The Republic of Rwanda is a captivating country in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. The country is made-up of magnificent landforms especially the Virunga ranges, lakes, rivers and forests that are iconic for the biodiversity they host which make the country a renowned safari destination on the continent of Africa.

Rwanda is home to mountain gorillas and other primate species like the golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, L’hoest’s and Vervet monkeys. Not only is Rwanda home to primates but also hosts the big 5 alongside other beautiful animals in its other national parks. Visitors to the country get the golden opportunity to observe these animals in her Akagera National Park and others in Gishwati Mukura national park.

Rwanda is a popular destination due to her beautiful people that express a high level of hospitality from the time of arrival, through various tourist destinations and local towns until the visitor leaves the country. The country is famous and historical in the Great Lakes region for its outstanding cultural significance that is always showcased in the cultural sites within the country. Rwanda is also celebrated for being home to the fastest growing city on the African continent, Kigali city with attractive and state-of-the-art buildings, shopping and recreational centers.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Rwanda being the host to mountain gorillas, supports exciting gorilla trekking adventures in her captivating Volcanoes National Park. Visitors are required to have gorilla tracking permits to participate in this exciting adventure. The permits are obtained through the tour operators at a non-negotiable fee of $1500. These permits are presented to authorities at the National Park on the day of trekking just before one embarks on the exhilarating activity in the jungle. The trekking adventure begins at sunrise with a briefing that is conducted by park authorities to equip travelers with the do’s and don’ts while on the trek.

Trekkers are then accompanied by park rangers into the jungle to go and meet these giants at around 8:00am. A gorilla trekking tour may take four to five hours depending on the location of gorillas and the speed of trekkers. Once encountered, visitors are allowed to spend ample time with the gorillas usually an hour observing them, watching them interact and take beautiful pictures of them. Such moments are priceless and make the trip more satisfying to the travelers. After a successful trek, trekkers are awarded certificates as evidence that one participated in this exciting adventure.

Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is one of the national parks in Rwanda. It is famous in the Great Lakes region mainly because it is a host to mountain gorillas and is the only one where visitors can watch mountain gorillas in Rwanda. It is renowned for its beautiful scenery which is brought about by the extinct volcanoes. It is important to remember that Volcanoes National Park is home to five of the eight Virunga ranges of Karisimbi, Bisoke, Gahinga, Muhabura and Sabyinyo.

These extinct volcanoes are covered with lush vegetation and forests that add up to the extraordinary beauty of the National Park. The extinct volcanoes also host the mountain gorillas in the lower slopes that are covered with bamboo trees which the gorillas feed on. It is on these lower slopes that the tracking activities are done. Volcanoes National Park is located in the northwest part of the country and is seated on an area of roughly 160 square kilometers.

Other activities to do in Rwanda apart from gorilla trekking;

Historical tours. Rwanda is a renowned historical country due to its exciting and some horrible events that it underwent to become the beautiful nation it is today. The history about the country is taught by informative guides in the historical sites in the country especially the Kigali genocide memorial center, Kigali Art Museum, Presidential palace museum to mention but a few.

Cultural encounters

Rwanda is celebrated for her outstanding Kinyarwanda culture that is different from the rest of the cultures in Africa. The local people entertain the visitors to their land and teach them about their day-to-day life. Visitors learn about the traditions of Banyarwanda people and get to taste their delicious local meals.

Market visits

Market visits are usually launched to Kimironko Market that is a celebrated trading ground for the local items used in the Banyarwanda society. Items especially walking sticks, throws, footwear, beads and local foodstuffs are sold in the market. Therefore, this is a perfect ground for travelers to buy souvenirs of their Rwandan journeys.

Arts and crafts exploration

Visitors to Rwanda can also engage in observation of sensational arts and crafts that are made by the local Rwandan guys with gifted hands. These are usually seen at Inema at Centre.

Game drives and wildlife safaris

These are conducted in Akagera and Gishwati Mukura National parks that are renowned habitats for a variety of animals. Akagera National Park is a habitat for big 5 animals which visitors observe alongside other animals encompassing the spotted hyenas, hartebeests, Defassa waterbucks, elands, common genets, warthogs, Impalas and giraffes.

These national parks provide a variety of other touristic activities especially hiking, nature walks and volunteerism in the local communities near them which help to improve on the experiences that tourists get in the country.

The best time to do a safari in Rwanda

Just like any other destination, Rwanda also has a favorite time for visitors and this is usually in the dry seasons. Rwanda has two seasons throughout the year – the wet and dry seasons. The dry seasons are the most favorable travel times in the country. These are the times including long dry season that runs from June to September and short dry season that runs from early December to late February.