RWANDA HOLIDAYS   >   AFRICA  


Prefectures in Rwanda: Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Ruhengeri.

Capital City of Rwanda: Kigali

Rwanda can be visited throughout the year. Gorilla trekking and other forest walks are less demanding during the drier months. The European winter is the best time for birds, as Palaearctic migrants supplement resident species.


hotels, tour operators - rwanda tours, travel guides, travel to rwanda 

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Hotels in Rwanda

   -   Hotel in Kigali
Novotel Kigali Umubano [ Parking + Restaurant + Swimming pool + Meeting room ]

 
Centrally located hotels ranging from small family run budget accommodation to world-class five star hotels.

 

National Parks

  Akagera National Park in east of Rwanda
Teeming with wildlife both large and small. They range from Lions, Giraffe, Elephant and Hippopotamus to Hyena, Impala and Gazelle. There is a rich variety of bird life at Akagera as well.
Akagera comes as an exciting surprise after the steep cultivated hills that characterize the rest of Rwanda. Set at a relatively low altitude along the Tanzanian border, this beautiful game reserve features an archetypal African savannah landscape of tangled acacia and brachystegia bush, interspersed with patches of open grassland and a dozen swamp-fringed lakes that follow the course of the Akagera River.
  Nyungwe National Park
Situated in the majestic hills of southwestern Rwanda, is the largest 'island' of montane forest remaining in east and central Africa. This rich and ancient center of unparalleled biodiversity and natural wonders is uniquely accessible to the casual visitor
  Volcanoes National Park  -  in the north of Rwanda
Home to the world's largest number of endangered mountain gorillas. Numbering in the hundreds, the gorillas live in a protected area, free from poachers. The gorillas can be viewed in their natural mountain habitats at a fairly close range.
Access begins in the lively town of Ruhengeri, situated at the base of the entrance of the park. Ruhengeri has long been the base point for gorilla visits and entertains a stunning backdrop of Karisimbi, Visoke, Mikeno, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura volcanoes.

Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Rwanda Specialist

Kuoni   
An adventurous safari to East Africa, the Primate Safari offers the chance to experience the magnificent gorillas and primates of Rwanda. With approximately 300 mountain gorillas, Rwanda offers one of the best chances of seeing these gentle giants in the world.
African adventures don't come any better than this. Tourism in Rwanda is developing and accommodation is simple, this is truly a once in a lifetime experience

Responsibletravel.com  
Holidays from dozens of leading specialist tour companies and accommodations who are passionate about conserving Africa's wildlife and benefiting its people.

  Acacia Adventure Holidays   -   one of the world's leading independent African experts
  Mountain Travel Sobek 



  Rainbow Tours   -   Small Group Tours
  www.aasafarisrwanda.com/ 
  www.access-rwanda-safaris.com/ 
  www.africanjacanatours.com/ 
  www.albertinesafaris.co.rw/
  www.amahoro-tours.com/
  www.attractivesafaris.com/
  www.bizidanny.com/
  www.rwandagorillatours.rbo.rw/
  www.zebracountry.rw/
  www.wildlifetours-rwanda.com/

Travel Guides Rwanda / Related Books

Rwanda (Bradt Travel Guide)
Philip Briggs (Author)
Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, is famed for its mountain gorillas and as the setting for the film Gorillas in the Mist. Fifteen years on from the tragic genocide of 1994, this compact country is rapidly emerging as one of Africa's most exciting ecotourism destinations, boasting three diverse national parks. The only English-language guidebook to Rwanda, this updated fourth edition lists the newest hotels, tours, activities, tour operators and all other travel practicalities. Whether you want to explore Rwanda's ancient and modern history, watch performances of traditional dance and drumming, or climb a volcano, this guide is an essential part of your trip.
Paperback: 288 pages; Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 4 edition (15 Dec 2009); ISBN-10: 1841623067; ISBN-13: 978-1841623061. 

Gorillas in the Mist: A Remarkable Story of Thirteen Years Spent Living with the Greatest of the Great Apes 
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey's classic account of four gorilla families – the basis for the major movie starring Sigourney Weaver
Paperback 336 pages (November 4, 2004);  Publisher: Phoenix mass market p/bk;  Language: English;  ISBN: 0753811413
In the Kingdom of Gorillas: Fragile Species in a Dangerous Land 
Bill Weber, Amy Vedder
Rich with details about the gorillas' lives, the realities of conservation, and portraits of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times, this is a riveting adventure story that is sure to take its place among the classic accounts of the world of nature.
Paperback 384 pages (June 16, 2003);  Publisher: Simon & Schuster International;  Language: English;  ISBN: 0743200071
Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi - Princeton Field Guide 
Terry Stevenson, John Fanshawe
Hardcover 500 pages (August 2001);  Publisher: Poyser;  Language: English;  ISBN: 0856610798.

Transport / How do I travel to Rwanda

  Kigali Airport
International flights arriving in Kigali are with SN Brussels, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Burundi and Rwandair Express.


 
Flight tickets Rwanda

  Airline Tickets /  Bargain Flights   -   price comparison possible

Rwanda has possibly the best roads in East Africa. Most visitors who have booked through a tour company will be provided with good private vehicles, usually 4-wheel drive. All of the major centres are connected with local and luxury bus services.

Mountain biking and hiking can be enjoyed on the thousands of kilometres of fine rural trails linking remote villages, criss-crossing the entire country.


Links  

  Visit Rwanda   -   Tourist Board Rwanda
Discover a new African dawn, Kigali City Tour, Kigali & Butare, National Parks, Ecotourism, Primate Tours, Culture / Adventure & Leisure, Travel Guide, Travel Professionals

  Government Rwanda

  Kigali   -   Capital City Rwanda   -   spreading over a number of hills
The main shopping and commercial area is around the Hotel Mille Collines, with the government district on the neighbouring Kaciyiru hill.The markets, the handicrafts, the Muslim quarter and a new genocide memorial being built in Gisozi are some of the main places of interest.

  East Province
Districts: Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza, Rwamagana, Kirehe, Ngoma, Bugesera.  
  North Province 
Districts: Musanze, Burera, Gicumbi, Rulindo, Gakenke.
  South Province
Districts: Muhanga, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Gisagara, Huye, Nyaruguru, Ruhango, Nyamagabe.
  West Province
Districts: Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rutsiro, Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu.

  Butare   -   in the South of Rwanda   -   more or less cultural center of the country
University town which contains the exceptional National Museum which has a fine display of the history of the country and people. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in memory of Princess Astrid of Belgium, is the largest in the country. At Nyanza, nearby, there is the court of the former King.
  Byumba   -   Gicumbi district, North Province of Rwanda.
  Cyangugu   -   Rusizi district of West Province.
The city located at the southerm of Lake Kivu.
  Gikongoro   -   Nyamagabe district, South Province of Rwanda.
  Gisenyi   -   small town northern end Lake Kivu
Right at the bourder with Congo; the neigbouring city at the other side of the border is Goma.
  Gitarama   -  Muhanga district and the socond-largest city of Rwanda
  Kibungo   -   Ngoma district,  Eastern Province of Rwanda.
  Kibuye  -   Karongi district, West Province in Rwanda.
Located on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu and known as a beach resort. 
  Kigali City   -   Butare Province   -   Cultural centre of Rwanda
  Kinigi  -  settlement south of the Parc National des Volcans, 11 km north of Ruhengeri. Kinigi is the home of the Park fovernment and starting point all the Gorilla Trekking.
  Ruhengeri   -   Musanze district, North Province of Rwanda.
Located near Lake Bulera.

  Kivu Lake   -   in West Rwanda
Lake Kivu offers beautiful beaches, jutting peninsulas and an archipelago of beautiful islands.
  Muhazi Lake   -   in the east of the country
  Ruhengeri City   -   entrance to the National Park of Volcanos  - 90 min drive from Kigali
  Virunga volcanos   -   here you will finf the last mountain gorillas

Cuisine  -   Rwanda Foods / Recipes

In Rwanda there aren't a lot of different recipes. It was never very important how food was prepared – the main thing was to have something to eat to survive. A housewife only became famous when she was able to prepare beer, bananas, win and honey, seldom because she was a real good cook.

  Isombe with dried fish
This is a typical Rwandan recipe loved from everyone as a feast but not an everyday dish for most of them. "Isombe" are the green leaves from the manioc plant. The leaves get finely mashed and look a bit like our spinach. From the roots of the manioc plant they make some sort of flour that they cook with water. This is called "bugali".

History of Rwanda

Rwanda became a German colony following the 1885 Berlin Conference, although it would be full decade before a permanent German presence was established there. In 1918, Rwanda was mandated to Belgium

Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

The earliest known inhabitants of the region now known as Rwanda were the pygmy Twa, a group now accounting for only about 1% of Rwanda's population and playing only a marginal role in Rwandan life.

  Rwanda's History   -   Wikipedia
Early history of Rwanda, Civilization, Colonial influence [ German colonialism, World War I, Belgian colonialism, Catholic influence, Destabilisation ], Ethnic strife and independence, Military rule, Civil war, Arusha accords, The Rwandan genocide

  National Museum Butare
The museum houses perhaps the finest ethnographic collection in East Africa. Absorbing displays of traditional artifacts are illuminated by a fascinating selection of turn-of-the-century monochrome photographs, providing insight not only into pre-colonial lifestyles, but also into the subsequent development of Rwanda as a modern African state.

Antecedents to Modern Rwanda: The Nyiginya Kingdom 
Jan Vansina (Translator)
To understand the genocide and other dramatic events of Rwanda's recent past, one must understand the history of the earlier realm. Jan Vansina provides a critique of the history recorded by early missionaries and court historians and provides a bottom-up view, drawing on hundreds of grassroots narratives. He describes the genesis of the Hutu and Tutsi identities, their growing social and political differences, their bitter feuds, revolts, and massacres, and the relevance of this dramatic history to the post-genocide Rwanda of today.
Hardcover 354 pages (December 2004);  Publisher: The University of Wisconsin Press;  Language: English;  ISBN: 0299201201

Music, Arts & Culture, Events

  Music of Rwanda [ Wikipedia ]
...The ikinimba is probably the most revered musical tradition in Rwanda. It is a dance that tells the stories of Rwandan heroes and kings.....
Rwanda - Music from Rwanda  -   Various Artists   -   ASIN B00000G5T7

A wide range of traditional handicrafts is produced in rural Rwanda, ranging from ceramics and basketry to traditional woodcarvings and contemporary paintings.

  Culture of Rwanda

The Swahili (The Peoples of Africa)  -   Mark Horton, John Middleton
The Swahili are one of the best known of the peoples of Africa. Living along the East African coast, they acted as commercial middlemen, exchanging the commodities of continental Africa, such as gold, copper, slaves, ivory, skins and timber with the luxury items of the classical, oriental and Islamic worlds. They were central participants in a global economy, long before the era of European expansion. This book is one of the first to draw on recent archaeological findings and a re-assessment of the historical and anthropological evidence to provide an account of this remarkable African civilization covering some two thousand years. This book is essential reading not only for Africanists, but also for those dealing with the history of Islam, Mediterranean history, and Indian Ocean studies, and for those who wish to understand how trading societies organize their landscape, society, governance and belief systems.
Hardcover 288 pages (January 6, 2001);  Publisher: Blackwell Publishers;  Language: English;  ISBN: 063118919X


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