ABOUT RWANDA
Rwanda straddles within East Africa and it is surrounded by Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi. This landlocked country boasts of its diverse attractions regardless of its small size. Not only does it boast of its scenic hills, valleys, lush vegetation but also a home to varied primates and savanna grassland wildlife species. On the other hand, what most people still know is its terrific history but remarkably, there is more for you to explore while on safari in Africa. This East African state comes with the best infrastructure and features among a few safest destinations in Africa with a cleanest city.
Rwanda covers an area of about 26338 square kilometers making a few smaller states in Africa. However, it is one of the densely populated African countries with about 12988423 people. Majority of these are Hutus and they make up about 84 percent. Majority of the Rwandese live in the rural area and they account for over 90 percent mainly depending on agriculture. Most parts of Rwanda are very fertile and the main cash crops that are grown here include tea and coffee.
Besides, it is known for its rolling hills with highest volcano-Karisimbi Mountain which stretches for about 4507 meters making it the highest volcano in the Virunga Massifs. Its capital city-Kigali is set on a mountainous area. Given the kind of its landscape, this country is best described as a Land of a Thousand Hills.
It is also one of the 3 countries in the whole world where mountain gorillas thrive in the wild. That said, it is of no doubt that this country is among the very few famous destinations for mountain gorilla trekking. For most tourists on safari in Rwanda, gorilla trekking features as a major safari highlight in their travel plans. Permits for this adventure in Rwanda costs $1500 per person.
The capital city of Rwanda is Kigali-one of the most popular cleanest cities in Africa. Communal activity is conducted which involves cleaning the streets once a month. This is usually done every last Saturday of every month. Besides, strict measures have also been set on hygiene and mostly on dumping of polythene bags and other trash in order to ensure that discipline exists in the manner in which cleanliness is handled. Some cities usually become very dirty just because of indiscipline among resident. However, Rwanda has understood this secret and hence enacted a strict code of conduct.
Unlike other states, Rwanda’s parliament is largely composed of women. It even surpasses that of Iceland, New Zealand states. Women however take about 64 percent of parliament seats in Rwanda and because of this, there has been an increase in gender parity in other areas like health, trade and education.
The dominant religions in Rwanda are mainly Roman Catholic, Protestants, Muslims, Adventist. Rwanda is largely a Christian state with mainly the Roman Catholic being the dominant sect of Christianity. However, Protestants are also coming up while Islam and others are equally active. Catholics and Protestants represent about 89 percent.
There are 3 main languages-French, English and Kinyarwanda. Kinyarwanda is mostly spoken representing about 93 percent of the country’s population.
In terms of currency, Rwanda is a cash based state with Rwanda Franc being its main currency that is used. However, other currencies are also welcome for instance US dollars, pound and many more. There are many forex bureaus for you to exchange your money into local currency for easy use.
This country lies within equatorial area and experiences cool climate. However, its temperatures do vary depending on location. Also, there are 2 rainy/wet seasons which are experienced in Rwanda with long one that kick starts from March to May and the second one begins from October to November. The dry season on the other hand begins from June to September and the second phase of it starts from December to February. Depending on what your travel interests are, Rwanda is an all year round safari destination but if you plan to visit this magical country for gorilla trekking, the dry season is regarded as the best the fact that it is characterized by low rainfall amount and the habitat remains relatively drier making it easier for one to hike through the dense vegetation and steep slopes while in search of mountain gorillas. However, it is also possible for you to track gorillas during the wet season as it also comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.
The main attractions in Rwanda include mountain gorillas which thrive within the Volcanoes National Park. Besides, it hosts five of the eight Virunga Volcanoes, golden monkeys and bird species among others. The other stunning parks for you to explore in Rwanda include Nyungwe Forest National Park which is a popular primate paradise with chimpanzee tracking being its main tourist activity; the other species to see here include black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys as well as 310 bird species, waterfalls and others; Akagera national park-which is the country’s only savanna wildlife park offering refuge to big five game, birds and other savanna wildlife dwellers. The other is Gishwati Mukura National Park-a newly established park with new experiences for you not to miss. Besides, you can also explore about the 1994 Rwanda genocide that claimed nearly a million lives within just 100 days. Today, there are many genocide sites for you to pay a visit to and they include among others Kigali genocide memorial site, Murambi genocide site, Nyamata genocide site, Nyanza genocide, Bisesero genocide site among others.
How to get to Rwanda
To get to Rwanda, you take a flight and land into Kigali International Airport which is the country’s main entry point. It is situated about five kilometers’ drive off the capital city and it is served by airlines like South African airways, KLM, RwandAir, Qatar among others. You may also need a visa and for more information, you can cross on the Rwanda Immigration website. Besides, you will need to present proof of a yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Other vaccines that you will be required to take include typhoid, Hepatitis.
In conclusion, Rwanda is that one African state that has continued transforming despite its past history. Today, this country offers more than just mountain gorillas for its world travelers.
