Highlights of Rwanda
- Go gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- These dramatic mountains are best known for the awe inspiring mountain gorillas who reside amongst the bamboo forests on the upper slopes.
- Go gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
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- Enjoy the bustling atmosphere of Kigali
- Rwanda’s capital, Kigali is a bustling, colourful and noisy city with peaceful residential streets stretching outwards from the centre.
- Enjoy the bustling atmosphere of Kigali
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- Relax at Lake Kivu
- Lake Kivu takes up about half of Rwanda’s western border. The lake is fringed with palm trees and little sandy beaches.
- Relax at Lake Kivu
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- See the chimpanzees of Nyungwe Forest
- One of the oldest forests in Africa, Nyungwe is a remarkably rich centre of biodiversity. Its chief attraction is the primates including chimpanzees.
- See the chimpanzees of Nyungwe Forest
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Our country specialists have travelled the length and breadth of Rwanda - here are a few of their favourite things to do
Known as the 'land of a thousand hills', Rwanda is a small but extraordinarily beautiful country in the heart of Africa.
It is an easy country to get about as there are good tar and gravel roads leading to the national parks and reserves.
Ancient montane rainforest
West and Central Rwanda is covered in dramatic steep mountains, disrupted by large lakes. These mountains were once montane rainforest, although in the last 2,000 years much of the forest has been cleared for agriculture to produce the green and fertile terraced hillsides that characterise much of modern day Rwanda. This ancient forest can still be found in patches dotted around the country and a huge tract is preserved in the Nyungwe Forest National Park.
In eastern Rwanda the mountains give way to the lower flatter land of the Lake Victoria basin and the savannah habitat of Akagera National Park.
Rwanda today
In recent years Rwanda has become synonymous with the terrible genocide in 1994. Hardly a family in Rwanda was left untouched, but although there is still great sadness the country has transformed itself into a vibrant, confident and, above all, welcoming nation.
Popular Places to visit in Rwanda
Akagera National Park is a low-lying savannah reserve in the east of Rwanda on the border with Tanzania. It has a good selection of game and birdlife.
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Butare was the largest and most important city in Rwanda prior to 1965 when it lost out to more centrally located Kigali. It has an impressive royal palace as well as an absorbing national museum.
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Lake Kivu is the country’s largest body of water and takes up about half of Rwanda’s western border. The views from many hotels and guesthouses across the palm-fringed lake are wonderful.
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The Nyungwe Forest National Park protects one of the oldest forests in Africa. The main attraction are the primates: chimpanzee tracking can be arranged and several other monkeys are readily seen as well.
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Although home to elephant, buffalo, and duiker, Volcanoes National Park is best known for the 300 mountain gorillas that reside amongst the bamboo forests on the upper slopes.
View place
Practical Info
Flight time from UK
11 1/2 hours (via Nairobi)
When To Go
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
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Dec