Rwanda for long has been mostly known for her tragic past of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi that claimed close to a million people. However, the people of Rwanda under the capable leadership of President Kagame have worked overtime to change this ugly image of a country that is otherwise incredibly beautiful, blessed with one of the most scenic landscapes of lush rolling highlands which earned it the tag “land of a thousand hills”, and has wide diversity of wildlife which is easily and quickly accessible because of the small size of the country and good roads.
A tour in Rwanda is mostly associated with the popular gorilla trekking adventure as the country is home to a third of the world’s mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, a destination that is also attractive for hiking. However, there is a lot more to see and do in Rwanda that has been overlooked for long. Rwanda is home of the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) in the Akagera National Park which offers the only safari experience in Rwanda for one to see animals in the savanna. While Nyungwe Forest National Park offers by far the best forest canopy walk experience in Africa, and the canopy walk tour is always a great addition to the Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking experience. Rwanda is also fast being discovered by avid birders as a top birding destination in Africa that is mostly sought for Albertine rift endemics. After all the amazing adventures, you would still not need to fly out of Rwanda for relaxation experiences as there is Lake Kivu which is the country’s biggest lake and one of the most beautiful lakes in Central Africa offering an amazing getaway.