Rwanda is a landlocked country found in the eastern part of the Africa. It is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and The Democratic Republic of Congo. Though a small county, Rwanda has used her history, people, growing economy and tourism resources to attract travelers. The country endured one of the worst genocides in recent history when about 1,000,000 people were killed in a few weeks. The genocide was painful but humbling. Instead of holding the country down, the genocide later helped unite the people for the good of the country. Rwanda is now one of the safest countries to visit in Africa. Rwandan’s are very nationalistic and have come together to rebuild the country to an extent that it is becoming an envy of her neighbors.
Rwanda’s economy relies heavily on tourism. Because of that, the government has done everything possible to position the country as one of the leading tourism destinations in Africa. Tourism infrastructure has been modernized and the Rwanda Development Board has aggressively marketed the country internationally.
What does Rwanda have to offer tourists? With over 1,000 hills and 5 volcanoes, Rwanda is blessed with incredible natural beauty which is unique when compared to other African countries. Rwanda also prides herself as having some of the most beautiful people in Africa although her neighbors might not agree to that assumption. Beauty aside, Rwanda is home to a third of 
the overall population of mountain gorillas. These majestic apes are found in the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. Each year, over 100,000 people visit the country just to see mountain gorillas. Gorilla safaris in Rwanda are preferred because it takes a shorter time to get to the tracking point. Apart from the Volcanoes National Park, tourism related activities occur in Nyungwe forest national park (chimpanzee trekking, nature and canopy walks), Akagera national park (big 5 and general game viewing experiences) and Gishwati-Mukura National Park (small primates, nature walks and birding). Apart from the national parks, there are other places to visit on a Rwanda safari such as the capital Kigali for a cultural and historical tour. There is also the amazing Lake Kivu for relaxation, swimming and picnics after visiting the national parks.
In general, the popular tourism activities while on a Rwanda safari include: –
- Gorilla tracking in the Volcanoes National Park.
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park.
- The Kigali city tour is also very popular and includes visiting the main genocide memorial centre, the city markets, artisan shops and the former presidential palace.
- Game viewing in Akagera national park.
- Birdwatching in the four national parks.
- Genocide memorial tours in other towns other than Kigali.
- Visiting the Gorilla Guardians village for an amazing introduction to the Rwandan culture.
- A tour of the Dian Fossey tomb and former Karisoke Research centre.
- Cycling along the Congo Nile Trail.
- Hiking one of the 5 Virunga volcanoes (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo).
- Swimming, relaxing and sunbathing from lake Kivu.
- Boat cruises in Lake Kivu and other water bodies.
Rwanda Tours – Places to visit on a Rwanda safari
Volcanoes national Park: This was the first national park to be established in Rwanda. It was part of the great Virunga National Park of Congo. The park is found in the north-eastern part of the country. The Volcanoes national park is known around the world as one of the last strongholds of the endangered mountain gorilla. It is one of the few places where tourists can 
interact with gorillas in their natural setting. The great primatologist Dian Fossey did most of her research and conservation in the park between 1965 to 1986. She helped promote the park to a wider audience and her legacy is still strong to this day. Tourists still visit her tomb and former Karisoke Research Centre located between Mount Bisoke and Karisimbi.
Apart from gorillas, the Volcanoes National Park is home to forest elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, hyenas, serval cats, smaller primates and birds. Golden monkey tracking is also a popular activity in the park but visitors can hike one of the mountains in the park too – especially Bisoke and Karisimbi.
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Nyungwe forest is one of the oldest tropical rain forests in Africa. It has tall trees and dense vegetation cover making it a great habitat for primates. There are 13 different species of primates in Nyungwe forest but chimpanzees are the most attractive to tourists. Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest takes you deep into the jungles to observe a creature considered to be the closest relative to man. During chimpanzee tracking or nature walks, tourists can also spot 12 other species of monkeys including vevert monkeys, pottos, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, Angola Colobus, black and white colobus monkeys among others. Because of the tall trees in the park, tourists can take part in one of the best canopy walk experiences in Africa. The Canopy walk trail is 50 meters off the ground enabling visitors to get an aerial view of the park and its creatures.
Akagera National park: Akagera offers something different from all the other three national parks in Rwanda. It is the only park in Rwanda where tourist can observe all the big five mammals (lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos), giraffes, zebras, elands and warthogs. The park consists of mostly savannah grasslands, woodlands, swamps and lakes. The park gets its name from river Akagera but there are other water-bodies in the park including lake Ihema and lake Shakani. After viewing game, tourists can go for a boat cruise in lake Ihema to view aquatic animals like hippos, crocodiles and birds. The boat cruise takes about two hours. Other activities in Akagera include nature walks, sport fishing and bird watching.
Gishwati-mukura National Park: This is Rwanda’s newest national park. It was formed by combining two national parks – Gishwati and Mukura in 2013. Gishwati-Mukura National Park is therefore an attempt by the government to diversify her tourism attractions. The park has primates like chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, debrazza, mangabeys, golden monkeys and more. Some of the bird species found in this national park are endemic to the area. The government is planning to market it as a primates and birding destination before fully opening it to the public.
Rwanda Safaris – Additional Places to consider visiting while on a Rwanda Wildlife Safari
Genocide memorial sites: Rwanda has endured two horrific genocides. Although the one in 1994 stands out, there is a less documented one that occurred in the 1960’s. In both cases, thousands of people were killed and many where exiled or forced to live in refugee settlements. In order to ensure that such a thing never happens again, the government has built several genocide 
memorial centres around the country. These centres are not only meant to educate people about what happened during the genocides, but also to remind future generations of what could happen if they attempt to encourage discrimination, segregation or other tribal sentiments. The genocide memorial sites contain evidence of the killings that took place especially during the 1994 genocide. One can see pictures of victims, the tools used to end the lives of people and mass graves. There are also documentaries detailing how the genocides started and the aftermath. A visit to any of the centres is a learning experience and also an opportunity to pay homage to those who lost their lives. The centres include the Kigali genocide memorial centre, Nyamata church, Murambi genocide site, Nyanza genocide centre and Ntarama.
The Congo Nile trail: This is one example of the country’s attempt to diversify her tourism offerings. The Congo Nile Trial is 227 kilometers long and is one of the best biking/cycling trails in the whole of East Africa. Travelers can also choose to complete the trail by walking of using a motorcycle. The Congo Nile trail allows tourists to discover the Rwanda countryside and observe how the local people go about with their life. The Trail passes on the margins of Lake Kivu – beginning from Gisenyi and ending in Ruzizi district. Those who complete the trail will enjoy the beautiful rolling hills of Rwanda, observe primates in Nyungwe forest, interact with the local people and know what is like living in a developing country.
Lake Kivu: Lake Kivu is the largest water body in Rwanda. It plays an important role in the tourism sector but is also a trading route to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lake Kivu is found in the western part of the country. The lake goes all the way to the Democratic Republic of Congo allowing goods 
to be exchanged between the two countries. Lake Kivu also has a network of fishing villages which employ local people in the two countries. What does lake Kivu offer tourists? Tourists can go swimming, enjoy relaxing in the beaches, go for boat rides, island hopping or visiting the fishing villages to interact with the local people. Most tourists go to lake Kivu for relaxation before or after touring Rwanda’s national parks.
The Virunga Volcanoes: The Virunga region contains 8 volcanoes with 5 found in Rwanda. They include Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The most popular mountains to hike are Karisimbi and Bisoke. It takes 2 days to conquer Karisimbi while Bisoke takes only one day. Hiking to the summit of any of the two volcanoes rewards travelers with great views of the other Virunga mountains, the Virunga National Park, Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.
