RWANDA- WHERE AFRICA COMES TOGETHER
Rwanda is a lush country of endless mountains and splendid scenery drawing travelers from all over the world. Although Rwanda is not a very popular tourist destination because of its scary history of savage genocide in 1994, many visitors now travelling here are surprised to see the harmony between people only after 15 years of that tragic incident. This is a country of incredible beauty which defies its violent past: may it continue to resist it forever. In 2008, Rwanda became the first country in the world to elect a national legislature with a majority of women members.
This small land locked country is bordered by Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda has the densest population in Africa most of whom is engaged in subsistence agriculture. The country is also known as ‘Land of Thousand Hills’ due to its rich and hilly terrain. The climate here is tropical due to its proximity to the equator. It is mostly dry form May to October and December to March, while rest of the months experience rainfall. Travelers are advised to carry lightweight clothing along with rainwear. Rwanda has a sad history of wars and fights but today the country is showing signs of rapid development struggling to heal and rebuild the nation.
ECONOMY
Rwanda’s economy shattered during the genocide of 1994 with huge loss of life, infrastructure loss, and neglect of cash crops causing a massive drop in the country’s GDP. The country has now strengthened and recently joined the East African Community. Rwandan franc is the main currency and the economy is controlled by the central National Bank of Rwanda. Rwanda is not rich in natural resources and 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture with simple tools contributing almost 40% of the GDP of the country. Major crops grown here are bananas, beans, tea, coffee and potatoes out of which tea and coffee are the main cash crops for export which are grown in abundance here due to high altitudes and fertile volcanic soil. Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors nowadays bringing in loads of foreign exchange to the country. Every year in June, the country celebrates a special unique event called Kwita Izina which is the Baby Mountain Gorilla Naming Ceremony attracting people from all over the world to participate.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Rwanda is a densely populated country having a population of more than 10 million. The main ethnic groups here are the Hutu which is the largest comprising 84% of the population, Tutsi 15% and Twa 1% along with small minorities of French, Arabs, Belgians, British and South Asians. Kinyarwanda is most commonly spoken and one of the three official languages along with Swahili spoken mainly in market towns. English is another official language used mainly in education, administrative purpose and business. Some of the educated people even speak French which was earlier an official language. Christianity is the main religion comprising of almost 90% of the population. There are around 5% Muslims and the rest follow indigenous religious beliefs.
Rwanda has a rich culture in dancing and singing which can be seen either at national ceremonies or sometimes in the villages. The Rwanda National Ballet is popular for its traditional singing and dancing in the whole world. The local people also make special woven baskets with pointed lids, native clay statuettes, masks and charms which can be purchased by the tourists from the local markets.
KIGALI
Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda is home to many tourist attractions making it a compulsory visit for travellers coming to this country. Kigali Memorial Centre is a must visit main genocide museum built on a burial site of 250,000 people documenting the 100 day massacre in 1994. Nyamata Church and Ntarama Church are other genocide memorial sites depicting the sad history. Adventure loving travellers can visit the Akagera National Park to see a variety of wildlife along the grassy hills of neighbouring Tanzania. It is a habitat for over 500 species of birds and safari trips are organized to the park. Kigali has few cinemas and night clubs for entertainment with African, Congolese and Western music. There are also some live music bars with delicious food and dancing. A variety of cultural activities can be seen at the French Cultural Centre. Shopping lovers can visit the famous flea market of Kigali known as Nyabugogo Marche Market to purchase local art and craft. Other main buildings to see are the Parliament, National Library and the famous Avenue du Commerce Street.
ATTRACTIONS
• Lake Kivu
It provides one of the classic road journeys in all of Africa through lush plantain fields and misty rainforests offering spectacular view over the blue waters.• Parc National Nyungwe Forest
Tourists can penetrate in this dense forest which is home to chimpanzees and huge hordes of colobus monkeys.• Kibungu
This is the main region of beautiful lakes and waterfalls including the famous Lake Mungesera and the Rusumo Falls. Tourists can explore the Rugege Forest which is home to many rare species of wildlife. Excursion trips are also made in the Parc des Volcans to view the craters and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems. The trek offers splendid views in all directions with a mysterious intimacy with evergreen open grassland and bamboo forest.• Kabarando
This Park is ideal for game preservation having lions, zebras, impalas, warthogs, fish eagles and comorants. Safaris can also be undertaken to explore the park.• Gorilla Trek
This is Rwanda’s most popular tourist activity tracking of mountain gorillas taking place in the Volcanoes National Park. This park is one of the last sanctuaries of the mountain gorilla and is guarded by military units.• Butare
This is called the intellectual capital of Rwanda housing the prominent National Museum which is a great tourist attraction. The museum contains the finest ethnographic collection of East Africa and has spectacular craft shops along with a botanical garden.• Other activities
Tourists seeking leisure can enjoy mountain biking and hiking on the fine rural trails of remote villages, verdant hills and valleys. Fishing can also be done in several Rwanda’s lakes.
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
Rwanda has an international airport at the capital, Kigali catering one domestic and several international destinations in Europe and America. Rwanda air Express is the national carrier serving international flights to many countries. Travelers can also enter the country from the open borders of neighbouring countries of East Africa especially through Nairobi which serves as Rwanda’s most important trade route having coach services available to travel. Tourists can also travel within the country though chartered planes though they are expensive. The country has a good network of roads to travel within the country with paved roads and accessibility of bus, taxi and car hire. The main form of public transport in the country is the share taxi linking all major cities and villages of Rwanda. The government is planning to bring in the railway line with the collaboration of China and Germany.
The communication system is not very well developed in Rwanda. There are limited fixed telephone landlines and mobile network coverage is only in big cities. Several internet cafes exist in major hotels and cities though the connection is very slow. The postal system is organized and reliable and used widely by most of the local population. TV and radio are state run though subscription based satellite TV is easily available in Kigali which is South African based DSTV.
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
There are several restaurants serving multi cuisine food with a choice of European dishes, Chinese, Greek, Indian, and Italian along with African dishes. Tourists can also try special Franco- Belgian cuisine served in some restaurants. The locally brewed beer is the most popular and national drink and a good selection of spirits and wines are also available. There is a usual 10% tipping after the food in all main restaurants. Bourbon café is the recently built coffeehouse in Kigali famously called the Starbuck’s of Rwanda.
Rwanda offers a range of accommodation suiting the needs and budgets of all types of travellers. Hotels are mostly located in the capital Kigali and are fairly expensive. Tourists can also find some new cheaper hotels of reasonable standard and providing comfortable stay. There are also several guest houses situated outside the main towns with good facilities and cheaper than hotels. Young and single travellers can stay in missions with dormitory accommodation especially in remote areas and smaller cities. The two popular ones are Ruhengeri and Gisenyi mission. Travellers seeking adventure can go for safaris involving camping and caravanning in East African style huts. There are also several rest huts available on the expedition route in the Virunga Volcanoes.
Rwanda is constantly on a rapid verge of development and trying to transform the country from agricultural bases to knowledge based economy. It is a must visit for tourists who want to see wildlife at its best including the rare Mountain gorillas. Rwanda is a country looking ahead to the future, not back to the past.
Click to Hide