Ruhengeri: Volcanoes National Park

Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Parc des Volcans protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range - home of the rare mountain gorilla - and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.

An exhilarating trek through the cultivated foothills of the Virungas offers stirring views in all directions. Then, abruptly, the trail enters the national park, immersing trekkers in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with the calls of colourful birds and chattering of the rare golden monkey, and littered with fresh spoor of the mountains’ elusive populations of buffalo and elephant. Through gaps in the forest canopy, the magnificent peaks are glimpsed, easily accessible and among the highest in Africa, beckoning an ascent.

For more information about gorilla tracking, click here »

 

Akagera National Park

Set at a relatively low altitude on the border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park could scarcely be more different in mood to the breezy cultivated hills that characterise much of Rwanda. Dominated scenically by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, the most remote source of the Nile, this is archetypal African savannah landscape of tangled acacia woodland interspersed with open grassland.

Akagera is, above all, big game country! Herds of elephant and buffalo emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes, while lucky visitors might stumble across a leopard, a spotted hyena or even a stray lion. Giraffe and zebra haunt the savannah, and more than a dozen types of antelope inhabit the park, most commonly the handsome chestnut-coated impala, but also the diminutive oribi and secretive bushbuck, as well as the ungainly tsessebe and the world's largest antelope, the statuesque Cape eland.

Camping alongside the picturesque lakes of Akagera is a truly mystical introduction to the wonders of the African bush. Pods of 50 hippopotami grunt and splutter throughout the day, while outsized crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws menacingly agape. Magically, the air is torn apart by the unforgettable high duetting of a pair of fish eagles, asserting their status as the avian monarchs of Africa's waterways. Lining the lakes are some of the continent’s densest concentrations of waterbirds, while the connecting marshes are the haunt of the endangered and exquisite papyrus gonolek, and the bizarre shoebill stork - the latter perhaps the most eagerly sought of all African birds.

Cyangugu: Nyyngwe National Park Eco-Tour

Extending for 1,000 square kilometres across the majestic hills of southeast Rwanda, Nyungwe National Park is the largest block of montane forest in East or Central Africa, and one of the most ancient, dating back to before the last Ice Age. A uniquely rich centre of floral diversity, the forest has more than 200 different types of tree, and a myriad of flowering plants including the other-worldly giant lobelia and a host of colourful orchids.

Nyungwe is most alluring for its primates: 13 species in all, including humankind’s closest living relative the chimpanzee, as well as the handsome L’Hoest’s monkey and hundred-strong troops of the delightfully acrobatic Angola colobus. The most important ornithological site in Rwanda, Nyungwe harbours almost 300 bird species of which two dozen are restricted to a handful of montane forests on the Albertine Rift. The avian highlight of Nyungwe is the great blue turaco - an outlandish blue, red and green bird which streams from tree to tree like a procession of streamlined psychedelic turkeys.

An extensive network of well-maintained walking trails leads through the forest to various waterfalls and viewing points. A comfortably rustic resthouse and perfectly situated campsite lie alongside the main road, and the reserve can readily be visited as a day trip from the towns of Butare and Cyangugu. Nyungwe does, however, deserve more time: anybody who wants to track chimps and see several varieties of smaller primate will need two days there - and dedicated birdwatchers might never want to leave!

Kigali: Rwanda's Capital

• Wooden Bike Classic: 80 mile Road Race starts in Kigali, ends in Butare
• Genocide Memorial
• Ntamara Church Memorial
• Science & Education Center (RwandaSEC)
  The purpose of RwandaSEC is three-fold:
  1. Create a facility where confiscated wildlife can be housed in a healthy, humane and ethical manner. Attempts will be made to rehabilitate these animals and, if possible, to release the animals into their natural habitat.
  2. RwandaSEC constitutes Rwanda’s first Wildlife Education and Research Center. It is open to the paying public and is being developed as a long-term sustainable institution.
  3. Staffing of RwandaSEC focuses on creating career opportunities for physically challenged individuals, women and people living with HIV/AIDS. RwandaSEC is working with a school for disabled children in Rwanda, training them for positions in the Sanctuary.

Butare

• Wooden Bike Classic 2007
  • Mountain Bike Race
  • Single Speed Race
  • Coffee Bike Race
  • Wooden Bike Race
  • Festival Dinner & Dance Show
  
• Butare National Museum
• Coffee Farm
• Local Artisans

Butare has the National University of Rwanda, which like all educational institutions in Rwanda is bilingual, speaking both French and English. It also held the prestigious Nyakibanda Seminary, the Rwandan National Institute of Scientific Research, the Ruhande Arboretum and a cathedral.

The city of Butare has long been regarded as the intellectual capital of the coutry, while Kigali holds most political power. The Belgian colonial rulers named the city Astrida in honor of Queen Astrid of Belgium. The first Catholic mission in 1900 in the country was only a few kilometers from the town center, at Save Hill.

The National Museum of Rwanda was built in the early 1990s and is a good source of information on the cultural history of the country and the region. It is often referred to in tourist brochures as the finest museum in East Africa.

Kibuye

• Bethany Hotel
• Coffee Washing Station
• Boat ride
• Beautiful scenery

Kibuye is a city in Karongi district, and the capital of West Province in Rwanda. The city lies on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu, about halfway down, and between Gisenyi and Cyangugu. It is known as a beach resort and is home to a genocide memorial marking the massacre of the town's Tutsi population in the Rwandan Civil War. The Ndaba Falls lie near the city.