Famous for world mountain gorillas, chimpanzee, golden monkey and remarkable waterfalls and beaches, Rwanda is an exciting world travel destination in Africa for everyone. As Africa’s supreme gorilla tracking destination, Rwanda has several amazing attractions and tour adventures plus those with visits to their neighboring countries of Uganda and Democratic republic of Congo. From Kigali city to Lake Kivu northern Rwanda, Musanze town there are interesting places to visit in Rwanda.
Rwanda can be visited throughout the year. Gorilla trekking and other forest walks are less demanding during the drier months. The European winter is the best time for birds, as Palaearctic migrants supplement resident species.
Rwanda’s tourist’s attractions
- Kigali city tour
- Karisoke gorilla sanctuary
- Hand craft centres
- Historical and museums
- Traditional events
- Lakes and rivers
National parks and wild life species
• Akagera national park
• Nyungwe national park
• Parc des volcanoes national park
Although the genocide memorials are the first thing that comes in the mind of most people when they hear about Rwanda, that was history and for now, Rwanda is the best tourism destination in the whole world. The land of a thousand hills has a lot to offer ranging from natural, cultural, historical and man-made features all interesting to the travelers. However, there are certain features and attraction that every traveler who wants a memorable and great experience must visit, these include among others:
Mountain gorillas
It’s in the Volcanoes National Park where travelers find the rare mountain gorillas in the whole of Rwanda. The national park is a home to more than 360 mountain gorillas split in 10 gorilla families. This is alongside Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic republic of Congo. All these national parks are found in the Virunga Conservation are that stretches across the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo.
The gorilla permit is sold at USD750 and can be accessed at the Rwanda development board. The permit allows a traveler to interact with the great apes on a gorilla safari for the maximum of one hour and 8 people maximum. Its only gorilla trekking that has been ranked as the most interesting wild life encounter and therefore travelers to Rwanda should not miss out this experience.
Chimpanzees
It is so interesting that travelers interested in chimpanzee trekking have the greatest opportunity. The chimpanzees are found in the Nyungwe forest national park which is a tropical rain forest. The process of trekking chimpanzees is accompanies with other animals and bird species in the forest which all add to the final experience of the traveler. Still in Nyungwe, travelers can do a canopy walk where they walk on the top of the trees and this provides them with a clear aerial view of the national park and different wild lie in it. It’s a great experience that travelers must not miss out.
Akagera national park
This is the only national park in Rwanda that has open savannah grass lands famous for the game drives other than the other tropical rain forests. The forest fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains and rolling highlands combine to make Akagera National Park to be amongst the most scenic of reserves anywhere in Africa. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms the largest protected wetland in central Africa. The game dives provide an opportunity to see wild life such as elephant, buffalo, topi, zebra, waterbuck, roan antelope and eland. Other antelope are duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, bushbuck and impala. Of the primates, olive baboons, vervets and the secretive blue monkey are seen during the day, with bush babies often seen on night drives.
Genocide memorial sites
There are several memorial sites that were put in place all over Rwanda as a remembrance to the many people who died innocently when Rwanda was struck by the genocide in 1994 that left many people dead. These sites include Gisozi, Gisenyi, Nyamata, Bisesero and Nyanza among others. It is believed that approximately 300,000 people died during the genocide. Travelers always are interested in visiting these sites in commemoration of the dead and it is a sorrowful moment that most people who visit the sites come out with tears flowing in their eyes. There are several videos that show how everything happened from the start to the end. It is so touching and travelers must visit these sites for the memorable experience in addition to the written stories.
Crafts
A wide range of traditional handicrafts are produced in Rwanda rural areas, ranging from ceramics and basketry to traditional woodcarvings and contemporary paintings. Rwanda’s traditional Agaseke baskets have become famous whole over the world and a visit to Gahaya Links to Gifted Hands centre will allow any guest to witness the weaving of these baskets first hand and purchase the high quality
Baskets directly from the centre which have developed rural based tourism in Rwanda hence earning income to local communities. A good selection of painted and handcrafted artifacts can be viewed in craft villages, shops and numerous art galleries in Kigali.
Excellent places to peruse and purchase modern art work in Kigali are African Gift Corner, CAPLAKI Craft Village, Ishyo Cultural Centre, Ivuka Arts, Uburanga Art Studio, Inganzo Gallery and ATRAC Craft Village among others.
Gisenyi, the most developed of these resorts lies less than an hour drive from Volcanoes National Park, and is set on a sandy beach lined with swaying palms and modern hotels that exude an atmosphere of tropical languor. At Karongi to its south, the stunning and guesthouses and beaches overlook pine-covered hills seemingly transplanted from the Alps. Rusizi, close to Nyungwe National Park is characterized by a stirring setting of curving inlets winding into narrow valleys.
In conclusion therefore, there are several attractions in Rwanda but the above are the most sees that every travelers should not miss out if he/she needs a great and memorable experience.