Why go on Rwanda safari holidays
Today, Rwanda has one of the rapidly swelling economies in Africa. It has more women in Parliament than any other country in the world (64%) and is one of the friendliest, safest countries on the continent. Yet for most people, it prevents conjures up images of the dreadful genocide of 1994, when over a million people perished. At the same time the genocide is a massive part of its history that happened over twenty-three years ago, Rwanda has evolved into a united, proud and optimistic country that welcomes its visitors and offers a truly memorable and inspiring holiday. Volcanoes National Park in the north-west of the country is the most famous of Rwanda’s parks and is the place that most people visit on holiday because of its famous residents, the mountain gorillas i.e. Rwanda’s gorilla trekking is its biggest attraction. Less well-known safari options are Nyungwe Forest National Park in the south and Akagera National Park on its eastern border. Akagera is the only park for traditional safaris in Rwanda; it provides good wildlife opportunities, although not on the large scale of the parks in Kenya or Tanzania. But Akagera’s scenic view is beautiful and worth visiting for that alone.
It involves the largest protected and conserved wetlands in Central Africa and is home to over 8,000 animals and over 480 species of birds that include the rare shoebill stork, making Akagera an amazing destination for a bird watching safari. Since the re-introduction of black rhino in 2017, it's now also a 'Big 5' park. In a firm contrast, Nyungwe is thick rainforest with amazing hiking trails, bird watching and primate spotting. National parks in Rwanda are easily accessed by road, so a tour of all three perhaps including the beautiful shore of Lake Kivu and the capital, Kigali, can make attractive and diverse holiday. Trekking the endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda is the final wildlife experience and the reason why most people visit Rwanda on a safari. This is where Dian Fossey first brought the world’s attention to the sad state of these majestic primates in the late 1960s, when they were facing a dreadful plight of poaching and only about 250 survived. The number kept increasing with more exploration and conservation extended to the Virunga ranges of Uganda and D.R. Congo as well as Bwindi impenetrable national park.
The survival of these endangered species is one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories, and tourism has played its role in conservation. Rwanda is considered as probably the best destination for a mountain gorilla trekking safari in Africa and the world at large. Although gorilla trekking permits quite expensive, an hour granted to you with these great apes promises to be a precious encounter that will remain with you long after your safari is over. To learn more about this wonderful experience. Although mountain gorillas are the stars of the show in Rwanda, there are plenty of other primate tracking opportunities while on your safari to the land of a thousand hills. Nyungwe National Park alone is home to 13 unique primate species and among others include; chimpanzees and Rwenzori colobus monkeys, both of which are habituated and can be trekked any time of the year. Indeed, Nyungwe’s colobus monkeys can occasionally be seen in spectacular troops of several hundreds, believed to be among the largest numbers around the world. In Volcanoes National Park, the elusive golden monkeys have been habituated for visitors to trek alongside the mountain gorillas.
Safaris in Rwanda are possible and easy throughout the year, but the most popular times to travel are in the long dry season that happen between June and October, and the shorter dry season around December to February. If you’re intending to travel to Rwanda, you’ll need to plan your holiday well ahead of time to secure gorilla and golden monkey permits especially around July to September when demand is high. Rwanda’s main rainy season is in the months of March to May, with shorter rains in late October through to mid-December. Getting around Rwanda is all time comfortable in every corner of the country. Roads are majorly good and very many new roads are being constructed to replace marram roads connecting different destinations. It's not a place for self-drive, therefore you are advised to ask for the guidance of a professional local tour operator to help you with a scheduled plan throughout your safari. And at any time of year, a visit to Kigali’s Genocide Memorial is important in understanding Rwanda’s history and the events that led up to the genocide. It may seem an unlikely holiday attraction but it is in fact a beautiful, peaceful place that is a testament to Rwanda’s strength and spirit of reconciliation.
