10 holiday Places to visit on your Safari vacation in Rwanda
Rwanda, sometimes known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," is a country in East-Central Africa. Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are all neighbors in the East African community. It is abundantly gifted with stunning scenery and natural beauty. Rwanda, the hilly and scenic "land of a thousand hills," is a country that, despite its turbulent past, exudes promise and renewal. Rwanda is becoming Africa's golden child two decades after the genocide, with endeavors to clean the streets, celebrate unity, and stimulate wealth proving incredibly effective, restoring the country to its due place of cherished natural beauty. With gorgeous landscapes, wonderful fauna, and luscious foliage dazzling at every turn, scenery seekers will not be disappointed here; here's our guide to the 10 most beautiful holiday places in Rwanda.
Nyungwe Forest: African oldest Tropical forest
It may come as a surprise, but Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda is home to one of Africa's last remaining high-altitude tropical rainforests. It is one of the world's most biodiverse woods, with over 1080 plant species and 250 Albertine Rift Endemic bird species, attracting bird-watchers from all over the world. A high canopy walk, where visitors may go to the treetops to see the forest in all its glory, is a must-do on any visit here. The park is funded by both USAID and DAI, a worldwide development firm, with the overall goal of making Nyungwe a sustainable eco-tourism destination with resources re-invested in the local community.
Volcanoes National Park: In The Mist, Beautiful Parks with Gorillas
In all their captivating, hairy splendor have been one of the most popular draws for Rwandan visitors since the 1988 Hollywood movie Gorillas in the Mist. The national park that houses Mountain gorillas in this region has considerably improved in recent years, with more efficient road networks, additional rangers, and enhanced wildlife conservation procedures. Volcans National Park in the Virunga Mountains, a beautiful stretch of green overflowing with breathtaking landscape and rich, verdant foliage, is home to an estimated 300 of the 880 gorillas thought to be left in the wild. Visitors must acquire a permit to enter the park, and while this can be costly at times, it is well worth it.
Kigali Genocide memorial
True, the Kigali Memorial Centre Genocide Memorial isn't famed for its outward beauty; it's a basic, modern structure surrounded by gardens, with a concrete pile of graves commemorating the location of one of the world's biggest genocide. This is, nevertheless, a major and heartbreaking sight that should not be overlooked. The exhibition, which is both horrific and thought-provoking, tries to piece together the causes and events of Rwanda's three-month genocide in 1994. Thousands of first-hand experiences are chronicled, and personal film footage and pictures are shown, portraying the series of events in a straightforward and dramatic manner. The genocide affected 99.9% of Rwanda's people, a tragic chapter in the country's history.
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of only three known "exploding lakes" in the world. That is to say, limnic eruptions, which are unusual natural disasters involving carbon dioxide exploding from deep lake water, have occurred on occasion in this stretch of water. Although these explosions have a dismal history of suffocating any living creature close, no recent eruptions have been recorded, and visitors are more likely to encounter a stinking warm cloud of combusting methane than anything lethal. The lake is one of the world's largest, and its plush shoreline and lovely tropical foliage make it one of Rwanda's most stunning sights.
The Congo Nil Trail
Hiking is one of the most spectacular ways to experience Rwanda. The Congo-Nile Trail is a well-known route that winds beside the country's most famous stretch of sparkling water, Lake Kivu, and offers hikers stunning vistas, rich vegetation, and, of course, Rwanda's endearing moniker, the rolling hills. The force of uninhabited nature is breathtaking here, especially in the shadow of the towering mountains that you walk through. Hiking programs are available from a number of reliable companies, including the well-known Rwanda Gorilla Tours.
Akagera National Park Game drive
The spectacular Akagera National Park, which is reminiscent of scenes from The Lion King, is home to some of the most impressive species on the globe, including elephants, zebras, buffalos, baboons, leopards, and hyenas, which have made their home among the stunning savannas, dramatic mountains, verdant grasslands, and tree-fringed lakes. Now that poaching rules have been greatly strengthened, there are plans to restore lions and black rhinos here, and with over 1200 kilometers to explore, visitors can lose themselves for days in the awe-inspiring natural splendor.
Pfunda tea Plantation
Visiting a tea plantation might not seem like the most obvious thing to do in Rwanda, but it is one of the best things to do in the Gisenyi province. Pfunda plantation's tea production is in full gear during the rainy season, and a tour of the site allows tourists to stroll around the surrounding crop fields and learn about the art of tea production, from picking and drying to cutting and shipping. Pfunda is one of the region's most environmentally friendly tea firms, employing locals to ensure that the community benefits directly from the company.
Gishwati Forest
Due to cattle ranching and post-genocide refugee relocation, Gishwati Forest, which once covered 250,000 acres, has been reduced to less than a tenth of its original size. It is, nonetheless, one of Rwanda's most remarkable places, with some of the most spectacular vistas of Lake Kivu and over 1450 different bird species. Efforts have been made to completely replant the forest and restore it to its former splendor, with a connection of over 10,000 acres planned to connect the magnificent natural strongholds of Gishwati and Nyungwe.
Bisoke Mountain
Mount Bisoke, an active volcano on Rwanda's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a must-see for anybody visiting Rwanda's rural districts. It will take you approximately six or seven hours to return to Bisoke, and the journey is well worth it, even though it is a little steep at points. The ascent entails traversing up the volcano's southwestern face to the top, where tourists may enjoy spectacular views of the crater lake, and the descent involves following a track with spectacular views over the Parc National des Virungas.
