Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills! This is one of the most interesting destinations in Central Africa. Most known for the 1994 Rwanda Genoocide, Rwanda is an upcoming destination – the best place to go gorilla tracking in Africa. Other popular adventures that you can enjoy in Rwanda include chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, hiking in the Virunga Mountains as well as the Genocide Memorial Tours.
Where to Go in Rwanda
Kigali City
National Parks
Akagera National Park
Volcanoes National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Other Interesting Places
Lake Kivu
Gishwati Mukura Forest Reserve
Guide to the Best Places to Visit
Volcanoes National Park
Just imagine visiting Volcanoes National Park for mountain gorilla trekking, meet the people , get to visit the rain forests so as to see the chimpanzees and golden monkeys, having stopoversd to see the Intore dancers and drummers, listening to the birds singing in the forests and lake shores. There are also the cultural village visits and the genocide museum in a peaceful country in a perfect road system and the modern farms. There are many reasons why you need to visit Rwanda, and some of them are described below.
Volcanoes National park; this is mainly for gorilla trekking; this is the star attraction and a visit to this national park will expose you to the gentle giants of Rwanda, there are many gorilla families in Rwanda for you to enjoy. The permit costs $1500 per person per hour. Apart from the gorillas in Rwanda, you can meet over 70 mammal species including; the elephants, buffalos, bush back, giant hogs, and many more. The visit to the Dian Fossey’s grave is worthwhile hike. There is golden Monkey trekking that can be done in the park and these are trekked at only $100 per person.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe forest national park; Nyungwe forest is the primate capital of Rwanda, this is where you can track the chimpanzees and also enjoy the canopy walk, this is the only trail of such kind that you will find in East Africa. You will view the troops of Colobus monkeys, which is the highest number in the world. The park was named among top 10 trips fo0 2014 by national Geographic traveller. You will view over 275 bird species including the clown headed Rwenzori Turaco. The mammals are 75, 120 butterflies and 100 orchid. You can enjoy Lake Kivu for a boat ride, or the visit to the fishing villages and a coffee plantation tour to Gisenyi.
Akagera National Park
The Akagera national park; enjoy game viewing at Akagera National park, the park is home to over 800 animals and 500 bird species. The animal list includes cape Eland, elephants, bush bucks, zebras, giraffes, spotted hyenas, leopards, lions. There are over 525 bird species in the park which makes it a birding paradise.
Safari Planning
What’s the best time to visit Rwanda?
It’s advisable to visit Rwanda during the months of June to August. This is because most of the activities are carried out in rain forests of Volcanoes National park and Nyungwe, it’s also normal to adventure rain. Always carry a jacket, it sometimes rains though not so much to scare the tourists away. For the bird lovers, December to March is the best time. What to wear on a safari largely depends on the destination. About gorilla trekking clothing or what to wear, the boots, water proof shoes, walking stick and a jacket.
What to engage in after a safari holiday? The Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi is a famous place to tour after gorilla trekking in Rwanda. And outside Kigali, you can visit Ntarama and Nyamata, the Kimironko market specializes in crafts which you can sue as souvenirs. In Musanze, you can get to involve in tourist activities like brick making as well as basket making.
Where to stay while on a Rwanda safari?
Since it’s a tourist destination, Rwanda has got all options for your stay, from budget and back packers accommodation to the up market facilities. In each and every safari destination in Rwanda, you will find over 4 choices of accommodation and they are often enough for the sharp travellers. The price of your safari will most likely depend on where you choose to stay.
Getting around: With the great transport network around Rwanda, it’s easy to move safely and comfortable to any destination, you can as well hire a car.
About visiting with kids. Family tours are possible , the children that are below 16 years are not allowed to track the gorillas, but they can visit the chimpanzees in Nyungwe park and also track the golden monkeys in addition to the visits to Lake Kivu and so much more.
Choosing a Tour Operator for a Safari in Rwanda
Which safari company to choose? This is so important, almost all the companies offer gorilla trekking and many other wildlife and cultural tours. As you carry our research, it’s vital not to just consider the price quote that is given to you by the tour operator, you need to see what it includes and excludes. One time the client asked for the price and the company quoted less the gorilla permit which costs over $1500. You need to find company reviews online, see the face book followers and the likes they have, also ask for the former clients and write to them or get to chat with the face book and twitter.
Does the company belong to any organization like Rwanda Tour operators Association, Rwanda Tourism, Africa Tour operators, Africa Travel and travel association? You need to get all these details. The trickiest part of it is that many of the operators charge their prices from the first day of the safari. You may need to pay for the extra hotel night/ day that are not part of your tour package. Your flights will surely determine this.
Any other East African destinations?
You can visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda and you can do this as a double trek. The other destinations where you can visit is Masai Mara in Kenya and Kilimanjaro Trekking in Tanzania. You can also have wildlife safaris in Ngorongoro crater, Tarangire, Serengeti and many more. The nearby Burundi also offers different safaris from Culture to relaxing holidays.
