall Trail, as it turned out, is the most strenuous hike in Nyungwe as it takes you through some steep ravines interspersed with slippery stretches.

    But if you are under 70 years old, have two legs and a set of lungs and also exercise (even if it’s once in a while), this is not the kind of hike that should intimidate you.

    Yet it did intimidate many of my colleagues. We were about two kilometres into the excursion when two of them began to complain of knee pain and decided to do an unprecedented about-turn.

    The rest of us carried on, enjoying the forest’s cool breeze, the sound of streams, the breathtaking views of trees – many of them endangered species – blanketing every vista, as well as a bit of camaraderie.

    There were also a couple of birds and Black & White Colobus Monkeys that we saw in the forest. Snakes such as vipers are also common here, our guide said, but thank God we never saw any slithering towards or past us. They loomed large in my mind, nevertheless!

    As we clocked more kilometres on the trail, the air became thicker — perfused with smells of foliage — and most of my colleagues could no longer hide their increasing exhaustion.

    “How long is it before we reach the waterfall?” they inquired at some point, almost in unison. Our guide averted another possible wave of about-turns when he informed us that we had only about 200 metres to the finish line. There wasn’t so much left to endure.

    A few minutes later, there it was in front of us – nature at its most rudimentary. We couldn’t have imagined the beauty of the view. The less eulogised Isumo watery wonder quickly became the centre point of our trek, and we all agreed that the strenuous hike was worth it, after all.

    We now focused on readjusting to our new surroundings and congratulated ourselves by depleting our packed lunch as we enjoyed the thunderous sound of the waterfalls.

    For me, the tiredness slipped away instantaneously (well, almost) and my heart rate took the much-needed dip. I felt rejuvenated.

    Canopy walkway 

    The following morning, we went for the canopy walkway trek on the eastern part of the park, and it turned out to be an easier ramble for all of us.

    In fact, Nyungwe Forest’s canopy walkway took us only about one-and-a-half hours to complete, offering us nothing more than the spectacular views of the park’s landscapes.

    A couple of hours later, we were back in our 4WDs for our return journey to Kigali. And as the lush green landscapes of Nyungwe Forest slowly blended into villages and then towns, we all felt reinvigorated and ready to re-enter the helter-skelter urban life and the air-conditioned world of Kigali Serena Hotel.

  • Get Up Close and Personal with Rwanda Gorillas

    Have you ever wondered how the king Kong looks like in its physicality or would you want to see the king Kong eye to eye?  To most of us when they talk about gorillas what clicks in our mind is that gorillas are monsters and beasts that can endanger human life and most of us would never want to meet a gorilla at any one time. All I can say my friends this is a myth that needs to be erased from our minds.

    This can only be done by you coming to Rwanda and take a gorilla tour where you can learn a lot about gorillas with a visual experience. Gorillas are really very awesome animals to visit.  These primates almost behave like humans that is the way they feed their young ones, co-exist with one another and their shelter are really amazing. So if you want to feel the thrill of seeing a gorilla come to Rwanda’s Volcanoes Park in the Virunga region and visit one of the habituated family of gorillas.

    While taking up a gorilla tour in Rwanda, there are guidelines undertaken  tracking these primates for the reasons of conservation and preservation; the gorillas are supposed to be tracked by a person who is above 15 years, one must have a gorilla permit which is bought from Rwanda development board or from a tour operator/company, you must be able bodied since this is a vigorous and challenging activity where one has to use a lot of energy to pass through the forests and walk up and down the ranges of Virunga to find these gorillas.

    So one taking up the tour has to put the latter in mind so that he doesn’t get any hardships or disappointments while on a gorilla safari. There are lots of interesting things one encounters while gorilla tracking like watching gorillas feed their young ones, playing and chasing themselves around, you can take pictures of gorillas but this has to be done without flashes of the camera and you will also enjoy a narrative and captivating story about the gorillas and the national park from the gorilla patron.

    You can also opt to visit the Diana Fossey tomb and the research centre. This zoologist fought tooth and nail to save these gorillas in the 1940s. Had not been her, there would be no opportunity of gorilla trekking in Rwanda because they were in danger from the local people as they were being killed for settlement by the local people. As you are in the world of gorillas that is the Virunga, you can also visit the golden monkeys at the basement of volcanoes national park. There are also rare primates that are hard to find so you can have some optical nutrition by seeing these special monkeys.

    Getting close to gorillas can make you wonder and believe the theory of mankind evolution from the apes because these creatures almost behave like humans.