Top Places to visit in Rwanda on Safari
Rwanda is a green country made of a thousand hills, and exploring this beautiful country gives you a chance to see and enjoy the best adventure experiences while visiting on safari. There are many things one can do when in Rwanda but not all make your experience exceptional. Must-do in Rwanda include; mountain gorilla trekking, Dian Fossey hike, golden monkey and chimpanzee trekking, Musanze caves tour, Mount Karisimbi hike, the Congo Nile trail and boat cruise on Lake Kivu.
A good number of visitors who come to Rwanda directly transfer to Volcanoes National Park to see Mountain Gorillas despite the fact the country has many other places to see like Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National park, Musanze caves, Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamata Church (Kigali), Art Galleries, National Park and visit Iby’iwacu Cultural Village among others.
Kigali City
Kigali is a clean peaceful city, a safe place to start your tour while in Rwanda. The city is geographically located at the centre of the nation. Climate in Kigali is tropical savanna; both dry and cool throughout the year. Kigali is a blossoming African city with friendly and welcoming people. Touring through Kigali city gives a chance to enjoy Rwanda’s great culture and activities as you discover most of East Africa’s great dining experiences.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is found in Musanze, northern part of Rwanda. The park can be accessed by road through Gisenyi from Congo or Chanika border from Uganda or from Kigali. It’s a 2 hours drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National park. Visiting the Park gives you the opportunity to Trek Mountain Gorillas, track the golden Monkeys, have a cultural experience at Iby’Iwacu-village, Hike Karisimbi volcano or hike Mount Bisoke volcano, Visit Dian Fossey graves or Visit the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera.
Dian Fossey Tomb Hike
Dian Fossey founded The Karisoke Research Center purposely to study the endangered mountain gorillas. The name “Karisoke” was made from combing the names of the two volcanic mountains; Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. It’s headquarters are found in Musanze. Dian Fossey became famous for her extensive research about the endangered gorillas of Rwanda and the book “Gorillas in the Mist (1983)”. Fossey was later cruelly murdered in 1985 and buried at the centre of Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. Tourists usually visit that place purposely to learn more about primates, hike the Volcanoes and view Dian Fossey’s grave.
Musanze Caves
Musanze Caves are found in Musanze, Volcanoes National Park. They were formed as a result of volcanic activities in the Albertine Rift Valley. The caves are 2 kms long with different wild plants grown on the walls, bats hanging upside down and 31 entrances.
In most cases after trekking the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, visiting the caves would be an perfect additional adventure. Musanze caves are today a potential tourism attraction and also used by locals for settlement.
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is a Rift Valley lake that borders both Congo and Rwanda in the Eastern part of Africa. The lake is a beautiful place famously known during the genocide period since it was used as a dumping ground for dead bodies.
There is so much you can do while around Lake Kivu; having a boat cruise, swimming, explore islands, go fishing, go to Congo Nile Trail on foot or using your bike, sea kayaking, visit one of the genocide memorials in Gisenyi, do the crop to cup coffee experience or to relax along the Lake.
Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is found in the eastern part of Rwanda bordering Tanzania. The park is mainly a savannah though has hilly and swampy parts with River Kagera that flows through Rwanda to Burundi and Rwanda to Tanzania.
Visiting Akagera is magical as you get a chance to see antelopes, zebras, bushbucks, giraffes, impala, a spotted hyena, a wander off lion, various herds of elephants and buffalos throughout the savannah; and more dozen types of African birds and animals in the park.
Nyungwe Forest
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a beautiful natural rainforest in Southwest Rwanda. The park is well known as a home for habituated chimpanzees and over 10 other primate species with over 200 bird species.
Visiting Nyungwe gives a majestic feel of adventure as you explore its nature and wildlife. Chimpanzee tracking is the main activity done in Nyungwe since there are 2 natural chimp communities in Cyamdungo and Uwinka with well-trained guides that take guests through their natural habitats. Get a chance to see beautiful birds, go for a canopy walk above the forest floor as you see primates, birds, butterflies, seeing the waterfalls then hiking and biking within the park’s stunning landscape.
Genocide Memorial Sites
Rwanda is commonly known because of the Genocide; the most horrific events that took place in 1994 where most Tutsi and over 1 million people were killed. This insurgence took a period of 100 days and so today about 8 memorial places were built around Rwanda in remembrance of the lost loved ones.
Most known genocide sites that were built include;
- Kigali or Gisozi Genocide Memorial where approximately 250,000 Victims were laid including children.
- Murambi Genocide Memorial site where about 2700 individuals were slaughtered at the school.
- Gisenyi Memorial site; the first memorial site found in Gisenyi with remains of 12000 victims. Nyamata memorial site; a church located in Bugesera district were approximately 2500 people were killed as they had gone to seek refuge in the church.
- Bisesero Memorial site (Hill of Resistance) located in Kibuye region – Karongi district; it is made up of nine small structures that symbolize the 9 communities that originally formed the kibuye region and approximately 30,000 people were killed in this region
- Nyarubuye Memorial Site which was a convent school where about 20000 people were brutally killed and buried in attempt to escape to Tanzania
- Nyanza Memorial Site where some Tutsis had gone to Nyanza at ETO where UN officials had come to provide security to the Rwandese before the genocide but fled when war started and in the end all refuges that sought UN assistance were killed.
- Ntarama Memorial site located in Bugesera about 30 kilometers from Kigali where about 5000 people mostly women and children were murdered within the church.
Rwanda is today a fast growing country with about 90% increase in minerals, coffee and tea and food production. Tourism is the Rwanda’s main sources of foreign exchange although the country small, densely populated and landlocked.
