Kigali

Experience vibrant culture and history in Rwanda’s capital city.

Kigali

Rwanda’s capital city Kigali is often described as one of the cleanest and most organised cities in Africa.  The cleanliness is often attributed to the ban on non-degradable plastics which was introduced in 2008.  Sprawling across numerous hilltops, valleys and ridges, this safe and vibrant city has undergone many changes in the years since the genocide which devastated the country in 1994.

The superbly curated Kigali Genocide Memorial provides an emotional and thought-provoking opportunity to understand more about the events leading up to the genocide, as well as the 100 days during which around one million Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed, and the peace and reconciliation process which has been ongoing ever since.  The Memorial is also the final resting place of over 250,000 people who died during the genocide.

Nowadays, there is a busy arts and music scene in the city as well as a Natural History Museum housing the stuffed skeleton of a huge crocodile which terrorised a village at Lake Muhaze and which was found to have a pair of shoes in its stomach!

There are a number of art and craft galleries while a wide range of restaurants caters for food lovers of all tastes and budgets.  The city boasts two golf courses and visitors are welcome.

Kigali has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 16 C to 28 C on average, and little variation month by month.  April is the wettest month and July the driest, with the city experiencing an average of 122 rainy days a year.  It’s suitable to visit at any time of the year.

Size and accessibility:
Kigali has a population of approximately 1.2 million people.  It’s quite centrally located within Rwanda.

By car:
From the Uganda/Rwanda border at Katuna (Gatuna on the Rwandan side) it’s around 2 hours drive to Kigali.

By air:
The international airport has regular flights to and from many European and other cities and RwandAir offers direct flights to and from Entebbe in Uganda, daily.

Activities:
City tour
Genocide Memorial
Museums
Shopping
Dining
Cultural activities
Distillery tour
Golf courses

Experience With Kikooko

Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Hike to see gorillas and monkeys in a lush volcanic landscape.

Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is part of the great Virunga volcano conservation region. It covers an area of 160km2. The region is probably best known as the base for primatologist Dian Fossey. She led the mountain gorilla conservation campaign and mobilised resources for the fight against poaching. She was buried at the research centre next to the grave of Digit, her favourite gorilla.

The national park lies in north-western Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democtratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains are located in Rwanda and the area is covered in rainforest and bamboo.

Species diversity:
Besides the famous gountain gorillas, golden monkeys, spotted hyena, buffaloes, bushbucks, black-fronted duiker and over 170 bird species have a home in the Volcanoes National Park.

Size and accessibility:
The Volcanoes National Park stretches across an area of 160 km2.

By car:
From Kigali it’s only a 2 hour drive to the Volcanoes National Park. For really early birds, it is possible to do gorilla tracking the same day, but this means you have to be at the headquarters at the park entrance by 7:00 am.

Activities:
Gorilla tracking
Hiking Karisimbi volcano (3’800m)
Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey
Visiting the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera

Experience With Kikooko