Top reasons why tourists visit Rwanda : Rwanda is a landlocked country in the central Africa known as the heart of Africa, the land is known as “Land of a thousand Hills” with an area of approximately 26,338km2. It lies 75 miles southwest of equator, 880 miles west of Indian Ocean and 1,250 miles east of Atlantic Ocean .Rwanda borders with Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s capital city “Kigali”. Rwanda is a country full of surprises. It’s one of Africa’s most sought after wildlife destinations- here you have an opportunity to sight the endangered mountain gorilla, as well as the big 5 African animals such as buffalo, rhinos , lions, elephants , leopards and other wildlife such as antelope, giraffe, hyenas and unique bird species. The unspoiled nature is not the only thing Rwanda will amaze you with. The Genocide Memorial, build to honor the victims of the horrific genocide that happened 25 years ago, provides a lot of food for thought. The country has however embarked on a new path of social, political and ecological development ever since and it’s obvious by it’s infrastructure and the local’s everyday life. Witnessing those efforts, along with experiencing the warmth and friendliness of the locals, turn this tour into a rewarding experience, combining both natural and cultural highlights. There are so many good reasons as why Rwanda hosts a huge number of visitors, including it’s national parks, historical and cultural sites, it’s lakes and beaches, cleanest towns, travelers’ security and safety, sacred destinations and luxurious hotels and lodges amongst others
Here are the reasons why tourists visit Rwanda
National parks
Akagera national park is found in North Eastern Rwanda, at the country’s border with Tanzania. Akagera National park has an inspiring conservation story and the only place where tourists can see all the big 5 including Rhinos, Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Buffaloes. Visitors can encounter antelope, zebra, giraffe, baboons, monkeys and an incredible 490 bird species. The Akagera national park offers visitors with wonderful activities such as bird watching of over 500 bird species exits, amazing boat tip on lake Ihema where you will be able to see the hippos, crocodiles and birds, fishing along the river and lake, behind-the-scene tours to learn able the park managements and conservation, camping and hiking in the park among others
Nyungwe national park is found in Nyungwe forest, one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, rich in biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful. Bird watching in Nyungwe National Park is among the best in Africa with 322 bird’s species including Red-collared Babbler and 29 other Albertine Rift Endemic species. Butterflies are also a common sight, with at least 120 species. The park also offers wonderful activities to visitor such as canopy walks, primate trekking, monkey trekking, visiting the tropical waterfall, guided nature walks, camping among others.
Gishwati- Mukura national park which is Rwanda’s newest National Park introduced in 2021 and named among the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO. the park is now known for its diverse plant species with over 60 species of trees like the bamboo ferns, makaranga kilimand, eucalyptus, mahogany, orchids among others around 84 bird species and a huge number wildlife species. The park is also home to different animals and primate species have been spotted by conservationists such as East African Chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, golden monkeys, black and white colubuses, southern tree hyrax serval cats, black front duiker and mammal’s white and black colobus monkey among others. Gishwati is home to a group of 20 chimpanzees which live alongside golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkeys.
Lakes and Beaches
Rwanda is a country with interesting and wonderful natural lakes include Lake Kivu, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera, Lake Burera, Lake Muhazi and Lake Ihema, Rwanda also lies along Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu located in the west of Rwanda is surrounded by wonderful and nice looking mountains and has deep lime green waters covering a surface area of 2,700 km2. It is Rwanda’s largest lake and the sixth largest in Africa. Lake Kivu has friendly water temperature ranges from 23 to 27 °C throughout the year. And the lake is surrounded by three main districts of Rubavu which is previously known as Gisenyi the largest town on the northern part of Lake Kivu, Karongi and Rusizi former Cyangugu. Indeed Lake Kivu offers a breathtaking environment and there is no better place to end a safari than relaxing along the shores of Lake Kivu. The lake does not contain crocodiles nor hippos which makes it suitable for swimming. In addition there other main tourist activities carried out around this lake such as kayaking tour on Lake Kivu, or mountain biking or hiking and coffee tours around Lake Kivu. Akagera National Park Boat Trips on Lake Ihema is another highlights of any visit to Rwanda, with its large school of hippos, Nile crocodiles and abundant water birds on the island.
Beautiful and clean towns
Rwanda has many tourist towns which offers a pleasant environment to visitors such as Kigali, Rubavu, Karongi, Nyanza, Musanze, Rusizi, Huye and Kibeho. The capital city of the country is Kigali located in the heart of Rwanda. Kigali city surrounded with the beautiful several hills and valleys, well established transport roads. The beautiful and clean capital city with pleasing atmosphere, with over one million inhabitants. The city also houses with a lot of memorial sites such as Kandt House Museum, Rwanda Art Museum, Kigali Genocide memorial, Convention center, good number of chain of hotels, luxury hotels, National stadium and Kigali Cultural Village amongst others. Rubavu is the second largest town and known as waterfront town located on the shores of Lake Kivu, it’s approximately an hour away from the Volcanoes National Park which makes it easier for visitors to access avidity of beautiful and unforgettable wonders in the Volcanoes national park.
Genocide Memorials.
Genocide memorial is apace of remembrance and learning for the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is located in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, and contains the remains of over 250,000 people who were killed in the genocide. The memorial was opened in 2004 to mark the tenth anniversary of the genocide. It offers exhibitions that explains the cause and effects of the genocide and its impacts on the Rwanda and the world at large. During your black tourism trip in Rwanda, you will be able to visit Kigali Genocide Memorial. In addition to the main memorial center in Kigali, other memorial centers include Ntarama Genocide Memorial, Nyanza Genocide Memorial, Bisesero Genocide Memorial, Kamonyi Genocide Memorial, and Nyamata Genocide.
The fantastic weather
Rwanda has a favorite moderate weather. Not too hot and not too cold, Rwanda easily has some of the best weather compared with its surrounding East African neighbors like in Uganda and Congo. Rainy season comes twice a year from approximately October to November and February to May, and though getting around can become more difficult, it’s an easy trade-off for the lush green views and all the flowers.
There’s also others reassumes why Rwanda is mostly visited by many tourists such as the Rwandan culture and history, safety, wildlife, fascinating accommodation facilities among others.
