Rwanda the land of lakes and hills is home to the finest landscapes in Africa coupled with top quality forest adventures –gorilla and chimpanzee tracking in the country’s most visited parks Nyungwe & Volcanoes National Parks. what a lovely country with stunning scenic views, impressive large & deep lake ,dramatic mountains and a beautiful living culture full of warm welcoming people. The unique landscape makes Rwanda superb for any safari tour bit honeymoon, leisure, beach, hikes, wildlife etc. Tourists on safaris in Rwanda get perfect vacation holidays throughout their stay a main reason for revisiting or recommending the destinations to friends and family.
Rwanda much was once greatly negatively affected by the 1993 Rwandese Genocide is now among the most visited countries in Africa. Despite its small size, Rwanda offers incredible tourist experiences to those who visit the country for tours and safaris. Today while in Rwanda, it’s always hard to believe that the country was once greatly destroyed by war since it has undergone tremendous economic developments. When visiting this magical country, there are attractions and destinations that should be on one’s mind and he/she should definitely not miss out on them.
1. Republic of Rwanda
2. History of Rwanda
3. Politics and government in Rwanda
4. Geography and climate of Rwanda
5. Economy and infrastructure of Rwanda
6. Culture in Rwanda
7. Visas and Entry Requirements Rwanda
8. Transport in Rwanda
9. Religion in Rwanda
10. Education in Rwanda
11. Sports in Rwanda
12. Shopping Malls in Rwanda
13. Foreign Embassies in Rwanda
14. Museums in Rwanda
Quick Information About Rwanda
Capital City, Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda and well known as one of the cleanest city in Africa
Official Language, Rwanda has three major languages spoken: Kinyarwanda, French and English
Government, Rwanda is under republican Government
President, the current president is Paul Kagame
Prime minister, currently, Rwanda’s prime minister is Anastase Murekezi
A colonial master, Rwanda was colonized by Belgium.
Date of independence, Rwanda became independent on July 1, 1962
Land area, Rwanda has a total land of 26,338 km2
Water, 5.3% of Rwanda is occupied by water bodies
GDP Capita, the Rwanda Gross Domestic per capita is US$ 644
Currency, Rwanda Currency is Rwandan Francs (RWF)
Time Zone, Rwanda time zone is CAT (UTC+2)
Driving side, All drivers are supposed to drive on right hand side, unlike in Uganda where driving is done on left hand side.
ISO 3166 code, Rwanda Iso 3166 code is RW
Internet TLD, rw
Calling code, Rwanda calling code is 250
Summer (DST), not observed (UTC)
Nature of relief, Much of Rwanda is mountainous.
National Parks, Rwanda has three national Parks namely Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Volcanoes National Park.
Explore Rwanda
All the county attractions and parks are close to each other and can easily be visited one after the other no matter where you start from, all your safaris in Rwanda start and end in Kigali Rwanda’s capital. Volcanoes and Nyungwe forest are areas of amazing nature beauty and are honored as Rwanda’s best travel tourist destination worldwide indeed are destinations of excellence. Volcanoes provide excellent primate Africa safaris to all primate lovers to the country as well as live cultural tours to the nearby park communities. The local community entertain guests through local culture dances and singing an exciting activity which make many admire the beauty and structure of the African culture. With over 13 primate species and a main ply ground of chimps in Africa Nyungwe offers the wonderful forest walks on different trails and at different time schedules of the day including the canopy walk an activity for only the brave hence a perfect spot for walking and Chimpanzee tracking .
Don’t forget Lake Kivu Rwanda’s best preserved beach with white sand and lovely island views. The lake waters and islands provide a great setting for many water sport activities and also boost several hotels and restaurants which meet all the needs of both local and foreign tourists especially food and drinks. With the rich culture of the Rwanda people, there are some culture sites to explore including Kings palace, Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, Utubindi twa Rubona, Urutare rwa Ngarama, Mimuri and many others. A culture tour while in rwanda is highly recommended.
Things to Do
Among the several tourists’ activities in Rwanda, gorilla tracking ranks best followed by hiking and chimpanzee trekking. Surely all move hand in hand like snacks and a drink that tourists feel living out one activity makes their adventure incomplete. The stunning Scenery makes all activities and surrounding look just worthy visiting. Birding & Golden monkey trekking is another adventure which inspire many to book a Rwanda safaris.
Most thrilling safaris to Rwanda include all the countries main treks and hikes. Lake kivu is another perfect spot for leisure and honeymoon holidays in Rwanda. Water spots, sunbathing, boat rides and island visits are some of the many activities available at the lake. Although small, Rwanda is filled with natural beauty characterized by hills, mountains bamboo & rain forest plus culture. There are many more great experiences one must not miss while on a safari in Rwanda for remarkable tourists experiences;
The Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience
Rwanda is among the three countries on the planet where mountain gorillas can be viewed. Mountain gorillas are largest of the apes’ family and among the most endangered wild animals. Trekking through the forested mountains of volcanoes national park in Rwanda to view these magical animals is a very exciting wildlife experience that one must surely don’t miss. Volcanoes national park can be got to just after a 2 to 3 hours drive from Kigali (Rwanda’s capital city) and the mountain gorilla trekking permit is sold at only $750. The trek to the mountain gorillas usually ranges from 2 to 8 hours of great wildlife and scenic views. After getting to the mountain gorillas, time duration of one hour is allocated to the tourists to observe, take photographs and get to know more about one of their closest relatives.
The Coffee Experience
Coffee is among the widely grown cash crop on a plantation basis in Rwanda. While on a safari in Rwanda, a tour to one of the coffee farms is incredible as you are taken through coffee plantation and processing until you taste the final coffee locally made by the local Rwandese. There are some plantations that offer accommodation to tourist but trust me the whole coffee learning process is very enjoyable.
The Rwandan Cultural Experience
Learning more about the Rwandan culture is another great experience one should not miss while in Rwanda. This experience can be got by visiting one of the local communities in Rwanda where the local people tell you more about their traditions and beliefs and offer entertainment in form of local dances (Intore dance) and drama. An example of a good cultural community to visit is the Iby’Iwacu cultural village located in Kinigi near volcanoes national park.
TheReal Jungle And Chimpanzee Tracking Experience
Rwanda has one of the dense and oldest forests in east and central Africa. Located in the southwestern part of Rwanda, Nyungwe forest is a real jungle with a number of wildlife species including the chimpanzees. Forest expeditions in this mass forest are very unique and remarkable especially to the ecotourists and nature lovers. There are also a number of bird species in here including those that are endemic to the region. Other major primates that can be spotted in Nyungwe forest include different kinds of monkeys (l’hoest monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many others). There is a canopy walkway in the forest that stands about 50 meters above the ground and thus enables people to explore the forest from above.
Chimpanzee tracking in this forest is at only $90 and the canopy at $70.
Kigali City Tour
Kigali is Rwanda’s capital city and among the cleanest and organized cities on the African continent. While on a city tour in Kigali, you view a number of standard luxurious hotels, the airport and many other outstanding attractions including a visit to the Gisozi genocide memorial site where you can pay tribute to the innocent people who lost their lives during the 1993 Rwandese genocide.