Rwanda

Overview

Dubbed “The Land of A Thousand Hills” Rwanda is a country that I had always wanted to visit, for reasons I don’t quite know. So when I was looking through the Dragoman brochure and saw a trip to East Africa that spent a few days in Rwanda visiting Kigali and seeing the Mountain Gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park I jumped at the chance.

I’m glad I visited Rwanda – the scenery is beautiful and I had a great time. The country definitely lives up to its thousand hills nickname as I don’t think I saw a piece of flat land in the country. The entire country is covered with coffee and tea plantations, mountainous woodland with lakes and towns mixed in for good measure.

The trek to see the Mountain Gorillas is the single biggest travel expense I’ve ever had, excluding flights, but it was worth it. There are only three places in the world where you can trek to see these endangered creatures and Rwanda is one of them. I had such a great experience, and even got grabbed on the leg by a Gorilla, and since then have been raising money for The Gorilla Organisation – a charity based in the UK that raises money for conservation projects in Rwanda that aim to protect these amazing creatures.

Except for the Mountain Gorillas, and a few animals in the same national park, Rwanda isn’t as much of a wildlife destination as other countries in the region like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania but it’s a worthwhile country to visit if you’re looking for a country that combines natural beauty with a rich but troubled history where you’ll learn a lot as well.

The country wasn’t as welcoming as neighbouring Uganda but I never felt unsafe in the country. I think it’s a case of if you take care you will be fine, just like in any other country around the world. Many people in the tourism centres such as Ruhengeri and Kigali speak English due to a push by President Paul Kagame but French is the main foreign language that is spoken in Rwanda so I found it useful to brush up on my basic French before visiting.

 

My Trips

August 30th – September 2nd, 2009 [view blog]
A short visit to Rwanda during an overland trip around East Africa with Dragoman where we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and trekked to spend some time with the endangered Mountain Gorillas.

 

My Experiences

	Kigali Genocide Memorial – Located in the capital of this Memorial Centre remembers the victims of the 1994 genocide that hit Rwanda for 100 days due to tribal tensions. It is estimated that up to one million people were killed in the genocide and over 250,000 victims are buried at the centre. In addition to the mass graves there are exhibits about the history of Rwanda that lead up to the genocide and also about the genocide itself. I found my time here to be the most moving couple of hours I’ve ever had travelling and I would highly recommend a visit here for anybody that visits Rwanda. Not only that but there are some good views of the city from the car park too.
	Mountain Gorillas – The Volcanoes National Park, in north-west Rwanda on the border with the DR Congo, is one of three places in the world you are able to trek to see the endangered Mountain Gorillas. This was the attraction that I was looking forward to the most when I visited Africa in 2009 and even though it cost me almost US$600, and the price has since increased again, I cannot stress how amazing the trek was. We spent an hour with the Gorillas watching them play and feed… and I even got grabbed on the leg by a playful Gorilla. Treks fill up months in advance so make sure you book well in advance or travel with a tour company that guarantees a permit like Dragoman. A reasonable level of fitness is required for the trek and you must be in good health when you take part with no coughs or colds to ensure you don’t make the Gorillas ill.
	Musanze (aka Ruhengeri) – This is the base from which you will set out into the Volcanoes National Park to visit the Mountain Gorillas. It’s a great place to spend a few days exploring the park and surrounding area and you can take part in volcano hikes, nature treks, a visit to Dian Fossey’s old house in the mountains, full-day trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo and much more. You can stock up on traditional crafts here to bring back as souvenirs too.
	Batwa Tribe – The Batwa Tribe are traditionally called Pygmies but in reality they are not short forest people. During our time in Ruhengeri we paid a visit to a local Batwa village where they treated us to a song and dance presentation before showing us their way of life. It felt like a bit of a showcase spectacle and I didn’t feel it served any purpose other than making money from tourists so this is the only experience from my entire 2009 Africa trip which I would not recommend to anybody.

 

Other Highlights

I wish I had been able to spend a couple of days in Kigali as I’ve read so much about the city and you could easily stay here while exploring the area. You could also use it as a base for exploring other areas of Rwanda such as the Akagera National Park, Gitarama or Lake Kivu – all places that I would like to visit if I’m ever able to get back to Rwanda again.

 

Conclusion

As Rwanda is such a small country you won’t need to spend as much time here as you would in neighbouring countries but the time you do spend here will be well spent. It’s a beautiful country that is starting to open up more to foreign visitors but you can still get away from the tourist trail during your time here. It seemed a fairly safe country and I saw a few western families in the country during my time there so it’s well worth a visit if you’re able to get here. Make sure you read up on the history of Rwanda before you visit, especially if you plan to visit the Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali, as you will be able to relate to what you learn. I recommend reading “An Ordinary Man”, the book which Hotel Rwanda was based on, and also “Shake Hands With The Devil” which was written by the commander of the UN forces in Rwanda at the time of the genocide.

Photo Highlights