Rwanda is most popular for its historic genocide –the civil war that took place in the space of just 100 days but left nearly a million lives dead and thousands homeless. A safari to Rwanda allows you to explore more than Kigali capital city. Life outside Kigali is equally amazing with tourists having plenty of opportunities to explore iconic touristic sites, cultural/communities and primate destinations.
Kigali is rated as the Africa’s cleanest city with incredible sites to be explored. This is one of the modern cities that Africa is most popular, transforming from its past and holds distinct historical centers including Kigali genocide memorial, craft centers, former presidential palace.
Outside Kigali
Explore Huye
Huye formerly Butare is found in the Southern side of Rwanda. This is where you can find the National University and the National Institute of Scientific Research plus many other learning centers. Its strategic location makes it a remarkable location for tourists to explore the country’s rich cultural heritage, visit the National Museum of Rwanda.
Volcanoes National Park
Once you set off from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, expect to engage in different adventures, especially primate trekking. The park stretches 160 sq.km and supports diversity of primates and other wildlife. Lying in the Virunga region, Northwestern Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park provides unforgettable mountain gorilla trekking experiences, golden monkey tracking, or alternatively book and go hike to the Dian Fossey tomb site, climb the Virunga volcanoes in the park and adjacent to the park, you can add visit to the Twin Lakes –Burera & Ruhondo; explore Musanze caves, explore the authentic Kinyarwanda cultures at Iby’Iwacu village.
Gisenyi
This is the gateway to the spectacular Lake Kivu. This is one of the lakes lying along the great African rift valley and it is a honeymooners spot or if you are interested in relaxation moment.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
If you are looking at exploring diversity of primates, then you have a reason to include Nyungwe Forest National Park into your primate trekking bucket list. The park is lying in the far Southern province of Rwanda and spans up to about 1000 sq.km.
13 species of primates all survive within the Nyungwe Forest National Park and these include olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, golden monkeys, vervet monkeys, silver monkeys, and others. The exciting experiences to expect participating in Nyungwe include canopy walk, chimpanzee tracking, colobus monkeys, hiking, or nature walk, birding tours, community visits and others.
Explore & experience Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is the only park located in the Eastern part of Rwanda where tourists can encounter the big 5 game in their natural habitat. The Akagera National Park was founded officially in 1934 and spans up to 1122 sq.km, hosting diversity of animal species. The huge concentration of savanna species including elands, hippos, crocodiles, oribis, the Maasai giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and others.
Nyanza
Visit Nyanza to explore more about the Rwandan royalty. This is where the King’s palace is established and also other historical sites including Rwesero art museum. Nyanza is also most popular as Nyabisindu, located in the Southern Province of Rwanda. It is once considered the capital of the Rwanda kingdom between 1958 and 1962.
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is a fresh water lake and East African tourist attraction. The lake stretches 2700 sq.km and encompasses the Gisenyi area to the North and Ishwa Island in the South.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park (Southern Province Rwanda)
The newly gazetted Gishwati-Mukura National Park is accessible a short distance from Gisenyi & Lake Kivu resorts. It is creation of 2 tropical rain forests- Gishwati & Mukura Forest Reserves. This park holds variety of Albertine rift species, primates which include 20 chimpanzees, 232 bird species, and floral species.
Gishwati-Mukura was officially designated as a park in 2015 and its land area spans up to 34 sq.km. The park’s varied wildlife species include genet, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, and golden monkeys, black & white colobus monkeys.