Top 12 adventures in Rwanda
Rwanda is a small but standard tourist destination located in East Africa close to a very beautiful region near the Virunga mountains who are home to the famous mountain gorillas.
For a long time, Rwanda’s stunning “thousand hills” terrain, varied fauna, and exquisite customs and cultures have been overshadowed by the country’s terrible history of the genocide against the Tutsi. However, with the determination of the leadership of Rwanda is emerging out of this ugly reputation to showcase its beauty.
Kigali, the country’s capital city, is a fast-expanding metropolis where traces of past kingdoms mix effortlessly with modern culture. Busy markets are filled with vibrant African heritage and fragrant spices. Modern art museums highlight the country’s growing creative energy.
A journey from Kigali city takes you through the tidy streets, visiting both well-known and lesser-known locations while striking a balance between cultural experiences and wildlife encounters. From the piteous reminders of the Kigali genocide Memorial to the pristine woodlands where the mountain gorillas dwell.
Rwanda has four national parks and many other interesting places to visit. The beauty of these tourist opportunities in search a small country can be witnessed in a few hours drive due to nature of the well-constructed roads and traffic safety.
The country’s location close to the equator provides a conducive environment for all-year-round visits.
Adventurous activities in Rwanda
Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla tracking is the most sought-after activity for most visitors to Rwanda. It is carried out in Volcanoes National Park, and this is one of the few remaining homes for mountain gorillas in the world, other places being Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. Volcanoes National Park has 12 gorilla families ready for daily tracking at $1500 per trekker, and only eight people are allowed to visit s gorilla family a day.
The hike begins with a briefing at the park headquarters, followed by a climb through the park’s varying vegetation zones together with armed ranger guides to the gorilla family. Once you spot the gorilla family, enjoy one hour in their presence as you capture photos, short videos, and observe their daily behaviour. The trek is a bit challenging, but with fitness and determination, you will realise that the experience is worth the cost.
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park
The chimpanzee trekking adventure in Rwanda is only carried out in Nyungwe Forest National Park, which is reached after a 5 – 6-hour drive from Kigali in the southwest of Rwanda. This park protects an ancient mountain forest that is said to have existed since the ice age, thereby protecting a huge biodiversity, with many wildlife species that are rarely found anywhere in Rwanda.
Nyungwe National Park is famously known for housing over 13 primate species, including a big population of chimpanzees – man’s closest relatives and another group of endangered primates. The park holds more than 500 chimps, thus offering one of the best chances to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park has three communities of habituated chimpanzees, and the trekking adventure starts at either Chamudongo, Uwinka, or Gisovu park centres with a briefing. With the guidance of park rangers, trekkers are led into the forest jungles, and the trackers will help you spot the chimps fast. The activity takes 2-3 hours, but once you find them, you are allowed one hour to closely observe them. Chimps are more active than gorillas, and at times, you will watch them as they move.
Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park
Though overshadowed by gorilla tracking, golden monkey tracking is another exciting adventure in Volcanoes National Park. This epic activity provides a beautiful moment of encounter with the golden monkeys. As their name suggests, golden monkeys have a striking golden fur coat and have a lovely character that makes this group of apes excellent for photography. Golden monkeys are another group of endangered primate species commonly found in Uganda and Rwanda. These unique animals always find residence in the bamboo forested zones and the vegetation at the base of the Virunga volcanoes. Rwanda has two troops of habituated golden monkeys, most found in Mount Sabinyo.
Volcanoes National Park offers one trekking session per day to trek to the golden monkeys. Treks begin with a briefing at Kinigi park center and then drive to the starting point, which is 15 minutes away from the center. The activity is carried out with the leadership of park guides. Since these apes reside at the base of the volcano and in bamboo forests, they are easily spotted. Visitors spend one hour watching them as they jump from one tree to the other, as they pick bamboo shoots. They are good for photography, and unlike other primates, golden monkeys love camera flash. A golden monkey permit in Rwanda costs $100 for international tourists, and the minimum age limit for tracking golden monkeys is 12 years.
Magical game drive in Akagera National Park
Visiting Akagera National Park is one of the extraordinary journeys in Rwanda’s wilderness. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah park lying in the eastern region of the country. This prominent park offers morning game drives, afternoon game drives, and night game drives. This in the only place in Rwanda where travellers can see the big five animals, which include the lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinos.
A fantastic drive from the south to the north on a single day will give you a great sight of many animals, including impalas, Topis, zebras, giraffes, bushbucks, monkeys, baboons, the oribi, roan antelopes, mongooses, hippos, rhinos, and crocodiles, among others.
A night game drive will expose you to different nocturnal animals like the rare leopard, hyenas, civets, and bush babies, among others. Though it is possible to have a self-guided drive in the park, guides are always available to accompany you and direct you to the best spots with abundant wild animals. It’s always worth accompanying the game drive with a refreshing boat trip on Lake Ihema, which is also found within the park premises.
Exploring Lake Kivu.
Lake Kivu is a large freshwater body that is shared by Rwanda and DR Congo. This lake is a popular destination for those seeking relaxation, vacations and holidays due to its beautiful scenery and cool sand beaches. It is located at the western part of Rwanda with three tourist towns, Gisenyi, Kibuye, and Changugu. The lake offers activities like swimming, sunbathing and water sports, including kayaking, canoeing, wind surfing and many others.
A boat cruise on Lake Kivu gets you an exploration of different islands on the lake such as peace island, Napoleon Island, Idjwi Island, Iwawa Island, Amizero Island, and many others and also get to interact with locals on the islands and the fishermen who will even teach you local fishing methods. This is a place you should not miss while on your Rwanda safari and enjoy the most luxurious accommodations and beaches.
Gishwati Mukura National Park
This newly opened tourist adventure is located in the northwestern part of Rwanda, in the Kivu belt. This national reserve is also home to chimpanzees and other primate species, including golden monkeys, blue monkeys, and l’hoest monkeys. There are also around 60 distinctive tree species and several bird species to explore in this park.
On your visit to this park, you will observe an important conservation initiative and the might Congo-Nile Divide Forest that has been reserved for thousands of years. Get to interact with locals, especially cooperatives of beekeepers, traditional healers, crafts men, local farmers and traditional dancers.
Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park
This is another thrilling adventure in Rwanda. A canopy walk is carried out in Nyungwe National Park on a 70-meter-high suspended bridge. A guided nature walk along this bridge takes two hours to complete the 160-meter walkway.
The walk begins with a briefing at Uwinka Park Center and is then led by a guide. Participants should have good hiking shoes or boots, rain jackets, and some snacks if they have children.
The canopy walk involves simple hiking because to access the suspended bridge, one has to walk along the 2.1km Igishigishigi trail. The trail is very easy to hike, even a first-time hiker can do this. The canopy offers great views of the East African rift valley, Lake Kivu, and different sections of the park. as you walk along the canopy, you will spot more wildlife, especially those that spend most of the time in tree branches like monkeys and birds.
The Gorilla Guardian village in Volcanoes National Park
This is one of the best places to visit after the gorilla tracking activity in Volcanoes National Park. the Gorilla Guardians Village is a non-profit making organization that was established to improve the lives of reformed poachers and other members of the local community, and also a way to protect the mountain gorillas. This place was formerly referred to as the Ib’yiwachu cultural village.
When you visit the gorilla guardians’ village, expect to learn about Rwanda’s history, tradition and culture. Get to interact with members of the local community through guided village/community walks, spend some time with them, prepare and share a meal from their local food.
You may decide to visit a nearby local school, see how children learn without sophisticated materials like laptops, electricity, and other technology. Share their experience and knowledge, and if you have something, you can donate to them to improve learning conditions.
tour the king’s palace replica to understand the meaning of the symbols and cultural objects, and get a chance to become king or queen for a few minutes as they guide you on how Rwandan kings exercised their powers.
Visit the local traditional healer to see and learn how different plant leaves, tree barks, roots, flowers, and grass were mixed and used to treat the sick.
Participating in the Rwandan traditional dance is also amazing when you visit the Ib’yiwachu Cultural Center. At the end of your visit, you are requested to buy some of their handmade crafts as a way of supporting the members of this organization.
Umuganda day cultural event.
This is a mandatory community participation of all Rwandans aged 18 -65 years. This event takes place on the last Saturday of every month. In this initiative, community members come together for general cleaning from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. it has existed for so long, and failure to participate results in being fined.
Countrymen and women go out to dig at the roadsides, sweeping the city streets, draining ditches, and ensuring thorough cleanliness around their homes.
As a visitor, you can participate at your wish as a way of interacting with the local people and share their experience and listen to their stories, and how they cope with the daily challenges. This day can also be used to complement as a comfort and relaxation after the strenuous gorilla trek or volcano hike in Volcanoes National Park. this day has greatly contributed to the high cleanliness levels in Rwanda, thus rendering Rwanda one of the cleanest countries in Africa.
Discovering Mount Kigali.
Mount Kigali is one of the two mountains on which Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, sits. The other mountain is Mount Jali. Mount Kigali is not really a mountain as its name states but a combination of hills with many scenic settlements and different amazing attractions.
When you decide to explore Mount Kigali while on your Rwanda safari, you can spend some good time at Fazendha Sengha horse riding school, where you will surprisingly see horses that are used to carry food and water, and you can take part in horse riding depending on the time you will spend there.
More to enjoy on Mount Kigali is hiking to the top, it’s challenging but so rewarding as it gets you to sights of different spots of the city, have the best photography and interaction with Rwandan people at different centers.
Biking and cycling can be used along the mountain through different trails. This provides different amazing views of the city. you can see neighboring towns like Gisenyi, Gisozi, Nyabugogo, Kigali Independent University, and the traffic flow on the street. Visiting Mount Kigali is so relaxing and adventurous.
The Kigali city tour
The Kigali city tour is the most interesting adventure one should miss while on a Rwanda safari. Many tourists prefer having the city tour at the beginning of their safari. The city tour is a true reflection of Rwanda’s beauty as it rewards with visits to different places in the city like the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamata Memorial Site, and the Belgian genocide site. These sites provide information about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, why and how it took place, and the way how it was put to an end. The information at the sites advocates for peace and reconciliation. More to see during the Kigali city tour is the Presidential Museum that showcases the remains of the plane crush of former president Juvenal Habyarimana, which later led to the 1994 genocide, which led to mass killings of many innocent natives. The bustling Kimironko Market, Amahoro stadium, the Convention center, Mount Kigali, Hotel Mille des Collines, craft shops and coffee centres, and other different places should not be missed out on a Kigali city tour.
Volcano hiking in Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is part of the Virunga conservation area, which covers eight volcanoes that Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo share. Volcanoes National Park encloses five of these volcanoes, and these include Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura, and Mount Sabinyo. The volcanoes possess a natural beauty, including natural forests, different vegetation zones, scenic crater lakes, and plenty of wildlife, some of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley.
Hiking in Rwanda is mainly done on four of the volcanoes using different trails. Mount Sabinyo is the one that cannot be hiked from Rwanda side because of its steep terrain that was declared dangerous, however it can be hiked from Uganda side because stairs were constructed to enable hikers enjoy their experience.
Apart from hiking the volcanos, the park offers hiking to the Dian Fossey tomb. Dian Fossey was a great primatologist who dedicated her life to Mountain gorilla protection in the virungas, basing her research between Mount Bisoke and Karisimbi where she formed the Karisoke research center.
Hiking any of the Virunga volcanoes rewards you with beautiful scenery, wild animals like mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffalo, and many others. In addition to the animals are butterflies, birds, plants, and breathtaking crater lakes, not forgetting the Twa people who are believed to be the natives of the area.
Exploring Coffee and Tea Plantations
Rwanda is one of the major tea and coffee-producing countries in Africa. The country offers coffee and tea plantation experiences in different parts of the country, but the main areas are around Lake Kivu and areas close to Nyungwe National Park.
If you wish to participate in the coffee experience, the best place is around Lake Kivu. Some of the best places for such an experience is Nyamirundi island, which can be reached on a boat ride from Gisenyi. On the island, visit the Ibongoka cooperative plantation. More stations for coffee experiences include Kinunu washing station, Kimbiri coffee station, KZ Noir, Boneza coffee, and many others. While at these places, expect to be taken through coffee bean picking, washing, roasting, and tasting the final product.
Rwanda’s popular tea estates are found around Nyungwe, in Gisovu and Gisakura. These plantations offer visitors a unique opportunity to witness the entire process of tea production as you appreciate the breathtaking scenery.
Visits to the tea and coffee plantations are educational as you get to interact with the locals and contribute to the development and sustainability of the local economy.