Things to do in Rwanda
Things to do in Rwanda : Having a destination to go to on your tour or safari is great in fact it’s more than great, it gives you the reason to go for the safari. The destination is actually the reason you set on that safari in the first place. But when you get to the destination, you need to have what do, the activities you do on your safari, give meaning to that safari.
Rwanda is gifted with a number of Rwanda safari destinations that include:- Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park and Nyungwe National park which are the main safari destinations. However there are other places like Lake Kivu, Musanze cave, Ruhondo and Burera twin lakes, Nyanza king’s Palace and many other places.
And at these places these are some of the activities you can do:-
Mountain Gorilla trekking: Mainly done at the Volcanoes National Park mountain gorilla trekking is the most popular and sought out safari in Rwanda. Rwanda being home to a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population makes it an ideal place for a mountain gorilla trekking experience. On this activity you enter the forest, trek up the mountain in search of the mountain gorillas and when you find them, you spend an hour with them and then exit the forest.
Mountain gorilla trekking is done all through the and mountain gorilla permits cost $1500. However, the Rwandan government through the Rwanda Development Board has offered a discount on the permits till the 31st of December 2023. The permits now cost $500 for all trekkers.
Chimpanzee trekking
Similar to mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking involves trekking the forest in search of chimpanzees and when you find you spend an hour with them. Chimpanze trekking is done all year round in Rwanda at the Nyungwe Forest National Park. Chimpanzee trekking is also much cheaper than mountain gorilla trekking costing $150 per trek for a trekker.
Wildlife viewing
Wildlife viewing mainly involves game viewing in the national parks and in Rwanda it’s done at the famous Akagera National Park, where you get to see a number of savannah animals including but not limited to lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, Impalas, warthogs and many more.
Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
Lake Ihema, being in the Akagera National Park adds to the variety of wildlife you can see at this park. The Lake is home to hippos, crocodiles and a number of other water animals. So wildlife viewing becomes an unforgettable bliss.
Bird watching
All the safari destinations in Rwanda are hubs of numerous bird species most notably the albertine endemic birds, water birds, forest birds, tropical birds and many more. If you are one who loves birds, you will enjoy bird watching and nature at its best.
Actually at Nyungwe Forest National Park, bird watching is combined with forest nature walks where you get to enjoy the numerous tree species in the forest and waterfalls among other things.
Water activities
Done major on Lake Kivu and Lake Ihema, these include but not limited to boat rides, riding in canoe, fishing and canoe racing. The water activities tend to be between adventures and relaxed so they can work as top ups on the main activities on your safari.
Genocide memorial and community tours
The genocide cast a dark shadow on Rwanda many years ago, but the country has since recovered from the nightmare and is now one of the fast growing countries in East Africa. So take time and visit the genocide memorials to appreciate the far Rwanda have come. On these tours you also learn a bit more about Rwanda, the people and its culture. You can visit the Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village for this experience.
Kigali City tour
Kigali city is a modern safe city, clean, safe, devoid chaos and most of all extremely beautiful. So don’t miss out on a chance to explore all the corners of the city. The city tour takes about a day and your get to visit markets, the conventional center, community centers, iconic places in the city and most numerous hang out places.
