rwanda
MURAKAZA NEZA
AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK
KIGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIAL
LAKE KIVU
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Our experiences
the best recommendations
GAME SAFARIS
Experience a classic African Safari in beautiful Akagera National Park. With Lake Ihema in the background and cooler temperatures, this is a safari experience unlike any of Rwanda’s neighbours.
Akagera is located approximately 110 km from Kigali. The majority of the way is paved, and the last 28km are on a dirt road, therefore it is recommended to have a 4×4. For self-drive safaris, there is no need to book. Cars are available for hire, there is one 7-seater game viewing vehicle which can be hired out for either a half or full day, all which includes the vehicle, driver and guide.
Guides are available for hire from the reception and can join visitors on their self-drives. Booking a guide a head of time is not necessary, unless for special groups such as school trips. An information center to assist with activities is also available
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
While it might have been the gorillas that entice you to Rwanda, it’s the people of Rwanda who will keep you coming back. Ancient traditions of honour and hospitality run strong here, and anybody who takes the time to discover Rwandan culture for themselves will find a proud and unique people, happy to welcome you into their lives and introduce you to their traditions. Music and dance play an indispensable role in everyday life here, and performances range from dashing demonstrations of bravery and prowess to humorous songs, light-hearted dances, and rural artistry with roots in traditional agriculture. Traditional songs are often accompanied by a solitary lulunga—a harp-like instrument with eight strings—while more celebratory dances are backed by a drum orchestra, which typically comprises seven to nine members who collectively produce a hypnotic and exciting explosion set of intertwining rhythms. Below we list different cultural experiences that you can easily incorporate into your trip to Rwanda.
GORILLA TREKKING
Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is often described as “life changing” and with good reason. With only an estimated 880 Gorillas left in the world, to see these gentle creatures in their natural habitat is a truly unique moment.
Gorillas make their homes in and amongst the bamboo-covered slopes of the Virunga Mountains in the Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda. Trek to see them and you’ll be introduced by your expert trackers and guides to one of the fully-habituated families of mountain gorillas and you can stay with them for an awe-inspiring hour, often crouching just a few feet away, whilst the gorillas go about their daily lives.
Hikes in the mountains can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours + depending on the family allocated to your group and their location. The journey back can take just as long, but you are often carried along by the euphoria you feel at seeing the gorillas!
BIRD WATCHING
Get up close and personal with your hairy relatives during this exciting tour of the marvels of southwestern Uganda. Drive through extensive matoke plantations on your way to Lake Mburo for a walking safari amongst the zebras, before continuing to the highlands for gorilla tracking. You will have the chance to gaze at elephants in the savannas of Uganda’s oldest national park and watch the curious chimps in the tropical rainforests of Kibale. You can opt for budget, mid-range or deluxe accommodation.
Watch the chimpanzees playing and the baboons staring curiously at you. An impressive meeting with the gorillas will become an experience of a lifetime!
ACCOMODATION.
Popular destinations
Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Nyungwe forest lodge was set up in 2010 and has fast become a favorite with tourists in the area. It is situated in a tea plantation close to the Nyungwe forest. This lodge was the first ever 5 star accommodation establishment in the region. It has some of the best facilities in Rwanda and very good service.
Nyungwe forest lodge has luxury facilities such as a gym and a swimming pool, and over looks the forest canopy so you are guaranteed some good views of the scenery in the area.
It has comfortable luxury rooms, one of them even has a jacuzzi.
Board basis is full board and it includes meals. You can either dine outdoors, or in the restaurant, or in your room.
There is access to WIFI, and telephone services, so you can communicate to people back home. There are also sate-lite TVs in the rooms to keep you in touch with the rest of the world.
Kigali Serena Hotel
Kigali Serena Hotel is a large and luxurious hotel close to Kigali Airport and the City’s Commercial Centre. Built with polished granite, the hotel is centred on a lounge and bar area which opens out on to a wide sundeck overlooking the pool. The hotel exudes luxury, with 148 rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, bars and a spa all in a pan-African style starring some Rwandese cultural art.
All of the guest accommodation here is luxurious, with 24 hour room service, a mini bar and air-conditioning. Standard rooms are large and sumptuous, with en-suite bathrooms complete with a tub and shower. As you work your way up through Superior, Deluxe, Junior, Prime and executive to the Presidential Suite, you gain a Jacuzzi, private office, private conference room and 2 en-suite guest rooms. As well as this you have your own private vestibule entrance and reception area.
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Located near Kinigi on the outskirts of the Volcanoes National Park, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel accommodates a select number of guests in comfortable bedrooms with all the necessary amenities for a pleasant stay.
This is one of the best locations from which to track the gorillas and knowing you have a spotless bathroom, comfortable bed and delicious cuisine to come back to after your hard day trekking is a definite bonus.
Five Volcanoes is located around three hours from Kigali on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park. Being situated in Kinigi means you have both access to the mountain trekking in the park, as well as other activities in the surrounding area.
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Bisate Lodge
Bisate Lodge is a new, luxurious lodge in Rwanda’s Virunga Volcanoes region, opened in mid-2017. This sumptuous eco-lodge aims to provide guests with more than just a ‘gorilla express’ experience, rather immersing you into the local atmosphere, giving you a greater understanding of the conservation work that helps to protect the gorillas, eco-systems and the local community.
With just six forest villas spaced across the large but private Bisate site, you will feel as though you are actually staying within the national park itself.
The design of the lodge focuses on traditional architecture with thatched structures that echo those dotted around the region. Each thatched forest villa comprises a large double bed, spacious bathroom, central fireplace and large private deck from which to take in the wild surrounds.
ABOUT RWANDA
Rwanda, land of a thousand hills is a small but stunningly beautiful country in the heart of Africa, her dominant feature being the milliard fertile green and beautifully terraced hills scattered all over the countryside. But she is also one of the most popular tourism destinations in Africa. In her north, track the rare Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, or the habituated Golden Monkeys popularly referred to as the little sisters of the gorillas; or enjoy a day long guided hike up one of the volcanoes in this beautiful national park. Tour Ibyi’Iwacu cultural village for a Rwandan cultural experience or join your Guide on a town tour of Ruhengeri including the local market where you meet, mix and mingle with the local people. In the south, Nyungwe rain-forest National Park is a fairytale land nature lover’s paradise with stunning scenery, guided forest hikes down the valleys to beautiful water-falls;Tracking large troops of habituated Angola colobus Monkeys;get your adrenalin pumped on the Canopy Walk, the only one in East and Central Africa; Birding tours with expert guides;Track habituated Chimpanzees in Kyamudongo or enjoy Cultural interaction tours to some of the local tea plantations where you meet and mingle with local people. In Rwanda’s east, the small but incredibly beautiful Akagera National Park is big game country and home of the African Big-5; elephants, newly-introduced lions, rhinos, large herds of buffalo, even the elusive leopard when lucky, and milliard other plains game including eland and hippos and giant Nile crocodilesin Lake Ihema and her many other water bodies. On the gorgeous Lake Kivu, Africa’s 6th largest lake which forms Rwanda’s western border with DR Congo are found the resort towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu, perfect spots for a beach stay, leisure and relaxation as well as guided town tours and diningwhere meet and mingle with local Rwandans as they go about their daily life.Rwanda’s capital Kigali too is a tourism attraction in her own right; a smart African city of over 1million, reputedly the cleanest on the continent with wide boulevards, nice flowered pavements, world class hotels and restaurants and an international airport. Our city tour of Kigali includes her major historical, cultural, economic and political landmarks as well as the Kigali genocide Memorial Centre; obviously a moving experience but of our recent history and really helps put everything else into perspective. As you tour other parts of the city, you will see just how incredible Rwanda’s recovery has been – a true testament to mankind’s resilience in the face of unfathomable odds. We also organize dining out experiences to sample of Rwanda’s nice local restaurants serving a wide range of delicious Rwandan, continental and international dishes that will leave you wanting for me.But by far the most amazing thing about Rwanda is encountering her people, Rwandans themselves, certainly some of the most beautiful, gracious and charming anywhere in the world and hospitable to a fault, their ancient culture repackaged for the 21stcentury and still being practiced; it is they that always leave the longest lasting mark.Rwanda is beautiful and amazing -Ikaze mu Rwanda (welcome to Rwanda); experience the magic of the land of a thousand hills, and a million smiles,here in the heart of Africa.
