DESTINATION

RWANDA

With majority of travelers already thinking of taking a trip, one may wonder which ideal destination to visit. Compared to most safari destinations in Africa, Rwanda is of no doubt a magical destination of its own and for a memorable safari holiday, it is worth exploring. Rwanda is a landlocked country in East Africa and regardless of its small size, it holds diversity of tourist attractions which make it a premier travel destination. It also ranked 4th as the best destination in the world for travelers to visit in 2020. A visit to this dubbed Land of a Thousand Hills lets you explore and experience its cultural mix and unusual natural wonders.

EXPLORE RWANDA HIGHLIGHTS

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

The endangered mountain gorillas are of no doubt Rwanda’s star attractions and remarkably, gorilla trekking is a major highlight in most of the travelers’ travel plans. With only 1004 of these unique apes still thriving on planet earth, a section of them are confined in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park which make it a premier gorilla safari destination for visitors on Rwanda safaris to explore.

Volcanoes National Park is set in the Northern Province of Rwanda and unlike other gorilla destinations, it is the most accessible national park. It takes you only 2 to 3 hours to drive from Kigali capital city to Volcanoes National Park. Trekking to see mountain gorillas in this national park requires any interested trekker to have a gorilla permit, each of which costs $1500 per person. To get a gorilla permit in Rwanda, you can get in touch with a ground tour operator or reservation team at Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

NATIONAL PARKS

Compared to other safari destinations, Rwanda safaris are conducted mostly in the 4 national parks. Each of the national parks hold something unique and visitors are rewarded with unusual experiences. The iconic national parks to explore and experience on Rwanda safari include Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda and this hosts not only a section of mountain gorillas but also five of the eight Great Virunga Volcanoes. Nyungwe Forest National Park a famous refuge to 13 primate species including more than 500 chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest monkeys and over 310 bird species. Akagera National Park in the northeast and this is Rwanda’s only savanna grassland and wildlife park. It hosts a complete list of big five African game-elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes; zebras, hippos, giraffes, crocodiles, several antelope families, over 520 bird species. Gishwati Mukura National Park is Rwanda’s newly established national park.

BIRD LIFE

Rwanda is birder’s paradise. It holds more than 700 bird species. The designated bird watching sites in Rwanda include the four national parks and the Rugezi Swamp. The numerous birds to look out for on Rwanda safari include miombo wren warbler, shoebill stork, bennet’s woodpecker, red faced barbet, Ruwenzori turaco, Ruwenzori nightjar short tailed pipit, striped pipit, white collared olive back, white headed black chat, white winged swamp warbler, yellow eyed black flycatcher, yellow bellied eremomela to mention but a few.

WILDLIFE

Rwanda is famous for its complete list of big five African game which make it a premier game viewing safari destination. The most looked for wildlife species in Rwanda include the rare mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, lions, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, giraffes, zebras, elands, roan antelope to mention but a few.

LAKES

Rwanda features several scenic lakes which are worth exploring while on Rwanda safari. They include among others Lake Kivu just at the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); the Twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera-worth exploring while you are on Rwanda gorilla safari; Lake Muhazi. The other lakes to explore on Rwanda safari include Lake Muhazi, Lake Mugesera, Lake Cyohoha, Lake Rweru and many more.

HISTORIC SITES-GENOCIDE SITES

A visit to Rwanda is never complete without a visit to its iconic historic sites especially the genocide sites. The Rwanda genocide sites give insight into what occurred during the 1994 Rwanda genocide which claimed nearly a million lives in a period of about 100 days. The notable genocide sites to visit on Rwanda safari include Kigali genocide memorial site, Nyamata church genocide site, Nyanza genocide memorial site, Bisesero genocide site, Ntarama church genocide site, Gisenyi memorial site, Nyarubuye memorial site and many more.

Historic- and Genocide Sites - Mist Rwanda Safaris

MUSANZE CAVES

Musanze caves comprise of 4 caves and they are situated about 2 kilometers on the route to Gisenyi. They formed when various lava flows joined to make the Albertine rift valley.

DIAN FOSSEY TOMB SITE

A hike to Dian Fossey tomb site gives hikers insight into Dian Fossey’s conservation legacy. Dian Fossey was born in 1932 in San Francisco, California and she is a famous world wide for has tremendous contribution to save the lives of the endangered mountain gorillas within the Virunga Volcanoes. She was a great primatologist and during her conservation journey, she conducted research on gorillas for about 18 years before she was mysteriously murdered.

IBY’IWACU CULTURAL VILLAGE

For cultural enthusiasts on Rwanda safaris, a visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is worth it as it lets you explore and experience unique cultures, lifestyles, traditions, dances of the Rwandese. Remarkably, you can incorporate your gorilla safaris in Volcanoes National Park with a cultural tour in Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.