Rwanda captivated me from the second I touched down in Kigali. “It’s just like the Singapore of Africa,” the native pal I went to dinner that evening with informed me once I requested him how he loved residing there. “Or at the very least 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 once you enterprise towards the horizon that you simply get a way for why the nation is called 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 price visiting is that it’s probably not just like the international locations round it. Whereas locations like Uganda, the DRC and even components of Tanzania and Kenya are affected by 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 a substitute of regularly watching their backs.
Underlying that is the truth that Rwandans themselves are fairly totally 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 30 years in the past, or another purpose that’s not as apparent. However the truth that Rwanda appears thus far forward of a lot 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 consider that Kigali has lived as much as its goal of being the “African Singapore” could be very a lot as much as your personal notion. Nonetheless, Rwanda’s capital is price 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 an enormous a part of makes Rwanda price 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 really swim in it or just calm down on the shore) and is the closest factor landlocked Rwanda has to a seaside.
yungwe Nationwide Park
To the bare eye, the rainforests of Nyungwe Nationwide Park may appear botanically just like the thick vegetation overlaying Volcanoes Nationwide Park. They’re not, in actual fact—on the fauna aspect, there are chimpanzees as a substitute of gorillas—however that is nonetheless one of many locations that almost all makes Rwanda price visiting.
Akagera Nationwide Park
You most likely don’t consider Rwanda as a safari vacation spot, significantly not should you’ve ever traveled in Kenya or Tanzania. Nevertheless, whether or not you need to see the “Massive 5” in Rwanda as a substitute 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 appears to be like on the map. To go to all of the locations I’ve talked about inside this publish, you’re going to wish a minimal of two weeks. This offers you two full days in Kigali, plus three days every at Lake Kivu and at Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Akagera Nationwide Parks. Clearly, you’ll be able to play with these proportions based on your preferences.
Which isn’t to say that Rwanda is price visiting provided that you’ll be able to “go all over the place.” Many vacationers, not desirous to cope with costly, difficult transportation within the nation’s western reaches, merely break up every week or so between Kigali and Volcanoes Nationwide Park. It is a significantly engaging choice should you plan to do a Tanzania safari earlier than or after your journey to Rwanda.
Why must you go to Rwanda?
Most vacationers go to Rwanda for particular experiences, equivalent to gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Nationwide Park. Nevertheless, if this doesn’t inspire you to come back to Rwanda, then maybe the nation’s status as being one of many most secure and most stress-free African international locations will encourage you to ebook a flight to Kigali.
Is English broadly spoken in Rwanda?
As a common rule, you’ll be able to 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 positively get pleasure from goodwill and a fair hotter welcome from locals.
Are Rwandans pleasant?
Rwandans are a few 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 this planet. Usually occasions, I discovered myself so shortly 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 equivalent to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the best way. His weblog, Depart Your Day by day Hell, gives a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays overlaying the extra esoteric facets of life as a traveler.
