Remarkable Rwanda is no stranger to magical landscapes with verdant rolling hills throughout the country as well as majestic towering mountains like the Virunga Volcanoes in the northwest compensating for its small size and responsible for the country’s name for “land of a thousand hills”. When it comes to natural beauty, few places on Earth come close to Rwanda. In the North-west is Volcanoes National Park the home to the mountain gorillas and the main drawing force for the country’s visitors, the south-western based Nyungwe Forest National Park is a rainforest of sheer beauty and biodiversity, the Eastern corner is where you will find Akagera National Park the only savannah National Park in this country and where your dream of seeing big five animals can be realized and Lake Kivu, a freshwater Lake with outstanding inland beaches and many others beautiful places and experience as you will discover.
Mountain gorilla trekking
Mountain gorilla trekking is the most primate lovers’ bucket list activity. Trekking and meeting face to face with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience to cherish. Gorilla treks involve waking up by 6:00 am and transferring to Kinigi Park Headquarters by 7:00 am with gorilla permit, trekking gear, and packed Lunch at hand for briefing. Treks are conducted on one of the 10 habituated gorilla families allowing a maximum of 8 persons aged 15 years and above as well as holding a valid permit valued at $1500.
Chimpanzee trekking
When you talk of chimpanzee trekking, Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park should flash right in front of your eyes. Any of the two habituated chimpanzee communities will make your visit go gaga but watching them exhibit human-like characters will make you fall permanently in love with them.
Game drives
Who doesn’t want to drive through a safari wilderness? The cherry on top is when you encounter the big five animals-lions, leopards, Rhinos, elephants as well as buffaloes and this experience is possible within the Akagera National Park. Hot air balloon tours are one of the exciting ways to watch wildlife and relish the outstanding landscapes of Akagera National Parks where it’s conducted. With this adventurous activity, you can see giraffes, lions, elephants, buffaloes, lions as well as other outstanding features such as rivers, lakes, and many others with a bird’s eye view.
Canopy walk
If you ever ask where the most exciting canopy walk is conducted, the answer will always be Nyungwe Forest National Park. The 160 meters long and 70 meters high suspension bridge above the ravine within the verdant montane rainforest provides an exhilarating perspective on the ancient treetops, wildlife such as the black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and a colorful variety of bird species among others.
Village and cultural tours
Rwanda’s villages and tourist sites have the power to move you with the history and hidden secrets. There is so much to learn about the country’s awe-inspiring cultures, traditions, and history, with each aspect being fascinating in every sense. A visit to the genocide memorial sites, Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, and Nyamirambo Women’s Center will leave you speechless.
Kigali Genocide memorial centers
You cannot visit Rwanda and leave without discovering the history that shaped it. The Kigali Genocide Memorial Center is a historical place of remembering the 250,000 lives that were lost as a result of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide against the Tutsi. Faint-hearted visitors are cautioned against visiting this site because not only will you discover the pain and agony from the genocide, but also see skeletons, clothing, and former belongings of genocide victims. This center features three permanent exhibitions-the largest documenting the genocide and also the children’s memorial on the history of genocides around the World. The Genocide Archive of Rwanda, Education center, and gardens are learning places for visitors to the site.
