Rwanda captivated me from the second I touched down in Kigali. “It’s just like the Singapore of Africa,” the native buddy I went to dinner that evening with informed me after I requested him how he loved dwelling there. “Or a minimum of that’s what we’re aiming for.”
After all, Rwanda is greater than its capital metropolis, as pleasant as that metropolis could also be. It’s solely if you enterprise towards the horizon that you simply get a way for why the nation is named the “land of a thousand hills,” to say nothing of the moments of magnificence and pleasure that await atop their crests.
What Makes Rwanda so Distinctive?
Superficially, a part of the explanation Rwanda is value visiting is that it’s not likely just like the international locations round it. Whereas locations like Uganda, the DRC and even components of Tanzania and Kenya are suffering from violence, terrorism and endemic petty crime, Rwanda is secure, to not point out proudly corruption-free. Rwanda is an African nation the place vacationers could be comfortable because the discover, as an alternative of continually watching their backs.
Underlying that is the truth that Rwandans themselves are fairly completely different from different Africans, though in on a regular basis I’ve spent there I’ve by no means fairly pinpointed the explanation why. Maybe it’s due to the horrible tragedy they lived by way of 30 years in the past, or another cause that’s not as apparent. However the truth that Rwanda appears to this point forward of lots of its neighbors doesn’t appear merely a matter of presidency diktats.
The place to Go in Rwanda
Kigali
Whether or not or not you imagine that Kigali has lived as much as its purpose of being the “African Singapore” could be very a lot as much as your individual notion. Nonetheless, Rwanda’s capital is value a go to, if just for a solemn go to to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which teaches a lesson I hope humanity will lastly study.
Volcanoes Nationwide Park
Not surprisingly, trekking with gorillas in Volcanoes Nationwide Park is a giant a part of makes Rwanda value visiting, even when it prices a number of occasions as a lot as comparable treks in Uganda and the DRC. I additionally actually love the vibe of Musanze, the closest metropolis to the park, and the agricultural areas round it.
Lake Kivu
One of many “Nice Lakes of Africa,” Lake Kivu straddles the border between Rwanda and the DRC. It’s an superior place to beat the warmth (whether or not you truly swim in it or just calm down on the shore) and is the closest factor landlocked Rwanda has to a seashore.
yungwe Nationwide Park
To the bare eye, the rainforests of Nyungwe Nationwide Park may appear botanically much like the thick vegetation overlaying Volcanoes Nationwide Park. They’re not, in truth—on the fauna aspect, there are chimpanzees as an alternative of gorillas—however that is nonetheless one of many locations that the majority makes Rwanda value visiting.
Akagera Nationwide Park
You in all probability don’t consider Rwanda as a safari vacation spot, notably not for those who’ve ever traveled in Kenya or Tanzania. Nevertheless, whether or not you wish to see the “Huge 5” in Rwanda as an alternative of those different international locations or along with them, Akagera Nationwide Park is the place to do it.
How A lot Time to Spend in Rwanda?
Rwanda is small than most of its neighbors, however larger than it seems on the map. To go to all of the locations I’ve talked about inside this put up, you’re going to wish a minimal of two weeks. This gives you two full days in Kigali, plus three days every at Lake Kivu and at Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Akagera Nationwide Parks. Clearly, you may play with these proportions in keeping with your preferences.
Which isn’t to say that Rwanda is value visiting provided that you may “go all over the place.” Many vacationers, not desirous to cope with costly, sophisticated transportation within the nation’s western reaches, merely break up per week or so between Kigali and Volcanoes Nationwide Park. This can be a notably engaging choice for those who plan to do a Tanzania safari earlier than or after your journey to Rwanda.
Why do you have to go to Rwanda?
Most vacationers go to Rwanda for particular experiences, similar to gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Nationwide Park. Nevertheless, if this doesn’t encourage you to return to Rwanda, then maybe the nation’s repute as being one of many most secure and most stress-free African international locations will encourage you to e book a flight to Kigali.
Is English broadly spoken in Rwanda?
As a basic rule, you may count on most individuals you encounter in Rwanda to talk some English. Nevertheless, if you’ll be able to use primary Kinyarwanda (Rwandan language) phrases, you’ll undoubtedly take pleasure in goodwill and an excellent hotter welcome from locals.
Are Rwandans pleasant?
Rwandans are a number of the friendliest folks in Africa, which is saying one thing when you think about that Africans are usually among the many most pleasant folks on the earth. Typically occasions, I discovered myself so rapidly accepted into teams of Rwandans that their kindness actually overwhelmed me!
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications similar to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the best way. His weblog, Depart Your Every day Hell, offers a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays overlaying the extra esoteric features of life as a traveler.
