Famous Places in Rwanda For Your Holiday

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Famous Places in Rwanda For Your Holiday
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

Though attracting an increasing number of travellers, lured by the pull of gorilla trekking, Rwanda safaris are unlike most safaris you would embark on in Africa; and there are still a number of spots worth exploring. The country's winding alpine roads and narrow valleys are alive with agriculturalists tending their crops, fishermen in dug-out canoes, and women gathering tea on terraced hillsides. In addition, cavernous blue lakes, sweeping savannah and tropical, misty rainforest abound with wildlife just waiting to be discovered...

Here are the top ten highlights of what you could expect on a visit to le pays des milles collines (land of a thousand hills), or the little 'Switzerland of Africa':

• Fabulous flora and fauna: Nyungwe National Park boasts stunning waterfalls, luminous tea plantations, birds, butterflies and buttresses. It also plays host to a gorgeous orchid garden, containing several different varieties of these delicate beauties.

• Up in the Clouds: For the high and mighty, East Africa's only forest canopy walkway has recently been built in Rwanda. Offering spectacular bird's eye views over the forest, it's also a great vantage point for some eye-to-eye monkey business...

• Coastal Retreats: Lake Kivu, one of Africa's deepest freshwater lakes, is the perfect destination to complement Rwanda safaris, due to its picturesque location, colourful resort towns and sandy beaches. Windsurfing and kayaking are popular activities on the lake, as well as a spot of fishing for any of you handy with a rod.

• Cultural Heartbeat: Visit the Iby'Iwacu Cultural Centre of Rwanda, which offers a chance to experience Rwandan rural culture through walks, dancing, archery, cooking, crafts, not to mention, a taste of the local banana brew and the famous 'Songs of the Gorillas'!

• Kigali Chic: Rwanda's sophisticated capital should definitely not be missed from your itinerary. Sip red wine on the terrace of the Hotel des Milles Collines (the original Hotel Rwanda), and don't forget to make a poignant visit to the Genocide Memorial Museum.

• Monkey Business: Rwanda is a top spot for primates and that's before we even get to the Mountain Gorillas, for which the country is renowned. Nyungwe Forest National Park hosts dozens of species, including the rare Golden Monkey, Chimpanzees, Black & White Colobus Monkeys and Baboons, to name a few.

• Animal Parade: In Rwanda's Eastern province, Rwanda safaris start in Akagera National Park - an oasis for all the usual safari suspects you would expect to see from an open topped jeep, including giraffes, hippos, lions, crocodiles, elephants and buffalo. Currently undergoing something of a transformation, Akagera will soon rival some of East Africa's beat known national parks for game viewing.

• Fine Fish Cuisine: Dine by Lake Muhazi, under the shade of a tree full of weaver birds and watch the kingfishers, crested cranes and the otters diving for their own catch of the day...

• For the Active: Mountain biking over Rwanda's 1,000 hills presents a highlight for the adventure seekers. Why not try out the 230km Congo-Nile trail, which provides fantastic views of the Congolese mountains, as well as the active volcano Nyiragongo.

• The Great Apes: & finally of course, follow in the footsteps of Dian Fossey and visit the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas, with a trek through their rainforest refuge in Volcanoes National Park.

Travel InfoThings To Do In Rwanda

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Travel InfoThings To Do In Rwanda
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

Rwanda, the land of one thousand hills and 'hundreds attractions' is an extraordinary place where serene scenery and placid people greet you at every juncture. Rwanda is safe and secure with an overwhelming renaissance of Rwandese national pride and cultural reconstruction. It is full of sights and delights, waiting to be explored. If Rwanda is on your travel list there is no better time to runaway to Rwanda...visit today you would want to stay!

The country is well known mostly because of its horrible recent history and you might think that Rwanda should therefore be more the scope for No governmental organization than for travelers. Nowadays, nothing is less true. Rwanda has wonderful people, breathtaking beautiful lakes, challenging mountains, stunning scenery, perfect climate, rare species of apes, excellent roads, express buses, good and cheap food and beer, various accommodation options, fast internet, only few tourists outside the gorilla-homes, you will found it all in Rwanda, a safe and yet to be discovered backpackers haven!


Because of its small size, Rwanda attractions are near each other and can be reached quite easily and safely.

1. KIGALI CITY: A NICE PLACE TO EXPERIENCE AN AFRICAN CAPITAL

Kigali is an interesting mix of rural and urban town overflowing on juxtaposed hilly terrain. New construction is everywhere and large mansions stand side by side with mud brick huts and lean roads. It has a peaceful feel and the center is located upon the hilltop expanse. It feels safe and getting around is easy on foot or minibuses...many and new. For a bit more taxis can whiz you anywhere without breaking the bank. Kigali is a nice place to experience an African capital.

2. KGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIALS CENTER IN GISOZI

During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, over a million people were murdered. Some 250,000 perished on the streets and in the houses, churches and hospitals of Kigali alone. The Kigali Genocide memorial center contains ten mass graves- a site of burial for almost victims, who were killed in the Kigali region. After the genocide, as mass graves were being discovered around the city. It was decided that a single monument/ burial place should be created, where the victims could be laid to rest with dignity, this is now their final resting place. The memorial houses a children’s section, a particularly powerful experience to read about the children- how they lived, and how they died. Amongst other things, it traces how things came to being so bad, how the ideology of genocide emerged, how the tragedy could have been averted, and how the world ignored the signs and warnings repeatedly. Some of the survivors of the genocide have been trained as guides at the center. Open 10am to 5pm daily. Entrance is free but at the door there is a box for donation. The place is really heart breaking!

4. MOUNTAIN GORILLAS TREKKING

A Mountain Gorilla Trekking is the pinnacle of all the wildlife experiences available in Africa and Rwanda is with no doubt the best place for this. People are limited to spend only one hour with the Gorillas and expect to hike for two to four hours to see them. These incredible primates are divided into four groups that have been habituated over the decades; it’s a thing not to miss in Rwanda. Don't miss spending an hour with these magical creatures. It does require planning in advance, and contacting the National Park or a local tour operator to check what the latest system they have implemented with regards to how you get a permit - but it is all worthwhile. Also, don't be put off by the price - a high price is needed to ensure that protecting the gorillas is economically sustainable for the local area.

5. MOUNTAINS CLIMBING

The National park office offers guided climbs to the top of 2 volcano among the 5 of the Virunga chain, Visoke (3711m) and Karisimbi (4705m -the tallest).
The climbs to the summits are not technical and can be done by fit hikers. The scenery is great! However, the trek to Karisimbi's summit is an overnight trek and should be prepared properly.

6. NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

This national park is a preserved part of rain forest which houses 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 colombus. 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. Please come with your car or book a tour with a local tour operator otherwise it is very hard to reach the place and get away. You can camp there and pitch a tent but you have to consider bringing all food and water with you as facilities are limited. The entry fee has recently been increased so check up the actual fares.

7. AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK

Akagera is the best national park of Rwanda - very helpful park-ranger help to find you all animals in park - mainly, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, baboons, buffaloes, hippos and crocodiles.

8. RUSUMO FALLS

Rusumo is a Marvelous and spectacular falls of the Akagera River, a part of the most distant headwaters of the river Nile. The falls is located in the Eastern part of Rwanda at the border with Tanzania.
If you happen to cross the border with Tanzania at Rusumo don't forget to see the Rusumo falls.

9. THE BEAUTIFULLY LAKE KIVU

The beautifully Lake Kivu is a large deposit of fresh water that marks the western border with DR Congo and one of the Great Lakes of Africa. The lake is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. Beneath the lake lie vast reserves of approximately 55 billion cubic of dissolved methane gas which have not been exploited. Lake Kivu is a tourist center, safe to swim (but just ask locally to be completely sure). There are nice beaches, gorgeous landscapes and the sunsets are regularly stunning. There are some excellent places to stay on the Lakeside such as Kibuye and -especially-Gisenyi near the DR Congo border.

10. BUTARE CITY IN HUYE

The most popular tourist attraction in Butare is the superb National Museum, which houses perhaps the finest ethnographic collection in East Africa. The rooms are spacious, without the excessive clutter of distracting memorabilia. This makes the well-labeled exhibits easy to appreciate and enjoy. Absorbing displays of traditional artefacts 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. Here the Intore dancers can be commissioned to perform, but this is not a good deal for a single traveler. If a group is present the price would definitely be worthwhile as shows are few and far between.

Money Exchange for Rwanda -Services - Money

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Money Exchange for Rwanda -Services - Money
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

Currency information:

Rwanda Franc (RWF) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of RWF 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of RWF100, 50, 20, 10 and 5.
Credit cards:

Accepted at only a few hotels in Kigali. MasterCard and Visa are the preferred cards.
ATM:

International Visa cards are accepted at Ecobank head office in Kigali and at Kigali airport. They can also be used at Access Bank head office in Kigali. However, these ATMs are affected by power cuts. It is best to travel with US dollars, some banks won’t accept sterling.
Travellers cheques:

It may be difficult to change traveller's cheques outside Kigali.
Banking hours:

Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1700, Sat 0800-1200.
Currency restriction:

The import and export of local currency is limited to RWF5000. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited, but must be declared upon arrival and exchanged within 8 days

Health and Medical Information for Rwanda

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Health and Medical Information for Rwanda
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

Medical facilities are severely limited and extremely overburdened. Almost all medical facilities in Kigali were destroyed during the civil war, but the situation is now improving and most hospitals function to an acceptable level. However, medical insurance, including cover for emergency repatriation, is essential. Visitors are advised to bring their own personal medication. In emergency dial 912 for an ambulance.
Food and drink:

Food is generally safe to eat if well-cooked and hot. If in doubt, veer towards larger restaurants in cities and those aimed at tourists, which will have undergone government safety checks. Avoid buying food from the side of the road and don’t drink tap water. Use bottled water or otherwise boil or sterilise. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Other risks:

Schistosomaisis, otherwise known as bilharzia, a parasite that lives in fresh water and enters the body through intact skin is present in the country. If you do swim in lake Kivu, then source the treatment - a drug called Praziquantel - locally and take it six weeks to three months after your return. Alternatively you can be tested at a tropical medicine centre on your return.

Short History Of Rwanda and Culture

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Short History Of Rwanda and Culture
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

To set Rwanda's recent history in a context, you need to go as far back as the late 13th century when pastoral Tutsi tribes arrived from the south and conquered the Hutu and Twa inhabitants of Rwanda, establishing a feudal kingdom.


The Rwandan population was originally made up of 18 different tribes and the terms Bahutu, Batutsi and Batwa were largely socio-economic groupings with the Tutsis as the wealthiest, the Hutus as the farmers and the Batwa pygmies as the marginalised group.
A unified state was established by King Kigeri Rwabuguri during the 19th century, but this lasted only until 1890 when Rwanda was annexed as a province of German East Africa.
When the Belgians came in the 1920s (after the brief occupation by Germany) they classified anyone who had 10 cows or more as a Tutsi. The Belgians sponsored the continued dominance of the Tutsi minority at the expense of the Hutu but were forced, in the 1960s, to concede independence under majority Hutu rule. Intercommunal violence between Hutus and Tutsis continued.


This insistence on dividing the population into three groups is largely blamed as sowing the seed of the later massacres of Tutsis and the 1994 genocide. Now history is a moot subject in Rwanda and the term Hutu and Tutsi are taboo. Now everyone is just Rwandan and you will find historical distinctions between the groups played down, even in museums.



In 1994 Hutu extremists known as the interahamwe (roughly 'those who struggle together') set about a planned genocide which saw nearly 1 million Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed in 100 days. The international community, and especially the United Nations, proved extremely reluctant to intervene. From their bases in Uganda, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took the only available course of action and launched a full-scale invasion but the bulk of the Hutu militia had fled to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo - a fact that has crafted a violent rift between the two countries.



A new government was established under the RPF general Paul Kagame, who is still president. Faced with the formidable task of reconstruction and reconciliation, there have been UN-run war tribunals tasked with bringing the architects of the genocide to justice, as well as an intense programme of education; genocide memorials are all over the country, testament to the hope that ethnic violence never occurs again.

Rwanda Accommodation. Hotel Guide. Details

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Rwanda Accommodation. Hotel Guide. Details
Travel tips for your trip to Rwanda Hotel Maps Famous Places in Rwanda helps you to make your trip to Rwanda in the holiday a Splendid One

Hotels in Kigali



All the Hotels in Kigali are ideal places of accommodation for all types of travelers. There are many Hotels in Kigali ranging from the star hotels to the affordable ones. All the hotels offer a wide range of facilities and services to cater to the varied needs of the travelers. The hotels of the city of Kigali are ideally located. Travelers can easily reach these hotels from all parts of the city. While some of the hotels are located close to the city center there are some other hotels that are located on the outskirts of the city. Guests during their stay can easily visit the varied places of attraction that are located close to it. All the hotels of the city are perfect for all types of business and leisure travelers.

The hotels offer excellent option of accommodation. The rooms of both the luxury and the moderate hotels are well appointed. The rooms of the hotels are beautifully decorated so as to match the taste of all types of guests. Guests are offered a variety of facilities like air- conditioners, color television with satellite connection, well equipped bathrooms, safe deposit boxes, telephone and a lot more. One can also avail active in-room services that are offered throughout the day.

Apart from these in- room services the Hotels in Kigali also offer dining facilities. The on-site restaurants of the hotels serve a wide range of dishes. After an exhausted day of business you can come to the bars of the hotels that serve them with a variety of drinks. Like all other hotels in Northern Ireland the hotels of the city offer a diversified range of business facilities. The well equipped conference room of the hotel offers a wide range of facilities that include audio- visual equipments, LCD projectors, photocopying services, fax services and a lot more.

In addition to these there many health and recreational facilities like swimming pool, fitness center, sauna and a lot more. Guests can also avail the different facilities offered by the hotels to ensure a comfortable stay. These include currency exchange services, parking facilities, laundry services and a lot more.

Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali

Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali is one of the popular options for staying within the city. Budget and leisure travelers are recommended to stay at the hotel for the availability of varied range of facilities and services. The picturesque hotel is entirely surrounded with picturesque garden which is one of the greatest attractions of Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali. The hotel is located within a short distance from Kigali International Airport from where guests can reach within five minutes. Being located at the heart of the town, the hotel enjoys transportation facilities for which they can access to any part of Kigali.

Accommodation at Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali

There are spacious and comfortable accommodation available at Hotel Chez Lando, for which it has been regarded as one of the leading hotels in Kigali. The rooms are elegantly decorated and painted with soft colors. A perfect blend of traditional and modern touch can be noticed at the rooms. Apart from the elegance and designing, there are some basic features which can be seen in the rooms like traditional interior, seating area and designer furnishing. While staying at the popular accommodation in Kigali, guests can avail the in-room facilities like mini bar, refrigerator, comfortable bedding, private bathrooms and room service.

Dining at Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali

Hotel Chez Lando in Kigali is located in the center of the town. Guests while staying at the hotel can visit the restaurants located in the surrounding area where they can experience a fine dining. They will be delighted to have several cuisines available at several restaurants. They can visit any of the surrounding restaurants like:

Caiman
Chakula House
Coffee Nectar
Coffee Restaurant Imigano
Restaurant Gabiro
Restaurant Corner of Parked
With the whims of the palate

Health and Recreation at Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali

The hotel holds a reputation of being one of the best Kigali hotels for the convenient location. The hotel is surrounded by various tourist attractions in the city which include Akagera National Park. This is a famous natural park where tourists can go and refresh themselves.

Other Facilities and Services at Hotel Chez Lando, Kigali

Other facilities available in the hotel are reception, picturesque garden and laundry.

Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali

Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali is one of the most popular hotels of the city. The hotel offers a wide range of facilities and services to all its guests. The Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali is located at a very ideal point. The hotel stands close to the Kigali International Airport and can be accessed very easily. Hotel des Mille Collines is in close proximity to the center of the city. Guests during their stay can easily visit the varied places of attraction that are located close to it.

Accommodation in Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali

Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali offers 112 accommodation units. For the convenience of the guests the units are divided into several rooms and suites. Of these there are 50 pool side rooms, 54 city side rooms, 5 suites and 3 senior suites. The rooms of the hotel offer many facilities and services. The room facilities offered to the guests includes color television with satellite connection, mini bar, direct dial phone, safe deposit boxes, in-room safety device and a lot more.

Dining in Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali

The Panorama Hotel located on the 4th floor of the hotel offers a wide range of French and international dishes. Relish the mouth watering dishes as the pianist and the saxophonist plays for you. The Stan’s Bar is located on the 4th floor of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali. It is a lovely place to have a wide range of international drinks. For a change you can come to the Pool bar of the hotel.

Business and Conference Facilities in Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali

Hotel des Mille Collines in Rwanda is an ideal place to conduct your business meetings and conferences. The varied facilities offered to the business travelers ensure the complete success of your business meetings.

Health and Recreational Facilities in Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali

The hotel offers a vast swimming pool where you can take a refreshing dip. Guests can also come to the fitness center that has a wide range of facilities. There is also a floodlit tennis court. There is also a golf club located close to the hotel.

Other Facilities in Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali