Rwanda holidays

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• Overview
• Country info
• Holiday ideas
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Destinations » Africa holidays » Rwanda holidays

Brilliant moonlit nights brought out the gamin in Cindy whenever she heard elephants bellowing and trumpeting around the waterhole. She always ran directly toward the nearest elephant herd, some fifteen to twenty animals, to run playfully between their legs. I’ll never forget the sight of the tiny puppy yapping and nipping at elephants’ heels like a wearisome fly, yet somehow avoiding being flattened out into an elephant-sized pancake.

Dian Fossey on Cindy, an orphaned gorilla

Rwanda holiday experts at WEXAS will tailor-make all aspects of your itinerary to create a Rwanda holiday, personal to you.

Rwanda, the ’land of a thousand hills’, is home to a dramatic landscape. Roads twist and turn along the hillsides, passing tea plantations and banana groves. The silver water at Lake Kivu glistens under the setting sun. Ancient forest at Nyungwe stands proud, home to countless primates.  Big game amble through the woodland at Akagera to drink lakeside, giraffe and zebra – and several antelope - stick to the savannah. But it is the Virunga volcanoes that most want to go.

Standing between 2,500 and 4,500 m high, the Virunga volcanoes are one of the most beautiful, the most stirring, sights in East Africa. Mist hangs in the air and, somewhere among the trees, are four groups of mountain gorillas. These are, undoubtedly, Rwanda’s biggest draw in attracting tourists and money earned in exposing the gorillas to tourism is poured back in to protecting them from poachers.

The horrific genocide of 1994 is still in the back of the minds of many who think of travelling here, however while security and stability remains, Rwanda is a great country in which to travel, unspoilt and uncrowded.

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Rwanda tailor-made holiday highlights

Nyungwe National Park
Trek through this dense tropical rainforest – one of the oldest and largest protected montane rainforests in Africa – in search of huge troops of colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and other wildlife, orchids and butterflies.

Parc des Volcans
One of the last sanctuaries of the mountain gorilla – there are believed to be no more than 700 left in the world today. The primates live among the forests of this volcanic mountain region, known as the place where American primatologist Dian Fossey undertook her pioneering studies of mountain gorilla behaviour. Her life was recounted in the movie Gorillas in the Mist, filmed in the park. The fact that there are any of the gorillas left at all is largely down to Fossey's dedication to curtail poaching, before her brutal and still unsolved murder, possibly at the hands of poachers. Today, military personnel guard the reserve to keep out poachers and protect visitors. The range's six extinct and three still-active volcanoes are popular with climbers.

Kigali
Check out the nightlife in Rwanda's capital and commercial centre. It's clean, and these days, peaceful, but doesn't have too many tourist sights. It does, however, make a good base from which to explore the rest of the country.

A'Kagera National Park
Take a safari in this park devoted to preserving native game. It is home to lions, zebras, antelopes, hippos, buffalo, leopards, giraffes, elephants and various bird species.

Burera & Ruhundo Lakes
The view from the strip of land that separates these two odd-shaped, but enchanting, hillside lakes looks out toward the volcanic cones of the Virunga Mountains.

Gisenyi
Rwanda's most northerly port on Lake Kivu is a blend of old colonial homes, government buildings and hotels in a mix of architectural styles. The waterfront is made up of red sandy beaches backing on to palm-lined avenues.

People & place

Rwanda facts

Capital: Kigali
Language: Kinyarwanda, French, Kiswahili and English
People: Hutu (90%), Tutsi (8%), Twa.
Religion: Animist (50%), Christian denominations and an Islamic minority.
Size (sq km): 26,338.
Population: 10,186,063.
Population density/sq km: 386.7.

Etiquette

The traditional way of life is based on agriculture and cattle. Kinyarwanda is the language most widely spoken, while English and French are also spoken. Two-thirds of the population is Christian, however tribal religious beliefs are also widely held. The majority of the population belong to the Hutu tribe. There is a significant Tutsi minority (15 per cent) and a smaller minority of Twa, a pygmy group believed to be the country's first inhabitants. Be aware that anyone aged over 12 will have been affected by the terrible events of 1994, and sensitivities remain.

Shopping

Woven baskets, clay statuettes, masks, charms. If you see gorilla skulls or hands report the trader to the police.

Food & drink

Maize meal eaten with a sauce of meat gravy or vegetables is a staple. Brochettes are available at street stalls and some restaurants serve Franco-Belgian cuisine. Good selection of wines, beers, and spirits.

International Airports

Kigali (KGL) 12 km from the city.

Internal travel

Goos bus network of mostly minibuses. Main roads are in good condition, country roads may be impassable during wet season. Car hire is scarce and mainly in the capital or Ruhengeri.

Red tape

Visas

Required.

Vaccinations

BCG, Cholera, Hep. A, Hep. B, Malaria, Meningitis ACWY, Rabies, Typhoid, Y. Fever1

Driving requirements

International Driving Permit.

Reps in UK/US

UK: 120-22 Seymor Place, London W1H 1NR, tel (020) 7224 9832, fax (020) 7724 8642, email uk@ambarwanda.org.uk. US: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, tel (202) 232 2882, fax (202) 232 4544, email rwandemb@rwandemb.org.

UK/US reps in Rwanda

UK: Parcelle No 1131, Boulevard de l'Umuganda, Kacyiru-Sud, Kigali, tel 584 098, fax 585 771, email embassy.kigali@fco.gov.uk. US: 377 Boulevard de la Révolution, Kigali, tel 505 601-3, fax 572 128, email consularkigali@state.gov.

Currency

Rwanda franc = 100 centimes.

Finance

Credit cards and traveller's cheques rarely accepted.

Business hours

0800-1230, 1300-1700 Monday-Friday.

Safety & life expectancy

Safety information

Many reports that travel is now safe and easy. Potentially volatile in all border areas.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy: M 48.56, F 51.0.

Useful websites for travel

www.ambarwanda.org.uk, www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/rwanda, http://usembkigali.net, www.africaguide.com/country/rwanda, www.rwandatourism.com

Local media

The English-language press includes Rwandan Herald, Rwanda Newsline and The New Times.

Tourist boards

n/a.

Rwanda tailor-made holiday ideas

Nyungwe National Park
Trek through this dense tropical rainforest – one of the oldest and largest protected montane rainforests in Africa – in search of huge troops of colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and other wildlife, orchids and butterflies.

Parc des Volcans
One of the last sanctuaries of the mountain gorilla – there are believed to be no more than 700 left in the world today. The primates live among the forests of this volcanic mountain region, known as the place where American primatologist Dian Fossey undertook her pioneering studies of mountain gorilla behaviour. Her life was recounted in the movie Gorillas in the Mist, filmed in the park. The fact that there are any of the gorillas left at all is largely down to Fossey's dedication to curtail poaching, before her brutal and still unsolved murder, possibly at the hands of poachers. Today, military personnel guard the reserve to keep out poachers and protect visitors. The range's six extinct and three still-active volcanoes are popular with climbers.

Kigali
Check out the nightlife in Rwanda's capital and commercial centre. It's clean, and these days, peaceful, but doesn't have too many tourist sights. It does, however, make a good base from which to explore the rest of the country.

A'Kagera National Park
Take a safari in this park devoted to preserving native game. It is home to lions, zebras, antelopes, hippos, buffalo, leopards, giraffes, elephants and various bird species.

Burera & Ruhundo Lakes
The view from the strip of land that separates these two odd-shaped, but enchanting, hillside lakes looks out toward the volcanic cones of the Virunga Mountains.

Gisenyi
Rwanda's most northerly port on Lake Kivu is a blend of old colonial homes, government buildings and hotels in a mix of architectural styles. The waterfront is made up of red sandy beaches backing on to palm-lined avenues.

Gorilla and chimpanzee safari

This 7-day, two-country safari showcases the highlights of Rwanda and Uganda. Spend 3 nights in the Parc National des Volcans tracking the mountain gorilla, a life-changing experience, followed by 3 nights in Uganda, enjoying game drives and tracking one of ou...

Please call 0845 643 6562 for price details.

More information »

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Gorilla Safari - Parc National Des Volcans

Our four-day safari starts and finishes in Kigali. Seeing some of the last remaining 700 mountain gorillas in the world is a fantastic experience and this safari takes you to Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda. The Parc has five habituated gorilla famil...

Please call 0845 643 6562 for price details.

More information »

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