Rwanda Things to Do

  Gorilla Baby
by MikeAtSea
 
  • Gorilla Baby
      Gorilla Baby
    by MikeAtSea
  • Gorilla in the wild
      Gorilla in the wild
    by MikeAtSea
  • The experienced ranger
      The experienced ranger
    by MikeAtSea
  • The Silverback
      The Silverback
    by MikeAtSea
  • Gorilla in the wild
      Gorilla in the wild
    by MikeAtSea
 
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Nyanza Royal Palace

by MikeAtSea

In the past the King of Rwanda had up to 60 residences around the country. In 1899 the King broke this tradition and built a royal residence on Nyanza Hill. Today this is the Ancient Historical Museum and one can see two parts. The first part is the traditional residence of where the King slept and met his subjects. Amazing is the "King Size" bed - big enough to accommodate 10 or more people. Right next to the traditional residence is the modern residence which was built in the 1930's to accommodate the Royal family. An interesting museum that allows an in-depth view of the history of Rwanda.

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Lake Kivu

by MikeAtSea

Lake Kivu stretches for almost 100km along the DRC border to the West, this lake is part of the "collection" of lakes one can find along the Rift Valley. With a maximum depth of 480m it is one of the deepest lakes. Around the lake one finds a number of resort towns, such as Gisenyi in the North, Cyangugu in the South and Kibuye in the Center. The road along the lake is at the moment under constructions - hence check what the conditions are!

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Kigali

by MikeAtSea

For most visitors the capital of Rwanda Kigali will only be the arriving and departing stop. However give yourself a day here to explore the city, visit the Genocide Museum to learn about the countries past and mingle around the bustling markets and town center. The city itself is quiet low key and with a population of around a Million not as hectic and chaotic as some other African capital cities.

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Akagera National Park

by MikeAtSea

Akagera National Park is situated in the East of Rwanda towards the border of Tanzania. Untypical to the rolling hills of Rwanda this part of the country is flat and Savannah like and home to the Big 5. The National Park is 1085 km2 and seeing buffalo, elephant, zebra, giraffe, hippo and various antelope one could imagine to being on safari in Tanzania and Kenya. Another major attraction is the bird life as Akagera boasts 550 species including some rarities that one cannot find elsewhere in Africa. And here one can still drive around for hours not seeing anyone else!!!

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Nyungwe National Park

by MikeAtSea

Nyungwe National Park in the South West of Rwanda is the largest Montane Forest on the continent of Africa, a spectacular rain forest that offers an incredible biodiversity. This forest stretches over high mountain peaks all the way to the border of Burundi and almost to the border of the DRC. In the park one can find 1050 plant species, 200 orchids, 85 mammals, 278 bird species, 32 amphibians, 38 reptiles, 120 butterfly species and 13 primates including Chimpanzees.

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Volcano National Park

by MikeAtSea

Perched along the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo are the Virunga Mountains and the Volcano National Park. The Volcanoes are extinct with the exception of the southern peak close to Gisenyi and offer unspoiled rain forest, incredible fertile forests and are home to around 400 mountain gorillas. The views from those mountains across the rolling hills of Rwanda are spectacular! The National Park offers hikes and walks and the tracking of the elusive gorillas

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Gorilla Tracking

by MikeAtSea

One of the most amazing attractions of Rwanda is tracking the Mountain Gorillas in the Volcano National Park. Not only does it offer a 99% guarantee to see those incredible animals but I also gives a possibility to come very close to them and their environment. Tracking can take between an hour or two and the walk is steep up the slopes of the volcanoes. Be aware though that you "walk" through the dense rain forest along slippery slopes; good shoes are a must and you should be fit! The experience is simply outstanding - and on both occasions I have come to within meters of the family, seen babies, the massive Silverback and marveled over their gracious appearance!

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THERE ARE 16 ATM'S IN RWANDA

by DAO

ATM’s are very sparse in Rwanda. In fact you will find 14 of the 16 are in Kigali; if you find them at all. The other 2 are in Butare and Ruhengeri. Every guidebook I can find on Rwanda says there are no ATM’s at all. Obviously times have moved on, but slowly. I only ever saw 2 in my travels across the country. My message is this: do not count on being able to access and ATM using a foreign debit card. Cash is pretty much the thing to bring along with a credit card (Visa). Travellers Cheques can be encashed, but will attract fees at banks. Thankfully there is not much crime in Rwanda. The 2 ATM’s I did find are pictured. Photo 1 is the Ecobank ATM right as you come out of baggage claim in Kigali airport. That worked – no problem. The second is at Simba Supermarket in Kigali. Please see my ‘Shopping Tips’ on this page for Simba’s details. Unfortunately this seemed to be down more time...

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GORILLAS AND OTHER TOURS

by DAO

Would you like to see the Mountain Gorillas? Other wildlife? A general tour of all that Rwanda has to offer? Kennedy Nari is your man! Kennedy, member kennedyrw on Virtual Tourist, can organise tours of Rwanda for you at a good price. Kennedy is Congolese, but was born where DRC, Rwanda and Uganda meet. It is also the location of the rare Mountain Gorillas. He organised my day Gorilla Tracking in the DRC where photos 2-5 are taken. He organised everything via email before my arrival in Rwanda and met me personally in Gisenyi, Rwanda. He is able to organise any sort of tour you would like and match any budget you have. Throughout my stay in East Africa Kennedy was in touch with me and my guides at all times. I found him to be very friendly, professional and organised. I would absolutely recommend his tour company to anyone visiting Rwanda. He also covers: Democratic Republic of the...

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Meet Children of Bad Memories in Rwanda,

by kennedyrw

They call them "enfants de mauvais souvenirs," children of bad memories. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, hundreds of thousands of Tutsi women were systematically raped and forced into sexual servitude by members of extremist Hutu militia groups. Many of these women became pregnant. Since abortion is illegal in Rwanda, some resorted to back-alley procedures or traveled to the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo to terminate their pregnancies. Others gave birth and abandoned the babies or gave them away to orphanages. Still others kept their children and are now struggling to raise them alone in post-genocide Rwanda.Give Hope 2 Children will help you found some of this Children and their mothershttp://givehope2children.org/Children_of_Bad_Memories.html

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Fun things to do in Rwanda

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Reviews and photos of Rwanda attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Rwanda sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Rwanda
  1. Kigali Things to Do
  2. Gisenyi Things to Do
  3. Parc National de l' Akagera Things to Do
  4. Kinigi Things to Do
  5. Ruhengeri Things to Do
  6. Virunga Things to Do

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Popular Regions in Rwanda

Prefecture de Kigali Things to Do  Prefecture de Ruhengeri Things to Do  Prefegitura ya Gisenyi Things to Do  Prefecture de Butare Things to Do 

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Questions and Answers

kikili profile photo

Q:  Hi I'm unsure f this is the right forum..but I iwsh to see the silverbacks in rwanda or uganda next march.. Which is a better... 

sphynxxs profile photo

A: Hi kikili, Rwanda is the better place to see gorillas, but no matter which country you go, there is no such thing as a budget option when it comes to seeing the... 

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