12days in Rwanda
By choosing to participate in a Best of Rwanda, preparing yourself for an all-around educational and enriching experience of this beautiful country! Although trekking with the gorillas may undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip, Rwanda is also home to many other rare, beautiful, unique and endangered species of animals and birds that cannot be found anywhere else in this world!! Combined with the stunning views of volcanoes, hills, plains and rain forests; the warm and friendly smiles from the local people and the opportunity to participate in day-to-day local traditions, culture, activities and community development, Rwanda promises to be a destination you will NOT soon forget!!!
Our professional, local guide will greet you at your hotel in the morning and brief you on your trip. To start things off, you will be given a tour of Kigali, Rwanda's capital city which was named in 1907 by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda. It is the main administrative and economic centre of Rwanda. Surrounded by lush hills of green, it is the cleanest and safest city in the region. Kigali’s face is her fortune: a dramatic beauty from which its name is derived. There are, however, other contributing factors - it is a city that delights the mind as well as the eye of any visitor and is a city where the past lives comfortably with the present.
On the tour, you will have the opportunity to see the following:
Visit the 1994 Gisozi Genocide Memorial site.
Visit an artisan shopping centre to view and purchase local arts and crafts.
Visit the Kigali Museum and learn the history of Kigali’s and Rwanda’s pre-colonial and colonial period as well as the colonial masters in Rwanda.
Tour around the city and see, first hand, the post-genocide development and expansion of Kigali.
Visit Juru Park, one of the highest points in Kigali and enjoy fantastic views of the city and its surrounding hills and countryside.
In the evening, we can take you to the Crystal View Cocktail Lounge on the eighth floor of the Top Tower Hotel where the panoramic views overlooking the entire city of Kigali are second to none! As striking at night as it is during the day, one is reminded exactly why Rwanda is known as “the Land of a Thousand Hills”.
Drive to Akagera National Park passing through Rwanda’s phenomenal landscapes and living lifestyles. Check-in at Akagera Game Lodge and after a quick rest at the hotel, continue on with a southern game drive alongside the Lake Ihema circuit.
Plenty of animals can be seen, including elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and also many other mammal species. Known as one of the most scenic savannahs in East Africa, the game drive in Akagera provides you with the opportunity to also view gentle hills blending beautifully with lowland swamps and water bodies.
On this day (depending on time available), we offer you a choice of value-added activities from the following:
Evening walks around the hotel where you can see various bird species.
Participate in day-to-day local pastoral lifestyle.
Presentation on the ecology of the Akagera ecosystem and the conservation efforts, including the coexistent dynamics between the local people and wildlife.
Early morning game drive starts with a spectacular sunrise and early morning bird calls. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscape through the northern circuit where you will see hippos, crocodiles and even more wildlife than on the lake circuit. Head to Kigali for a quick lunch and then on to Butare, the original capital and intellectual centre of Rwanda. Passing through magnificent hills and cultivated countryside, we will stop along the way and visit the famous King's Palace in Nyanza, which offers visitors a window into pre-colonial Rwandan history. For those who are interested, we can also visit the art museum at Rwesero Nyanza.
Your morning will start early with a visit to the National Museum of Rwanda, providing you with a deeper insight into Rwandan history and culture. We will then continue on to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Nyungwe is the only destination in the world where you can see up to 13 species of primates in a single location, including rare species such as Chimpanzees, the Blue Monkeys, L'Hoest's Monkeys and the Angolan black and white Colobus Monkeys. Nyungwe presents a unique phenomenon in primate tourism due to its huge concentrations of habituated primates whose troops can include 400 to 500 individuals!
As one of the most important ornithological hubs in Rwanda, the park is also home to almost 300 species of birds, making it a bird watcher's paradise!
Along the way, we will stop at the new Visitor's Interpretive Centre to orient you to this magnificient park and then it's off to your hotel to check-in and have a relaxing lunch. The afternoon will be spent trekking to the Colobus Monkeys. You will hike through lush forests, endless, green tea fields and take in the stunning views of your surroundings.
Early morning trek to the chimpanzees. Following your trek and depending on available time, we offer you a choice of value-added activities from the following:
Participate in tea harvesting in the neighboring local communities.
Visit a tea factory and learn about the production processes of one the highest quality teas produced in East Africa.
Visit local artisan groups to learn and participate in this and other local community income-generating projects. This is also an opportunity to purchase locally-made crafts and products.
Listen to a presentation on the ecology of Nyungwe Forest National Park and the ongoing conservation efforts, including the managing of the dynamics and coexistence of park/wildlife and local communities.