Rwanda
Land of a Thousand Hills

Rwanda is known as Le Pays des Mille Collines...the Land of a Thousand Hills, thanks to the endless mountains of this scenically stunning little country.  The Virunga Volcanoes in the northwest are majestic to say the least and hidden among the bamboo forests are some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

Rwanda also boasts Lake Kivu and some of the best inland beaches on the continent, while Nyungwe Forest National Park protects extensive tracts of montane rainforest, home to many species of primate.

The Highlights of Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park

For Mountain Gorilla Trekking, hiking to see the rare and now habituated Golden Monkeys and a visit to the graves of Dian Fossey and her beloved gorilla, Digit at the old site of the Karisoke Research Center, we take you to Volcanoes National Park.

“In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat,” wrote primatologist Dian Fossey, “are great, old volcanoes towering almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest – the Virungas.”

Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.

Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

This is Rwanda’s most important area for biodiversity and there you can see many primate species including the Angolan Colobi, Dent’s monkeys, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, olive baboons, Vervet monkeys and Diademed monkeys.  We also recommend the spectacular forest canopy walk where wandering through the treetops you can spot a host of different bird species.

Ethnographic Museum

Ethnography is the scientific description of peoples and cultures exploring their customs, habits and differences.  A gift from Belgium’s King Badouin in the late 1980’s the Ethnographic Museum now houses one of Africa’s finest ethnographic collections. Seven galleries display historical, ethnographic, artistic and archaeological artefacts accompanied by visual aides, giving visitors a rich insight into the Rwandan culture.

Kigali Genocide Memorial

The Genocide Archive of Rwanda is a collaborative project of the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Aegis Trust and Rwanda’s National Commission for the Fight against Genocide.  The archive documents the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.