Rwanda The Land of a Thousand Hills
Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills is one of the amazing ecotourism destinations to visit in Africa. Earlier in the 1990s, before the outbreak of the 1993 civil war and 1994 Rwanda Genocide in which several lives and ecosystems were destroyed, Rwanda was a naturally endowed country with the beautiful green vegetation covering all its country rolling hills. But following the outbreak of the civil war, a lot of its beauty was demolished as many ecosystems were destroyed, killing several wildlife species as well and even the situation was worsened by the government’s need to resettle the survived victims of the 1994 genocide that they ended up encroaching the ecosystems.
Visitors around the world are drawing in pool to visit Rwanda, a small country Central/ East Africa, for the main purpose of seeing the mountain gorillas which are now endangered. The country’s tourist economy has been the goal of Rwandans, together with the high encouragement of the government officials, a decision to move on and focus on better things.
Although the unspeakable genocide that happened in the capital Kigali sometime in 1994 is still fresh from people’s minds, it is now a safe and peaceful tourist destination. Rwanda is mostly covered with deep valleys and steep mountains but it has good infrastructure and most are paved roads which makes it convenient and easy for tourists to get around.
Where is Rwanda?
Rwanda is located in Central / East Africa with neighboring countries like Democratic Republic of the Congo on the east, Uganda to the north, and to its south is Burundi. The country also shares with Tanzania its border on the east. It covers a total land area of 26,338 square kilometers, just slightly smaller compared to the State of Maryland in the US. With its population of almost 10M, the country is the most highly dense population among the African countries.
Mostly of Rwandans speak Kiswahili and Kinyarwanda but English and French are also used thereby making communication with tourists easy.
What Rwanda has in store for tourists?
There are many tourists’ attractions in the country but the center of it all is tracking the endangered mountain gorillas in PNV or Parc National Volcans. Your trip may well be rewarded when you extend your visit and see golden monkey as well as nature’s trek to the research site /grave of Dian Fossey.
On the safe and welcoming city capital tour in Kigali, the highlight of your trip will be a visit to the famous Genocide Memorial Center, a stroll to the capital’s fruit market, and a sumptuous lunch at Rwanda’s famed hotel. You can also do sightseeing through the town riding motorbike taxi or visit the university town, Butare, hosting the exceptional National Museum.
Rwanda proudly showcases its two national parks, the newly rehabilitated Akagera National Park and the mountain forest Nyungwe National Park in Southern Rwanda. Within Akagera National Park, you can see elephants, crocodiles and hippos. The country also has 13 species of primates that are protected in the Nyungwe National Park. Birds of different kinds and species also found sanctuary in this park together with chimps and Colobus monkeys.
Rwandans are mostly Roman Catholics, 56.5 % of the population but also enjoy other religions such as Protestant, Adventist, and Muslim. The temperate climate of the country consists of 2 rainy seasons beginning February-April and November- January making the best time to take a safari to Rwanda is between June and September during the country’s dry season. You need your passport and acquire tourist visa for many foreign nationals. Airplanes can take you to Rwanda the fastest-you will be just 10 minutes far from center of the town coming from the airport. But you can also get there through buses travels that may tale 10 hours to get to the town center.
Your trip will be worth your time and money for the countries many tourists’ attractions. With the effort to maintain the country’s cleanliness and tourists’ safety, you can visit the booming tourist attraction of Kigali, Rwanda.
Where to Go in Rwanda
Nyungwe Tropical rain forest national park is another frequently visited ecosystem in Rwanda. It’s among East Africa’s thickest natural green forests. It’s an interesting tourist destination as it’s a home to several wildlife and bird species with chimpanzees as the major attraction. The national park provides several tourist activities and attractions like chimpanzee tracking, birding, forest nature walks, forest canopy walks, and camping among others. It’s located in the southwestern part of Rwanda and can be accessed by both air and road transport.
Akagera national park is also an interesting tourist destination that should not be left out when visiting Rwanda. Akagera national park is found within a water basin with several water bodies like Lake Ihema, and River Akagera that keep it water saturated all year round. It’s a savanna park and a home to several wildlife species such as the lions, hippopotamus, and crocodiles among others. Great game drives and boat cruises can be enjoyed at the Akagera national park viewing the different wildlife and bird species. The Akagera national park is found in the eastern part of the country.
In the western part of Rwanda, there’s a newly established national park- Gishwati – Mukura, also an interesting tourist destination. It offers great sights and sounds for the nature lovers.