Shared between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, lake Kivu is one of the freshwater bodies in east and central Africa. It’s the largest water body in Rwanda covering an area of 2,700-kilometer squares. This water body is a perfect place for swimming because its hippo and bilharzia free. Lake Kivu is the 6th largest lake on the African continent and has three major towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu. These are well-developed towns and are visited by many tourists. On visit to lake Kivu, a tourist can engage in various activities that include the following.

Swimming
Lake Kivu is a fresh water body that is crocodile free, hippo free and bilharzia free. The water in lake Kivu has a cool temperature and all those who would want to cool down especially on a hot day are free to jump in the lake and relax.
There are beautiful beaches along the lakeshores with fine sand where one can relax in the mild sun after having a great swim in the lake.
Better swimming points can be got from the major towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu.

Hiking and biking along the shores
A walk in Rwanda is always exciting and doing it on the beaches of lake Kivu can be the best decision one can ever make. Hiking is a good exercise that can be enjoyed by tourists after a safari or those on a honeymoon. With great views of the freshwater body, a walk at the shores of lake with cool breezes from the waves will give you a remarkable and unforgettable experience.

Water trips and cruising
This can be done on local dug out canoes or using engine boats. Cruising on this fresh water body enables one to discover more of the land of a thousand hills. Excursion boat rides can be made within a few meters of the lake even while having dinner while other longer trips can be made to the major islands in the lake especially the Napoleon and Amahoro island. Relaxing on cruises and water trips on the lake makes one somehow forget about their problems and feel home away from home.

A visit to Nyamirundi Island
This island is near Gisenyi and a lot of coffee growing and processing is done around the area. A visit to the island enables one to learn about the whole coffee growing process and get a chance to taste the locally processed and made coffee. There are also other crops grown on the island like bananas and other major food crops. The island provides beautiful views of the terraced gently sloping islands covered with coffee and banana plantations.

A visit to the Imbabazi orphanage
The orphanage was set up by the late Rosamond Carr to take care of the children who were left orphans by the terrible Rwandese genocide. Carr had lived in Rwanda for some time and was a close friend to Dian Fossey a mountain gorilla conservationist.
During the genocide, the orphanage had to be moved from one place to another due to insecurity reasons however after the genocide in 1994, it was permanently moved back to Gisenyi and at that time the orphanage was a home to over 400 orphans.
The orphanage was reconstructed and well built and today it has beautiful gardens, has a restaurant that prepares classic and standard food and also provides great views of the Virunga volcanoes in the background.

Wind surfing and other water sports
The waters of lake Kivu have waves that support water sports activities like windsurfing, kayaking, speed boat rides and sport fishing. Windsurfing and kayaking equipment can be hired from around Gisenyi.

In conclusion, Lake Kivu is a fantastic tourists attraction, which one should not miss out while in the country. If you’re visiting for gorilla safari, this is a relaxing destination to top your adventure in Rwanda rewarding with a relaxing experience in the land of a thousand hills. Africa Adventure Safaris offers you tailored day tours to Lake Kivu

While in Rwanda, don’t miss the opportunity of tracking gorillas independently because its way much cheaper than using tour operators who charge a premium for organizing a tour and yet you can do this on your own and save a lot of money. However doing it individually will depend on the time you are spending in the country. If you have less time its better to use tour operators but if you are to spend like 6-8 days, it’s better to do it individually. First major step is to gather enough information on gorilla tracking especially information on transportation means, fares, price of gorilla permits, accommodation facilities and any other helpful information. This is how you can track gorillas independently;

Book for a gorilla permit: First inquire with the Rwanda Development Board to check whether gorilla permits are available. Currently gorilla permits are being sold at $750 and they can be obtained at the Rwanda Development Board offices in Kigali. Payments are also made there in cash or by use of a credit card which is a better option than paying in the bank since they get an interest for the money transfer.
Get a transportation means to Ruhengeri: There are many local bus companies with buses and mini buses that leave the city for Ruhengeri. There is a bus station at Nyabugogo and you can easily buy your bus ticket from a bus ticket selling office but its better to go to the bus station 30 minutes early in order to get your bus ticket on time. Different buses charge different fares, Virunga express bus for example charges around 2000 francs per person and the journey to Ruhengeri takes only 2 hours.

Connect to Kinigi: This is near the park headquarters and you can get there using a local bus which charges around 300 francs per person. The trip takes about 15-25 minutes however if you are in a hurry, you can take a motorcycle which will charge you around 2000 francs depending on your bargaining power.

Getting a place to sleep: There are many accommodation facilities around however Kinigi guest house can be a better option because it’s just a 7 minutes walk away from volcanoes national park headquarters. It’s easier to get to the headquarters on the day for trekking early enough because those to trek are expected to be at the headquarters by 7:00 am for briefing. It’s advisable to book for an accommodation place early enough in order not to be inconvenienced.
While at the accommodation facility of your choice, you can book for a 4WD that you will use for your journey to the trail head in the equatorial forests. A 4WD is recommended because it’s a strong car and can manage the rough state of the road between the park headquarters and the trail.

While tracking primates like the golden monkey you might not necessarily use a 4WD to get to the trail.
Meals; having lunch while on the trek will depend on how quickly you get to your allocated gorilla group. If you take long and lunch time finds you there, your hotel can pack food for you but if you find them easily, you can get back to the hotel for lunch.

Important to note is that you can’t do a gorilla trek in the forests without a guide however you don’t have to pay directly for the guide services because the ticket you purchased covers the park entry fees, guiding services and the hour interaction with the gorillas.
Generally, it’s a good experience to plan your own gorilla safari as it cuts on tour cost and can enable you to save enough money to visit other attractions in Rwanda and can also enable you to buy as a many souvenirs as you can

The Rwandan government is expecting a tourism boom once lions are introduced into the Akagera national park. After a whole months separation under observation, seven lions have been introduced into the park wilderness of the Akagera National Park in the Eastern Province. Among the seven lions imported from South Africa’s African Parks; are five females and two males, were brought to Rwanda late last month and have been staying in a boma within the Akagera national park, from where they have been closely monitored and observed by veterinary doctors and other park management employees. In particular, among the seven five females came from Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and two males from Tembe Elephant Park, exported to Rwanda in bid to promote ground-breaking conservation effort for the Land of a thousand hills.

Sunday July 2015 was the big day when the gates of the quarantine boma were opened to allow the lions to exit the temporary enclosure and join the wilderness in the savannah. The journey started by placing a waterbuck carcass just outside the park entrance to lure them into entering the park says one of the members of the Rwanda Development Board, under whose docket falls tourism and conservation in Rwanda.
Once ushered into the wilderness all seven lions are fitted with satellite collars, for tracking by management to observe their behavior as they adopt to their new environment.

Travelers to the land of a thousand hills now have the opportunity to see the lions in the savannah of Akagera while doing their game drive in the park. This is now going to put Akagera national park on sit for tourists and a must visit national park while in Rwanda. Most Importantly travelers can have a 1, 2 and 3 day short tour to Akagera given the fact that the park is accessible on a 2-3 hours drive from Kigali, which means a tourists can go visit Akagera even on a tight schedule, small budget and weekend holiday.

The isolation of the lions has allowed them to adjust to their new surroundings, bond with each other, and recover from what was likely the longest wild lion translocation in conservation history which lasted over 45 hours.

According to a source in the RDB, the lions will be given names in the “near future” and will be named by the people who have helped in the translocation of the lions

The King of the Jungle had been extinct from the park after many were killed by residents surrounding and mostly during the Rwandan genocide but according to RDB, the government as put a lot of measures in place to ensure minimal contact between animals and the communities around the park. As tourism today is the country’s backbone and is jealously protected, just last year, tourism fetched $304.9 million (about Rwf218 billion), representing a four per cent increase from the $293.6 million (about Rwf210 billion) generated in 2013.
Akagera National Park is home to the big five game which make it a best destination for game viewing experience on your Rwanda safaris. Game drives in Akagera can be added on other activities in Rwanda such as the famous mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and chimpanzee watching in Nyungwe Forest National park.

Starting last weekend at the Red Rock Backpackers in Musanze, Greg Bakunzi camp owner launched a Summer camp festival which will be running until the 5th of september the time of the Kwita Izina, the renown annual naming of the gorillas. This festival takes place every weekend starting from Friday afternoon.

The major objective for starting up the weekly summer camp, according to Greg is to bring in more people into the Rwanda’s highlands at the foot of the Virunga Massif by creating an attracting element to pull in more people.

The summer camp festival features exhibitions and celebrating of the rich Rwandan culture through traditional dancing, authentic Rwandan art and crafts, food and drink galore which we hope can be added to the client’s itinerary before or after gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park or perhaps visit Golden Monkeys, with more travel lined up after the fun weekend.

After last weekend’s summer camp, ordinary tourists who joined us are inviting their friends and friends of friends to Red Rock.

At the camp the Rwandan staff and guides showcase the weaving of baskets and how banana beer was brewed, while all neighboring communities locales are invited to participate in the exhibition a good opportunity to earn a few Francs for selling fruits and crafts to the visitors.

Live local music is performed, and the guests are prompted to follow the local tunes and dance the night away, before regular DJs select music which keeps the crowd reportedly on their feet for much of the night.

While interviewing Greg, the propitiator, he said his major motivation is to attract as many tourists as possible in the country, given the fact that the Kwita Izina which normally takes place in June – which is a buys season when the country is having many tourists arrival was shifted to a date in september according to the announcement from the RDB which means tourists arrivals in the Rwanda is going to be small until the end August. Therefore, Greg thought of a regular weekend party or festival, which he hop to expand by word of mouth and through social media the news spread fast. This will keep guests coming in until at the end of August when hundreds of guests will come again for Kwita Izina.

Rwanda – the land of a thousand hills has been ranked among top three world greenest places for 2015, according to World Travel Guide, an international travel guide for adventurous travelers. This global tourist guide released a list of 20 travel destinations in the world that are on the path to environmental enlightenment from self-sufficient villages to pioneering national parks and according to the web portal, Rwanda has been ranked 3rd globally.

In the results, Costa Rica emerged top, followed by Ecuador, Rwanda, Uruguay, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Pitcairn Islands, the Isle of Eigg of Scotland, Bhutan, Sweden, Australia, Copenhagen, Chumbe Island in Tanzania, Britain, Iceland, Canada Azores Islands in Portugal and Portland, Oregon in that order.

According to Yamina Karitanyi the head of Tourism and Conservation at Rwanda Development Board while talking to reporters said, the global ranking provides confidence to travelers coming to Rwanda especially tourists.

Rwanda as a safari destination has so much more to offer to tourists beyond the national parks, we have beautiful green scenery and we are proud of that. We are committed to showcasing Rwanda’s beauty to the world,” she said.

The Travel Guide highlighted Rwanda’s excellent eco- system and policy on plastic bags as the best attributes.
Thanks to the country’s eco-system credentials and conservation efforts, Rwanda’s endangered mountain gorillas are thriving, and there are also plans to reintroduce lions and rhinos to Akagera National Park later this year,” said the guide.

The monthly community work, locally called Umuganda, was also credited for promoting cleanliness and a well-preserved eco-system.

If you’re visiting Rwanda on the last Saturday of the month, then you better pack a litter picker for your trip as this day will coincide with Umuganda, a day of national housekeeping when every citizen (including the President) goes out to clean the country.” she added.

Last year, Rwanda received a total number of about 1.22 million visitors, compared to around 1.122 million in the previous year, an annual increase of 97,000 visitors.

RDB the country’s tourism governing body has been trying to diversify its tourism sector by promoting Rwanda as a destination for business travelers, through its Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Events (MICE) initiative.

In 2014, the tourism industry generated revenue receipts worth $ 304. 9million. Rwanda offers a number of tourists activities including mountain gorilla safaris, canopy walk, national museums, Lake Kivu, bird watching, Congo Nile trail, Akagera and Nyungwe National parks, culture, among others.

Rwanda the land of a thousand hills has been awarded the best continental exhibitor of the 2015 International Tourism Bourse (ITB), from the recently concluded Travel Trade Show in Berlin, Germany.

According to the head of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi, while addressing journalists said Rwanda was able to catch the eye of everyone at the exhibition because of her rich history, diverse culture and an endless wildlife experience showcased at the stand in Berlin drew a multitude of people and was a big attraction.

She further explains that this year’s major main focused on seeking out potential travelers to Rwanda through the private sector. The land of a thousand hills is edited to have won the two categories for Best African and Best Global stand at the 2015 ITB Travel fair in Berlin because this reinforces the confidence that the global market has for our country’s tourism potential.

We invite all African nationalists to come visit Rwanda and experience her unique cultural and history as well as wildlife, and also learn about your neighboring countries. Rwanda’s major aim is to link continental travel, this is an excellent period to get to know the rest of Africa. Tourists to Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda have the advantage of using a single visa to visit the three countries at a lower cost

At the exhibition, Rwanda’s stand number 113 comprised of information exchanges and presentations by Rwanda Development Board, Institute of National Museums of Rwanda, Thousand Hills Expeditions, Primate Safaris, Africa Adventure Safaris, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Wildlife Tours Rwanda, Nyungwe Top View Hotel and Amahoro Tours with both trade and consumer groups visiting. The cultural dress, music and dance displays from the National Ballet were huge favorites.

Rwanda’s tourism sector continues to grow in the past year cementing its position as one of the key sources of foreign exchange for the country.

As of the year 2014, Rwanda’s tourism sector registered a 9% increase in the number of visitors to Rwanda. Visitors grew from 1.14 million to 1. 2 million, and revenue increased from 296.4 million U.S Dollars to 303 million U.S Dollars.
RDB has announced plans to increase earnings from tourism to 860 million U.S Dollars in the next two years.

In the African category, Kenya came second and Tunisia emerged third in Berlin. Other top 10 African countries include Namibia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Gambia and Seychelles.

This year’s ITB attracted 186 countries and nearly 200,000 people. Today ITB has become the world leading travel show provides a great platform to showcase different countries’ tourism products to the global world but also creates an opportunity for local tourism Businesses to meet, network and transact businesses with international travel buyers in a highly targeted and interactive environment.

Planning a gorilla safari to Africa? have you decided where to see the endangered species already? No worries, we bring you mountain gorilla destinations in Africa for a memorable experience. Mountain gorillas live on only three countries in east and central Africa which include:

Rwanda
Rwanda is a fast-growing tourists destination, although a small country, she has a relatively developed infrastructure comprising of the good road network connecting to national parks and good safari accommodations within the different parks.
Today, Rwanda has become a distinct gorilla trekking destination as compared to other gorilla parks in Africa mostly because of the enormous work of Dian Fossey, as dramatized in the film Gorillas in the Mist, that really makes Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park many people’s first choice for a mountain gorilla safari.

Why Rwanda has become more popular for gorilla trekking
The forest offers a relatively open habitat with some good light – montane vegetation, often with stunning views – greatly improve the chances of good gorilla watching while in Africa.

Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park has a better advantage over the rest because its gorillas are the most wholly habituated, and they are often found in bamboo than the dense forest which makes photographing and filming much more easier

The driving distance from Kigali the country’s major city to Volcanoes national park is a very important edge that visiting Rwanda gorillas has over other mountain gorilla destinations in Africa.

The professionalism and kindness of the guides – many of whom have spent decades helping visitors cope with steep slopes, stinging nettles and nerves – makes every muddy, gasping step that bit easier. But when it’s sunny, and the gorillas are only a short stroll from the park boundary, people tend to wonder what all the fuss is about!

Uganda

Second in popularity for gorilla tracking in Uganda, the country comprises of two gorilla national parks both located in the south-west of the country offer different experiences. Mgahinga National Park is part of the tri-national Virunga Conservation Area, and its habituated gorillas often cross into DRC and back. However, climbing to the top of Mt Sabinyo, where Rwanda, Uganda, and DRC meet, is an outstanding way to see the whole mountain gorilla kingdom – an island of forest surrounded by a sea of densely populated farmland.

Just to its north, is the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park the more visited gorilla park in Uganda is quite a more biodiverse and at a lower altitude as compared to Mgahinga gorilla park. Bwindi national park currently has 12 habituated Gorilla groups for tracking and one for research. The Gorilla families include; Mubare, Habinyanja, and Rushegura families in Buhoma section, while Ruhija section shelters Bitukura and Oruzogo families and Nkuringo family is the only one in Nkuringo area. Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Bweza and Busingye families inhabit Rushaga area and the last family of Nyakagezi inhabits the Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Nyakagezi used to roam across borders of the 3 countries, but when the family got a baby, they settled on Ugandan side. The Kyaguriro Gorilla family in Ruhija area has been set apart for research and is always used to learn more about the life of the Mountain Gorilla.

Why Uganda is a preferred gorilla trekking destination
Rage of safari activities including wildlife viewing, chimps tracking, Murchison falls tour, water rafting in Jinja, from hiking the glaciers in the Rwenzori Mountains and so much more. A Uganda tour gives you the opportunity to combine your gorilla tracking with the country’s other national parks and adventurous activities.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Today it’s very possible for clients to travel go Congo for gorilla tracking – for both low land gorillas and mountain gorilla tour. Gorilla tourism with habituated groups began here as early as the mid-1970s, in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a stronghold of eastern lowland gorillas (ELG), and this park still offers one of the best gorilla-viewing experiences. Bukavu is the nearest town featuring some beautiful lakeside hotels.

Gorilla tourism in the Virunga National Park is also excellent, and the government is keeping it very secure. Things have improved and security has become good in the Congo gorilla region.

Africa Adventure Safaris guides you to all gorilla national parks for better gorilla trekking comparisons in Uganda, Rwanda & Congo

Rwandan government officials launched a campaign to promote the country’s tourism through sports. If well implemented and many locals can get involved in sport activities like jogging, this initiative can turnout to be a tremendous homegrown solution with positive significance on the country’s economy and people’s health.The officials look at encouraging citizens to visit the country’s historical and cultural sites while exercising. Rwanda’s economy largely depends on tourism, but the potential of local tourism remains largely untouched. The country’s main tourism body The Rwanda Development Board has put in place several initiatives to promote tourism, local tourism requires another shot in the arm, through initiatives that involve citizens into tourism. The most fundamental element of tourism development for any growing country is to encourage local communities’ participation as it is central to the sustainability of tourism industry. Through local tourism, the citizenry get to know about the many historical and cultural sites around the country, while the tourism sector would get more revenue.

Leaders at all levels should implement strategies and programs designed to promote local Rwanda safaris, especially in their respective localities so as to reach out to locals in their areas. Institutions like schools and universities are instrumental as students form a critical mass of local tourism.

Religious leaders too should get on board and preach the need for their followers to embrace local tourism.For more info on local tours in rwanda contat us

A gorilla trek in Rwanda is a magical experience that everyone should get a chance to experience for a safari adventure. Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills given the hilly nature of its landscape – a green undulating landscape of crops, gardens and tea plantations. Rwanda is also home to three quarters of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas with in the Volcanoes national park, which attracts Rwanda’s largest tourism impact.

Rwanda’s major tourism activity, treasured by many travelers who have had a chance to visit with the endangered silverback mountain gorillas in Rwanda, which are interestingly playful and relaxed in the presence of humans.

In the Volcanoes National Park Mountain gorilla hikes starts as early as 7:30 with your gorilla permit a brief orientation , where groups of eight are guided up the volcano with the assistance of a tracker- guide and hired porter for individual trackers. Depending on where the group starts their hike to the gorillas, trekkers may encounter fields of crops and beautiful views of mountains. During the gorilla safari which is sometimes very muddy, the guide describes the surrounding flora, and how certain species are used as medicines by the indigenous Batwa tribes.

Mountain gorilla families set to visit can include between 10 and 30 gorilla members, with a fully-grown male silverback gorilla, which is the head of the family. Because the gorilla are wildlife animals, they constantly move around the forest searching for food, the hike could take from one and two hours, depending on their current location within the forest. When the breathtaking moment arrives of finally meeting the gorilla family, the primates will be grooming, playing and eating, as if they never noticed the arrival of curious human onlookers.

The guides use certain vocalizations around the gorillas that researchers like the late primatologist Dian Fossey have found to convey a message of peace.
Satiated by the lack of threat from trackers, the gorillas will feel at ease and come out from their perches and rub past you as they play or look for delicious stalks of bamboo or one of the 142 varieties of plants represented in the silverback’s diet, including celery, nettles, thistles, succulent herbs, and wild berries.

Also playful baby gorillas and juveniles roll past trackers or even touch pants, legs when they get close enough. Its very memorable and breathtaking watching the gorillas in their natural habitat and witnessing their human-like emotions and behavior.
Still not made up your mind to visit Africa, for animal lover and adventure travel, gorilla tracking will prove to be a most fantastic experience.