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Rwanda ~ the hidden Land of a Thousand Hills |
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Rwanda is a small landlocked country at the heart of central Africa. Full of promise, its has amazing resilient people, and one of the worlds unique wildlife treasures, the last mountain gorillas families. The country is stable again, our visits are trouble free and tourists can travel without fear. The government is also making serious efforts to promote tourism.
A ideal country for an African Adventure
An encounter with a family of mountain gorillas will top all your African safari stories. Rwanda is a mountainous country and gets its name "land of a thousand hills" from the endless verdant hills doting the country.
A central plateau made up of steep mountains dominates deep valleys while in the west the Virunga volcanoes extend towards Congo and the Ugandan border.
The gorillas live high in the volcano mountains sharing a border with congo and Uganda. Its amazing but over 95% of treks result in encounters with gorillas.
There are also more traditional safari opportunities to enjoy, so if you visit and have time, extend the trip to also visit other parks. Along the eastern border with Tanzania, the Akagera National Park is a savannah park with elephant, hippo and crocodile. A combination trek in Rwanda and Uganda, which also has a excellent mountain gorilla reserve, and more savannah wildlife, is an excellent way to combine wildlife safaris and a Gorilla experience.
No visit to Rwanda could be complete without considering the genocide that took place in 1994. No country has done as much as Rwanda to heal these wounds, and we consider it amongst the safest countries to visit in Africa today. A visit to the unique holocaust museum in Kigali is a must for visitors to pay respect and witness this testimony. The country is stable again, visits are trouble free and tourists can travel without fear. The government is also making serious efforts to welcome foreign visitors.
With a population of approximately 10 million people, Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. French and English are commonly spoken. Kinyarwanda is the language most widely spoken.
Parc National des VolcansParc National des Volcans includes five extinct volcanoes: Muhabura, Gahinga, Sabyinyo, Bisoke and Karisimbi being the highest at 4,507m. As part of the Virunga Conservation Area, the park covers approximately 125 km². It was home to Diane Fossey made famous by the movie "Gorillas in the Mist".
Gorillas remain the prime focus for visitors in the fantastic bamboo and hagenia woodlands, home to one of the four gorilla groups habituated for tourism, but the mountain park offers much more. You can climb Karisimbi, go birding on the slopes of Bisoke, walk around emerald waters of Lake Ngezi. What you must not miss is a visit.
Since it reopened in 1999, Parc National des Volcans has regained its former reputation as the most popular and best organised mountain gorilla sanctuary. Your visit is the most important way we can assist to protect these amazing ancestors of man.Akagera National Park Located in the east of Rwanda along the Akagera River, it is a mixed landscape of undulating hills, grassland and an extensive series of lakes linked by papyrus swamps.
After years of human presence and poaching, the game is recovering slowly but surely. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and several antelope are once more to be seen in the park.
Over 500 bird species are on record, making it a birding hot spot. Tourist accommodation is basic but being renovated and the road system is passable.
 Lakes Kivu, Bulera, and Ruhondo
Lake Kivu is the largest of Rwanda's 23 fresh water lakes. Lying on the Rwanda/Congo border at an altitude of 1,459 m, the lake is dotted with hundreds of tiny islands.
Kibuye, a tourist centre only 3 hours from Kigali, remains a relaxing retreat for swimming, canoeing and water-skiing. In its prime Gisenyi was probably the most beautiful colonial resort town on Lake Kivu. It has retained its sleepy air, but some of the fine old colonial buildings have sadly been neglected.
Cyangungu is located south of the lake on the left bank of the Rusizi River. The views are especially beautiful between Kibuye and Gisenyi and from the hilltops overlooking the two volcanic jewels, the twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo, which make perfect rest areas to relax after gorilla tracking.
From Gisenyi, you can cross the border to the Congolese city of Goma, devastated on January 17, 2002 by the Nyiaragongo volcano, but again now a thriving lake city.
So what exactely does it cost to go Gorilla Trekking?The answer is that it depends on your expectations of comfort and requirements. There is the budget travel route or do things on a more luxurious scale? Do you only want to see the great apes or experience the other amazing places to see in Rwanda and Uganda?
The length of time you want to go also makes a difference as does the number of people in the party. There is no "one size fits all" cost because of all the variables involved.
The only way to get a really definitive answer is to write us with some expectations, time available, and any specific ideas. We will fill in the rest...!
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