Hotel des Mille Collines
Hotel des Mille Collines is one of the most popu;ar hotels in Rwanda. Located in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, this is the hotel premiered in the 2004 movie “Hotel Rwanda” where a hotel manager housed over a thousand Tutsis from getting lynched with machettes, axes and guns from the hutu Militia.
This hotel is today managed by the Kempelsiki, an international hotel chain well known for its good hostpitality sevices since it was founded in Berlin, Germany, in 1897. Today Kempelsiki is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Hotel des Mille Collines features 112 hotel rooms which are decorated to blend into their earthy surroundings.
Hotel des Mille Collines is set in Rwanda’s capital city: Kigali. It is a four-star international hotel set in large gardens in downtown Kigali. The hotel gained much of its notoriety from its role within the feature film, Hotel Rwanda. As within the film, the hotel attracts a distinctly business clientele, however its base in the city centre means it is a good base from which tourists can explore. Today it is among the best hotels used by travelers who visit rwanda primarily for gorilla tours in the northern part of Rwanda where mountain gorillas can be viewed from the wild.
Enjoy a selection of rooms for guests looking to stay. Each of the Mille Collines’ rooms have private bathrooms, satellite televisions, PC hook-ups and with most of the standard hotel amenities. The rooms are spacious while not being luxurious, they offer a great base to explore the city or for a comfortable overnight stop.
The Hotel provides its leisure and business guests with most convenient services and facilities to ensure a most comfortable stay in Rwanda. It has a large swimming pool and a fitness suite, but these added luxuries will only be a minor distraction from the markets and interesting sights of the city. There is also a restaurant offering French and international cuisine and two bars offering local products as well as international drinks in the cocktail lounge.
Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is a tranquil, cosmopolitan city offering visitors and travelers a wide range of cultural diversions and entertainment. With Kigali being in the centre of Rwanda, with most main roads leading to and from it, it is quite likely that an extended visit to the country could see you spend a night there. If a one night stop-over is necessary, then a visit to Kigali’s new and insightful Genocide Museum is highly recommended. Not only does it detail the history of Rwanda’s genocide, but also documents the history of genocide around the world, creating a very moving experience.
The unique attributes which make The Hotel des Mille Collines one of very best hotels is largely due to its endless views combined top notch food and service ensuring your holiday is a memorable one. In many countries, we probably wouldn’t even mention a hotel like this for our travelers. However, here it’s an attractive option, worth considering, because it offers standards of comfort that are relatively uncommon in hotels elsewhere in Rwanda.
The leisure traveler has the opportunity to visit Rwanda’s many attractions such as Genocide Memorials, the Genocide Museum, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe and Akagera national park. Come and experience Rwanda……..!
Read MoreBest Places Where to Buy Art & Crafts in Rwanda
Although not yet fully explored, cultural tourism in Rwanda is at arise. Many tourists are now visiting the country to learn and discover more about her unique culture and diversity of fine crafts produced by the local Rwandese. Today, Rwanda has many cultural locations where tourists are entertained by local music, dance and drama performances, they get all kinds of crafts produced in the country as souvenirs and a chance to have experiential tourism by participating to local activities especially the dances.
The major crafts produced in the country include jewelry, baskets, wood carvings, pots and other related clay products, shopping bags, papyrus mats, calabashes and many others. While on a tour in Rwanda, below are the leading places where tourists can buy art pieces and crafts for souvenirs;
Nyamirambo Muslim Quarters
This is one of the biggest city suburbs and among the most active neighborhoods in Rwanda with various youth centers. It’s a multi cultural center with a large percentage of Muslims hence the name Muslim quarters. This is one of the best places for city tours and walks; a visit to these quarters gives you a chance to learn about the culture and ways of life of Rwandese city dwellers.
At Nyamirambo, there is the Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC) that provides guided walks and tours around Nyamirambo. They take you through their markets where you can buy fruits if you want, visit the West African communities in the area and learn about their culture; hair styles, dressing code among others. The women’s center also provides homestays to interested tourists who get a chance to learn basic Kinyarwanda or how to prepare a simple local Rwandese meal. Nyamirambo has a prominent recording studio where many Rwandese upcoming artistes flock to try out their talent. A visit to this studio will give you a chance to listen to the sweet amazing voices and lyrics of people of Rwanda.
The Gatagara Pottery Experience
This pottery experience can be got in Gatagara which is an hour and thirty minutes drive from the capital Kigali. The local artisans are always ready and willing to teach the pot making process to any interested tourist. The Gatagara area has a number of clay products which include cooking pots, flower vases, bawls, clay plates and cups. All the clay products from this area are unique because Gatagara is blessed with special clay soils with some mica components.Tourists to this culture and heritage site are given chance to create their own pieces which provides a good and unforgettable Rwanda tours experience. Most of the pottery skills possessed by the Gatagara artisans were got from the Batwa –the original inhabitants of the place. Today these skills are being complimented by new modern skills to produce beautiful clay products.
Ivuka Art Center
It was opened in 2007 in Kaciyru district to explore the artisan talents of the local Rwandese and to act as selling center of the locally made crafts. The center exhibits various pieces of art including carvings, sculptures, pottery, pictorials and many others. Today, the Ivuka art center exhibits art works of over 14 local artistes and even gave way for the establishment of Bwiza arts Kigali, Uburange arts and Inema arts center. The Ivuka center also carries out international art exhibitions which any one on a Rwanda safari or cultural tour should not miss.
Rwanda Nziza
This offers a variety of local Rwandan made handcraft products like jewelry, carvings which makes all the earned profits to go back to the local economies. Different artisans also get to be known because all art products have the artisans’ personal profile, product description, its cultural significance and the cultural values attached to it. This has played a big role in preserving the art and craft cultures of the Rwandese. The Rwanda Nziza is also known as the Rwandan fair trade artistes association that was started to promote Rwanda cultural tours.
Ishyo Arts Center
This is a concert and events center in Kigali. The center was started to bring together musicians, dancers, comedians, actors and actresses to one cultural performance that would act as a learning platform form and support initiative to the upcoming talented artistes. If you are so much interested in having fun, this center can be a good place to visit on your Rwanda tour.
Caplaki Craft Village
At this crafts village, we find the Caplaki co-operative that deals with locally made handcrafts. While at the Caplaki craft village, you will find a variety of hand made crafts of all kinds. There are many craft shops around therefore you will have a wide range of options to choose from. Caplaki is among the oldest craft market streets and the craft villages also have crafts from Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
Read MoreTop 10 Rental Cars Hired Out in Rwanda
Looking to exploring Rwanda but wondering about which car to use for your travel? We have reviewed some of the best cars for travels in this mountaineous country. Choose from the wide array of car rentals and explore the land of a thousand hills in a new way. Here are the top 10 rated vehicles that you can think about hiring a car in Rwanda for your travel or occasion;
4×4 Toyota Rav4
Our Toyota Rav4s are compact and best of the small SUVs. They are perfect car rentals if you plan a self drive tour, conference meetings, picnic tours, weekend getaway, camping, or business tours in Rwanda. They are spacious for your cargo, for you to stretch your legs. Besides, they have the best fuel consumption rate. They accommodate up to 4-5 people and consist of air conditioner.
Toyota Land Cruiser TX
Book our luxurious and comfortable 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers TX and enjoy your road trip to different part in Rwanda without any worries. Our Toyota Land Cruisers TX takes 5 visitors and consists of air conditioners. Choose from our Toyota Land Cruisers-diesel and petrol-manual or automatic transmission.
Roof tent Land Cruisers Prado TZ
Rent Roof Tent Land Cruisers Prado TZ and enjoy your wildlife tours in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park in a new style. Our Roof Tent Land Cruisers Prado TZ are spacious and you do not have to worry about where your cargo will be.
Roof tent Land Cruisers V8/VX
Reserve our Roof Tent Land Cruisers V8 with Camping gear and get the best of your safari in Rwanda.
Coaster Bus
We have the best Mini buses for hire especially for group safaris. They take about 23 people and they come with air conditioners, MP3 and CD player.
4X4 Toyota Prado with Sunroof
Our 4×4 Toyota Prado car rentals take five visitors and they come with adequate room for your cargo.
Luxury Land Cruisers V8
Our luxury Land Cruisers V8 are exceptional luxury large SUV Class. They are built in such a way that they can tackle any kind of terrain. They have the best interior and they come in automatic transmission.
Toyota Prado
We have the best Toyota Prado for your road trips in Rwanda. They accommodate up to 5 people and they come with air conditioner. Choose from either manual or automatic transmission.
4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers Hard Top
Get the best of our 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers Hard Top and embark on safari in Rwanda in comfortable way. Our 4 wheel drive Toyota Land Cruisers Hard Top takes between 6 and 9 people. They come in manual transmission, spare tires, lift jack, mini fridge, and ideal for wildlife safaris.
4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers Hard Top Extended
Book our luxurious 4 wheel drive Toyota Land Cruisers Hard Top Extended cars and get a reward of Rwanda road trip. They are comfortable and take between 6 and 8 people. They come with a mini fridge, air conditioner and you can get it at pocket friendly price.
Super Custom
Our medium size Toyota Super Customs are well maintained, comfortable and they take about 8 visitors. They are diesel powered engines with AC, luxurious to offer you that total comfortable while on a road trip in Rwanda. They are a perfect way to get around Kigali and several parts in Rwanda.
Saloon Cars such as Toyota Coronas; Our Toyota Coronas have a capacity of 4 and consist of air conditioner, airbags, CD player, and comes in manual or automatic transmission.
Safari Vans
Our Mini Vans take about 8 people. They consist of Air Conditioner, adequate space, pop up, roof rack and they are good for safaris in Rwanda.
Toyota Premo
Interested in city drive? Book one of our luxurious Toyota Premo cars and embark on road trip in Kigali in comfortable way. Our Toyota Premo cars have airbags, centralized door lock and-both manual and automatic transmission.
Read MoreArt is Now the Biggest Trend in Rwanda Tourism
There’s no thin line between art and tourism, since both are inextricably linked. When a tourist visits a place, he wants to carry a piece of souvenir to remind him about the place he visited.
And artists are the producers of such pieces. In the end, they profit since the tourist dollar is always naturally appealing for their sustenance.
This is a kind of trade that’s quite vibrant in Musanze, the hub of Rwanda’s tourism industry.
Art pieces are ubiquitous everywhere you go, especially around Kinigi where tourists visit to not only see the famous mountain gorillas but also other attraction this place offers. Art pieces can be found hanging on the walls of hotels and among other places the tourists are likely to visit.
According to an article appearing in Tourism&More, an online journal, “artistic tourism attracts people who are willing to spend money.
Numerous studies from around the world have shown that people who include the arts in their travel plans often have higher income levels than other tourists to that locale, have a greater likelihood of staying in local hotel, take longer trips and shop more.”
There are several art galleries that have opened their doors where tourists can go and purchase these pieces. Art centers and galleries found in Musanze include (located along the road to Kinigi), and Red Rocks Art Gallery, located in Kinigi.
Apart from these, there are individual artists and craftsmen that sell their products in Musanze, such as COPABU Cooperative and Kinigi Community Commercial Center (KCCC) Cooperative.
Willy Karekezi, a visual artist in Kigali, says he paints in Kigali, but transports some of his pieces to Musanze where they are displayed in different galleries there.
“Some tourists come to visit Rwanda for a day or two and they head straight to Musanze for gorilla trekking. These tourists are unable to visit the art galleries in Kigali, and that’s why I take some of my pieces to Kinigi where tourists can easily find and purchase them,” he says.
Some of Karekezi’s latest paintings can be found at Red Rocks Art Gallery in Kinigi where he says he has forged a partnership with the gallery to market and sell his artwork.
“Tourism is quite vibrant here in Kinigi and we discovered that through art, the artists can not only produce aesthetic pieces that appeal to the eyes of the tourists but also art pieces with bold messages behind them about conservation.
Through this, both the tourists and the locals become conscious about environmental protection through the eyes of an artist,” says Greg Bakunzi, founder of the Red Rocks Art Gallery.
Hotels surrounding the main tourist attractions in Musanze are cashing in on this trend, playing host to several art pieces and exhibitions from artists as far as Kigali. At the Red Rocks Cultural Center in Nyakinama village, you find pieces of artwork placed strategically at the reception, and more often than not when a tourist wants to depart, he or she is likely to buy these art pieces that are conveniently priced in dollars.
Mohamed Ndabaye, a resident artist at Red Rocks Cultural Center, says over the last few years, tourism in Musanze has tremendously grown, and this has been a boon to them since they are able to produce and sell more pieces.
“Rwandan artists mostly rely on tourists since only a few locals purchase our products. It’s therefore prudent to strategically place our products where tourists can easily reach them. It’s good that more galleries are opening their doors here in Musanze, and artists are now able to find places they can display and market their products,” says Bakunzi.
Another trade that’s taking advantage of tourism boom in Musnze is the crafts trade. COPABU is composed of a group of about 1,000 members, mostly rural women and several cooperatives and they have recently opened a shop in Musanze with women making traditional baskets and men making sculptures.
The main raw materials at the base of their products are the banana bark, grass marsh, papyrus and jacaranda wood. It is a large handicraft shop selling local products, including woodcarvings, jewellery, basketware and other souvenir-worthy items, with flexible opening hours.
Another handcraft shop, composed of 12 cooperative members, can be found at the Kinigi Community Commercial Center, near the Volcanoes National Park.
Read MoreMusanze: Reaping Benefits of Surging Gorilla Tourism
Musanze district is the hub of Rwanda’s tourism industry and a source of many adventures. It has a long list of adventure activities on offer.
However, as Joseph Ondiek writes, when the spotlight is put on adventure, most people will immediately think of the iconic mountain gorillas. And this would be right since the primates have positioned themselves as Rwanda’s flagship tourist attraction.
But there are other must-see attractions in Musanze, such as the Musanze Caves, as well as other animals that reside in the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda. There is also the historic Buhanga Eco-Park, which was a sacred forest where Rwandan kings performed initiation ceremonies.
Musanze, Rwanda’s tourism hub
Over the past few years, Musanze district has been striving to live to its image as a tourism hub, with different economic sectors registering varying degrees of success and this has also come with improvement of people’s lives.
The new district mayor, Jean Damascene Habyarima, says Musanze has the potential to grow economically and together with the district staff and residents, they are going to continue working to move the district forward, which will vindicate the its claim as the heart of the tourism industry in Rwanda.
In terms of its tourism potential, Musanze district is home to the unique and world famous mountain gorillas which attract nearly 30,000 tourists every year from all over the world. Musanze’s capital, Ruhengeri, is one of the largest cities in Rwanda and serves as a hub for tourists.
The tourism scene in Musanze
According to Greg Bakunzi, the managing director of Musanze-based Amahoro Tours, there have been tremendous improvement in infrastructure in Ruhengeri town and many investors in the hospitality industry have constructed first class facilities like hotels to cash in on the growing tourism activities in the region.
“When we started, there were only four top hotels in Ruhengeri. This number has significantly increased over the last few years, and we now have brands like Silver Buck Hotel, Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel in Kinigi, Snow Hotel, Red Rocks Hostel Rwanda, Lake Ruhondo Lodge and Tented Camp and many more offering both luxurious and back-packing accommodation to tourists in Ruhengeri.
Bakunzi adds that the 2016 opening of the Dian Fossey Museum, named the Karisoke Exhibit, has also been a major development in the tourism industry in Musanze since the museum is deeply connected with the conservation of the mountain gorillas. The museum is the brainchild of the Karisoke Research Center, which is run by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI), an international gorilla conservation organisation.
“Many tourists who come here now know the efforts it took to preserve the endangered primates, and the museum also serves as resource center for the local community to learn about the importance of conservation, particularly around the Virunga massif that straddles Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
New buildings, roads
Bakunzi adds Musanze’s position as a tourism center was further boosted with the construction of Kinigi Community Commercial Center (KCCC) whose main mission is to help the local people develop interest in commercial enterprises, particularly the rural communities living in the areas bordering the Volcanoes National Park.
Since it opened its doors in 2013 in Butorwa 1 village, KCCC has been a home to 12 local cooperative members mostly selling handcrafts and clothes to tourists who visit the parks, and providing the opportunity for the locals to be gainfully employed. The center is brainchild of a consortium of organizations seeking to conserve the environment around the parks.
Bakunzi observes that over the years, Musanze’s position as the country’s tourism hub has seen development of several modern buildings and rehabilitation of the old ones.
“The construction of the Musanze Modern Market, Rwanda Social Security Board, and the rehabilitation of the Musanze Bus Park all has given Ruhengeri town a new metropolis look, and the town is now regarded as second to Kigali in terms of infrastructural development,” says the tour operator.
Jeanne Uwamahoro, a resident of Musanze town, says Musanze is now paralleling Kigali when it comes to cleanliness, adding that it’s refreshing to observe that its streets are now daily swept and plants planted along the streets to spruce up the image of the town as a green town.
“It’s also noteworthy to observe that for every new road constructed, there’s installation of street lights along the roads, and the town is now becoming a secure place to walk even during the night,” says Uwamahoro.
Her view is supported by Bakunzi who says, for example, the newly tarmacked eight-kilometer road leading to Buhanga Eco-Park is installed with street lights.
“The roads leading to the Volcanoes National Park has been paved, and the park has been fenced to prevent human-wildlife conflicts that was rampant before, and this has created peaceful co-existence between humans and animals,” says Bakunzi.
Read MoreRed Rocks Wins Best Community-Based Tourism Award
The annual Rwanda Tourism Gala was held on December 21, 2018, at the Kigali Marriott Hotel. During the event, several tourism industry players spanning different categories were recognised and presented with awards for their achievements in the industry this year.
In her keynote address during the ceremony, Ariella Kageruka, the director of the Rwanda Tourism Chamber, said Rwanda’s tourism industry has seen tremendous growth during the past years despite some challenges that it faces, which she added they are trying to mitigate so that the industry retains its enviable position as the country’s leading foreign exchange earner.
“This award ceremony is to recognise individuals and organisations, big and small, who have played their part to ensure that Rwanda’s positive image as a top tourist destination in the region is maintained. This will spur them to come up with more innovative solutions to continue attracting more tourists to the country,” she added.
The award winners included Akagera National Park that was awarded for Sustainable Park of the Year, Red Rocks Cultural Center for the Best Community-Based Tourism Organisation of the Year, Radisson Blu, Kigali for Conference and Events Venue of the year. Others were Akilah Institute that was awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Hospitality and Tourism Education, Fuchsa Bar and Lounge scooped an award as the Bar of the Year, the Tourism Business of the Year went to Alpine Travels while the Health and Spa Facility of the Year was awarded to Scray Spa Kigali.
Speaking at the sidelines of the event, Greg Bakunzi, the founder of Red Rocks Cultural Center, said he was excited that his organisation was awarded as the based community-based tourism organisation of the year, adding that the recognition has given him more impetus to continue coming up with more innovative solutions for the local communities living around the national parks to also gain from the tourism industry.
Bakunzi added that they could not have achieved the feat without the tremendous support of the local community and their partners, saying working together with all these groups have made sure that vulnerable families living around the protected areas can now have sustainable income to support their families, while they are also able to take part in initiatives geared towards environmental conservation, mostly around the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
“We are looking forward to more of such awards and recognition since we are dedicated to continue supporting community-based initiatives that are meant to uplift the living standards of the local communities, which also has a major stake in the tourism industry and conservation of the wildlife habitat,” added Bakunzi.
The award ceremony was a culmination of months of voting where the Rwanda Tourism Chamber invited the public to vote for nominate and vote for individuals, organisations and companies that have made positive contributions to Rwanda’s tourism industry this year. They ranged from national parks, hotels and restaurants, community-based organisations to individuals like drivers, rangers, and tour guides who were also awarded for their efforts.
The Rwanda Tourism Chamber head said the Rwanda Tourism Industry Award gala will continue to award those individuals and organisation to motivate them to come up with viable solutions to mitigate the challenges that the industry is facing.
Read MoreMusanze Gears up for Christmas Village Market
A group of women are sitting huddled next to each other as they weave basketsand chat among themselves. It is in the afternoon, and it has just rained somehalf an hour ago, so the air is still cold and misty.
However, such an uncompromising weather does not dampen their spirits. Sitting on a large mat, the six women continue to furiously make different traditional handicrafts, which they hope will make them have a merry Christmas this time round.
In front of them are displayed different traditional handicrafts they have managed to make today: mats, baskets, gift cards, small pots, clothes, sandals and shoes; all made from traditional materials.
Just a few meters away, the sounds of traditional African drums can be heard. A group of children, youth and men are singing and dancing to the symphonic beatings of the drums by the drumsticks, but the sounds can be cut off after every some few minutes and would attentively listen as their leader, who is their trainer, teach them some aspects and moves of the songs and dances.
They are practicing since in just a few days, they should have polished their traditional music and dancing skills to be able to showcase to visitors who are expected to throng their village during this festive season.
The group of weaving women and dancing children, youth and men are expected to showcase their different skills during the 12- day Christmas Village Festival that will officially kick off on 22 December 2018 and end on January 1, 2019. The cultural fiesta is going to happen at Red Rocks Cultural Center in Nyakinama Village, Musanze district.
The main aim of the festival is to connect the locals with tourists and the theme is to display different shades of Rwanda authentic traditional and cultural life.
Greg Bakunzi, the founder of Red Rocks, says they have been holding Christmas Village Party for seven years now, and its main agenda is to provide the local community an opportunity to sell their products and skills to visitors who are going to come to various establishments like Red Rocks during this festive season.
“This is the end of the year and these women are going to have the opportunity to sell their products at discounted prices to clear the stock they have and make way for the new products they are now making that will also make part of their next year’s collections,” says Bakunzi.
Bakunzi adds that the 12 days is going to be a marketing blitz for the locals, and will also give them the chance to sell some of their traditional products to tourists who purchase them mostly as souvenirs and gifts to their loved ones.
“The locals will also take this opportunity to showcase their music and dancing skills throughout this period, since we want to make our visitors to have that festive environment when they come here during this festive season. This is going to be provided by our traditional dancing troupe,” he adds.
Apart from selling their handicrafts, other activities expected to rock the festivals include preparation of traditional Rwanda cuisine, demonstration of how to make the traditional banana beer, story telling by the sides of the campfire, interaction between the locals and the tourists, and playing of various traditional and modern games.
The festival, according to Bakunzi, is meant to showcase Rwanda traditional culture to tourists, to make the locals gain from their talents and skills and to create an atmosphere where people of
different backgrounds are going to converge and learn from each other.
Bakunzi further says that since its inception, the Christmas Village Party has fostered mutual cultural understanding among the tourists and locals, and has also provided an avenue through which the locals can now gain from thriving tourism around the Volcanoes National Parks in.
“Most of these women and youth come from vulnerable families. Some of them don.t have husbands to take care of their families. Most of the time, they rely on their small farms for subsistence farming but this is not enough to cater for all their basic needs. But when they use their art and handicraft skills and make products that tourists can buy, then they are able to supplement their resources and help uplift their livelihoods,” says Bakunzi.
For Jeanette Mushekimana, a 39-year-old widow and mother of three, she says that she has been selling her products at Red Rocks Rwanda and in Musanze town and hopes that the coming festival is also going to help her make money from her products and enjoy the festive season with her children just like the rest.
“I have made over ten different products I hope to market during the festival. I will sell the products that I had made this year at discounted prices and hope that next year, I will manage to sell all
the products I am currently making,” she says.
Mushekimana adds that she is also going to make traditional food during the festival and if opportunity comes take some of the visitors to her home to show them how Rwanda rural families go about their daily lives.
Theophille Kamana, a traditional herbalist is also busy making healing concoctions that he hopes to display during the festival, adding that even though people now resort to modern cure when they are ill, traditional medicine still have a place for its curative values
Read MorePlanning a Budget Holiday in Rwanda
Often traveling is viewed as an expensive venture and its true especially when you don’t plan in advance and consulting reliable sources such as local travel Agencies. But if you plan like Budget travelers, you can still find excellent value for your money and time in Rwanda. Many budget lodges and hotels have been built in different tourist destinations in Rwanda to cater for the demand of all budget travelers to the country. Besides many group tours are also organized for the same cause by different Rwanda tour operators every day to different tourist attractions in different locations. Joining others on a group tour reduces the price that one would have paid alone & also enables tourists to meet new friends, save and enjoy their trips since such trip are for people of the same interest. This arrangement also helps the back packers to fulfill their travel dreams by spending less just in line with their budget.
Most affordable Rwanda safaris cost $500-$950 per person with duration of 3 days all inclusive though still possible for you to do a Rwanda budget tour without feeling the pitch of the total tour price. Bargain with your local travel expert, gather enough information and if all fails step out of your comfort zone and hit the road on your own. Most budget trips are always successful especially when you target low season windows when accommodation and transport is priced low for companies to mitigate their operation overhead costs.
Rwanda low season
April, May and November are the considered months of the low travel season in Rwanda. During this time the country experiences some rains though it normally shines just after and the demand is kind of low for lodges/hotels, and most tour operators have no business running which makes all the tours affordable and cheap. If you have a high bargaining power, then express your interest of a Rwanda cheap tour during this season. For Backpackers lodges/hotels offer low prices to their guests during this season which can even go lower if you request for extra discount.
If you want to track the mountain gorillas, the Rwanda Development at times discounts the gorilla permits during the low season. The Rwanda tour operators are always up to date with all changes in the tourism industry please contact them for more details. Also group tours are more cheap & affordable to many travelers but still comfort and full of valued services, for example Rwanda city tours cost only $ 50 per person per day making Rwanda the best low season destination in Africa.
Affordable safari accommodation
Rwanda has several cheap lodges/hotels/hostels which cater for the tight budget travels. All guests who book budget tours stay in these lodges and all have interacted with say the budget accommodation facilities are worth the cost. When you chose rightly your budget lodges , which is only possible after making a very go research including the lodge reviews . Don’t use new lodges where no one has ever tasted the lodge services and facilities to avoid disappointments of meals, the room service or other facilities. Sleeping in cheap accommodation will help you save and also spend less as planned initially before embarking on your trip. Bargaining is the order of the day since getting the best price in Africa depends on your bargaining power. Take a look at some cheap lodges/hotels in Rwanda Okapi hotel, Impala hotel, Gloria hotel, Silver Motel, Gorilla city centre hotel, kinigi guest house, Step town hotel, Labana star hotel, Gorilla lake view hotel among others.
Cheap Transport option
Ensure that you use the cheapest transport option possible depending on where you want to go. Rwanda has many cheap transport means of transport, public taxi’s/ bus coaches, cheap car hire services. Some times its good to walk some distances where possible and save. If you want to transfer to another city or to any tourist destination, always inquire from your lodge of residence for details. However no need for this if you travelling around on a tailor made trip with all arrangements made by a tour operator Remember to take care of all your properties especially the travel bag though the country security is good but you never know someone might take off with your luggage which may disorganize your travel plans.
Read MoreGo On Kigali City Tour While on Safari in Rwanda
Don’t miss out a city tour in Kigali in case you chose a Rwanda safari. Kigali is the largest and capital city of Rwanda with very many attractions; it’s the heart of Rwanda where all business centers, port entry and international airport (Kanombe international) are located. This beautiful ever green city become a capital city after independence in 1962 and it was founded by Dr.Richard Kandt the first German colonial resident of Rwanda in 1907.
The city is built on a hilly area since Rwanda is a mountainous country it is referred to as the land of a thousand hills. Its nearness makes it easy to drive from the capital to the most of the tourist attractions in Rwanda and it’s just about 7kms up to the Rwanda international airport. Currently Kigali is regarded as one of the cleanest, safest and friendliest city in Africa attracting gigantic visitors and investors whole over the world. Right from the airport you will be welcomed by hospital people even when in the forest you will be guided by friendliest guides who will handle you with a lot of care.
When in Kigali, You can’t even remember that ounce it suffered much during the 1994 Rwanda genocide where a very big number of people lost their lives including the Tutsis and Hutu and a few who survived from this horrific war took refuge to neighboring countries.
Although damaged during this tragedy war, the city’s structure has recovered. It hosts a very big number of tourist attraction which are very difficult to miss if in Kigali they include; Kigali genocide memorial site which houses a lot of information on how this war started and ounce you visit this genocide memorial site you will still see peoples bones, cloths, watch still laid on the ground, you will feel tears coming from throats, visit the Hero’s Cemetery at Amahoro National Stadium, visit also the pottery project of the Batwa, Coffee shops, bars and local and international restaurants ranging from Chinese, Italian, North African, visit also the market places visit many other interesting places in Kigali.
Read MoreTips for An Unforgettable Gorilla Trekking Experience
As interesting putting food in the mouth, gorilla tracking is one of the safari activities that is not isolated or missed by tourists when they are having a safari of their lifetime as this activity can’t be missed in menu of the various activities they want to explore which will bring you closer to related human beings. Some of the Gorillas families that are tracked include the following: Susa made up of 41 gorillas, Sabyingo, Amahoro etc. Just like in other countries like Uganda, where Gorilla tracking is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it is done in Virunga national park. For Rwanda, it is done in volcanoes national park which is located in the northwest of Rwanda considered to be the only national park where gorilla trekking can be done. Primate tracking in Rwanda is done by various touring companies as the packages for this tracking ranges from 2 day Rwanda Gorilla Trek to 12 day Rwanda Safari which gives a wide variety of Gorilla groups to be trekked.
More so, to even start trekking these so called primates in volcanoes national park, a tourism permit must be issued by the body concerned with tourism called Rwanda tourism board. This gives license to the tourists of which type of gorillas to be trekked at that moment. Permits for Rwanda Gorilla Trekking goes for around 750 dollars per day of which some bid of the money goes to the communities around the national park for development and well being of people around it. A primate tracking is most suitable in the dry months of June to September and also December, January and February making this activity easier than ever before as you will see below.
Although Gorilla tracking in volcanoes national park starts from 20 minutes to three quarters of the day in the evening, their some requirements that are needed to do this activity as tourists will go through a couple of challenges like rain, muddy soil, insects e.g. aunts which needs some bid of wearing strong shoes etc. These are some of the requirements needed to trek this amazing Gorillas are as follows.
Tip number one is dressing according to the Safari activity. Wear shirts made of synthetic material which tend to dry faster. This is due to the fact that in most cases, this activity may be done in the rainy season which needs some bid of drying faster to make the tourist more comfortable. Their after you are advised at the bottom to wear long pants made of synthetic material which also tends to dry faster than other type of clothes making the Safari more sweet and affordable to do . The other clothes like short jeans will make the activity more difficult to do as they will make the tourist uncomfortable and unable to walk properly.
Wear proper foot wear(boots) that is reaches above the ankle, this is because while moving though this good scenery of tropical forests, there will be thorns, sticky plants that may endanger the lives of the tourists most especially the legs. This will help you to move though the muddy soils, dangerous insects like the aunts that are of a danger to the lives of the human beings. On top of that, wear gators over those boots so that you can cover the remaining space which might be used to enter other staff like water making the tourist unreliable to do. On top of that wear high rubber willies with treads on the boots.
Pack enough food and water before you come for this activity as it mostly takes you a long period of time from morning to the evening hours during the dry months of June to September. This may be in form of snacks, a bottle of water most especially a liter is enough for the all day and it is advisable for one to bring these items along with him or herself after all some companies do provide some food to the tourists before proceeding to national park. When you have reached the park in side, you are not allowed to give any food to these gorillas which might endanger the life span of these primates.
Speak about your trekking preferences meaning that you as the tourist will have to communicate to specific company you had booked with to inform them about your fitness level and other diseases you may be facing plus also what type of Gorilla you might want to see first. This enables the guide to assign you to a group that is in with your range which you can afford to do as some of tracking groups may even track within or just outside the national park.
Making sure that video camera is working in good conditions and already for use. The first thing is to put in mind is that light from camera shouldn’t be there as long as it does not disturb the movements of the so called primates. These photographs which are made tend to be of a darked exposure because of the so many trees that are situated in the park more so a camera should be kept in a water proof bag so that water does not disturb its settings
Go for Gorilla tracking activity in a dry season is other tip for gorilla tracking meaning that the best months for Gorilla tracking are from June to September and also from December, January and February as these months tend to be dry because in the dry periods, movements of people within the park is much easier than ever before plus also cars are able to move in those roads drive safely. And that is why tourists are advised to come in the dry months although; they can also come in any period of the year. The wet months include the following march, April, May etc.
Practice Gorilla etiquette meaning that you should start and learn to respect the environment of these primates such as their behavior and knowing that you a visitor to them. Don’t be afraid to these primates as they are close friendly to the human beings. More so if they approach you, don’t just run for hide out as they think that you have stolen something from them which marks in the end of the tips for gorilla tracking in Rwanda.
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