Once upon a time, the name of Rwanda was mentioned in the head of African nature lovers of pictures of breathtaking mountain scenery and amazing animals inhabiting the local forests. Unfortunately, the terrible genocide that shook the world in 1994 and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives turned everything upside down, discouraging travelers from coming to this country for a long time.
The people of Rwanda have done a tremendous job of restoring the shaky position of their country, and today you can get much more here than you could have in the early 90's. Kigali and Butare are opening more and more restaurants and discos, Lake Kivu is building cottages for those who want to lie on the beach, and Volcanoes National Park and Nungwe Sanctuary are still teeming with the famous mountain gorillas that made Rwanda famous.
The only time not suitable for a trip to Rwanda is the rainy season, which lasts from mid-March to mid-May.
Among the most significant official holidays are Democracy Day (January 8), Independence Day (July 1), Harvest Festival (August 1) and Culture Day (September 8).
A small country in East Africa with no access to the ocean. It borders Congo (Zaire) in the west, Uganda in the north, Tanzania in the east and Burundi in the south. Part of the western border runs along Lake Kivu. The central part of the country is a hilly plateau about 1700 m high, along the Tanzanian border, there are small swampy lakes in the upper reaches of the Kagera River. In the west of the plateau, in the Virunga mountain range, there is the highest point of the country - Mount Karisimbi (4507 m). In the area of Lake Kivu, the plateau's height drops to 1460 m. The total area of 26.4 thousand square kilometers.
- Tours to Rwanda
Kigali is a small capital of Rwanda, located on one of the highest hills of the country. There are good restaurants and many nightclubs here.
Gisenyi is a resort town on the shores of Lake Kivu, where in addition to the beaches you should pay attention to the waterfall Le Chutes de Ndaba and the volcano Nyiragongo.
Butare is a small town in the south of the country, famous for its National Museum and large craft market.
Lake Kivu is the most beautiful of the Great Lakes of Africa. Due to the large number of natural gases dissolved in the deep waters of the lake, it is completely free of crocodiles and dangerous for humans microorganisms and parasites, as well as along its shores there are surprisingly few mosquitoes and mosquitoes - this is the "whipping of a white man". The shores themselves are very picturesque - the jungle-overgrown areas alternate with rocky capes and small sandy beaches.
Along the eastern and southern borders of the country, smaller lakes stretch along the chain - Shokhoha, Rugvero, Ihema, Kizinga, etc. The rivers connecting these water bodies form a branched system, a kind of "African Finland", with many islands, bays, and thresholds, inhabited by a huge number of fish. This vast water country merges into the rapid Kagera, which falls into Lake Victoria.
A chain of majestic volcanoes, both active and extinct, stretches along the Great African Rift zone, the best place for hiking and trekking.
- Volcano Park
The most visited park is the National Volcano Park on the border with Zaire and Uganda. ORTPN organizes trips to the park to visit groups of mountain gorillas. There are just over 300 gorillas left in the world, 185 of which live in Rwanda in this park. During the dry season (when we have summer or winter), when there are a lot of tourists, a tour to the gorillas should be booked in advance.
During the dry season, the park offers magnificent views of the Virunga Range volcanoes.
- Cultural tour
The greatest development in the art craft is weaving. Products are decorated with geometric patterns of white, black and red color. Wood carving is widespread. Hive-shaped huts are built on a frame of poles; support poles are painted with geometric ornaments. Sometimes they build brick houses under a gable roof. Buildings of the European type are available only in a few urban centers. The musical culture of the peoples of Rwanda is characterized by the prevalence of vocal genres over instrumental ones. Strings (violin, zither) is the most common musical instruments. Drums are popular. The tradition of instrumental ensemble music has been established. Various kinds of singing: male and female, solo and choral. Many songs are accompanied by dances. European influence on the Rwandan musical culture is insignificant.