“The land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is a green undulating landscape of hills, gardens and tea plantations. It offers tourists a one-of-a-kind journey – home to one third of the world remaining Mountain Gorillas within the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, one third of Africa’s bird’s species, several species of primates, volcanoes, game reserve, resorts and islands on the expansive lake Kivu, graceful dancers, artistic crafts and friendly people.

Rwanda is a thriving, safe country with one of the lowest crime rates in Africa. All major attractions are located within 1-5 hours’ drive from the capital, Kigali city.

Many people assume that Rwanda is simply a place to consider when it comes to gorilla trekking safari. Yes, it is true but it is still a destination with a lot more to offer in terms of attractions and below are some of the attractions (best places) to visit on your Rwanda tour and they include parks, reserves, cities where you can enjoy your holidays and other many places worth for visiting.

Akagera National Park. It is found in eastern Rwanda and is a 2500 square kilometer of mainly Savannah land. The park was named after Kagera River that flows along Rwanda’s eastern boundary with Tanzania. The river feeds into Lake Ihema and other smaller lakes in and around the park.

The park protects an African Savannah landscape of acacia and bush with patches of open grassland and a dozen swampy lakes. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms a large protected wetland. Akagera national park is the only Savannah national park in Rwanda and the only place to sight most of the large mammals such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffe, zebras, leopards, hyenas, lions and many others. The park is also a home to several antelopes like bush bucks, Topis, Oribis, water-buck, roan antelope and duiker, klipspringer, impala and world largest antelope – the Cape eland. All those animals can be spotted while on a game drive. The common primates seen in this park are olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and bush babies and they can be spotted on night drives. While on a boat cruise at lake Ihema, one can be able to spot hippos and crocodiles when they are sun bathing.

This park habitats a wide variety of about 500 bird species such as shoe bill, papyrus Gonolek, African Wattled Plover, Giant Kingfisher, Senegal Lapwings, Squacco Herons, African Open bill stock, Grey Crowned Crane, African Darter, Long-toed and Water Thick-knee, fish eagles, Cattle Egret, Hamerkop, Sacred and Hadada Ibis, Augur Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, and Pied Crow. Black-headed and Viellot’s Black Weavers, Grey-backed Fiscals, Fan-tailed Widow bird and Caruther’s Cisticola and many others.

Apart from game drives and boat cruise, visitors can also engage in a lot of activities such as cultural tours, bird watching, sport fishing and cultural tours.

This park is endowed with a variety of accommodation facilities such as Magashi Camp, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, Akagera Game Lodge and many other lodges.

From Kigali, the park can be accessed from through Rwamagana town.

Nyungwe Forest National Park. It is found in western Rwanda and is one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine rain forests. It is dominated by a series of mountains originating in northern Uganda and Congo running south through the Rwenzori mountains, western Rwanda and Burundi, to the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Nyungwe Forest National Park offers scenic views over the Lake Kivu and sometimes the Virunga ranges on a clear day. The forest has an extensive network of well-maintained walking and hiking trails to various waterfalls and viewing points. The prime activities in Nyungwe Forest are chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, colobus monkey trekking and the canopy walk.

The park houses a number of primates such as chimpanzees, silver monkey, golden monkey, owl-faced monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, vervet monkey, olive baboon, dent’s Mona Monkey, blue Monkey, Angolan Colobus Monkeys among others.

Nyungwe forest is home to about 300 species of birds with 16 endemics, 27 Albertine rift endemics, and 121 forest species. The bird species include; Chestnut Owlet, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, Great Blue and Ruwenzori Turacos, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, , Stripe-breasted Tit, the remarkable Red-collared Babbler, Archer’s Robin Chat, White-bellied Robin Chat, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Handsome Francolin Mountain Masked, Black-faced, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Purple-breasted and Regal Sun-birds, Chestnut-throated, Collared Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Neumann’s Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher and many other species.

The accommodation around Nyungwe forest is limited to about 3 places. You can alternatively choose to spend the night by Lake Kivu in Cyangugu where you might find several accommodations facilities such as One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top view lodge, EAR Guesthouse, Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel, Emeraude Kivu Resort among others. From Kigali, you can access the park through Nyanza to Huye.

Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is a national park in northwestern Rwanda. It covers 160 km2 of rain forest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is home to the mountain gorilla and the golden monkey and was the base for the primatologist Dian Fossey. The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first national park to be created in Africa.

The park was used by Dian Fossey as a research center about the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Bisoke. From then on, she spent most of her time in the park and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.

Fossey’s life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist named after her autobiography. She was buried in Karisoke near her favorite gorilla Digit.

The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities including visiting the gorillas were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltration by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.

The park is best known for the mountain gorillas. Other mammals include: golden monkey, black-fronted duiker, African buffalo, spotted hyena and harnessed bush buck. The bush buck population is estimated to be between 1760–7040 animals. The park also houses a number of African elephants though they are very rare. Apart from gorilla trekking, the park conducts a variety of activities such as Musanze Caves Hike, visiting the Tomb of Dian Fossey, Golden Monkey trekking and Volcano climbing.

There are a variety of accommodation facilities which include; Wilderness Bisate, Sabyinyo Silver back Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Virunga Lodge, One & Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Village, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, La Palme Hotel and many other lodges.

Lake Kivu. It is located in western Rwanda and is shared with Democratic Republic of Congo with beautiful beaches, great tropical weather and beautiful scenery. The lake provides the ideal place for rest and recuperation while on your safari in Rwanda. Some of the activities on the lake include sunbathing, swimming and water sports like Kayaking, wind surfing and canoeing.

It is an extraordinarily beautiful inland sea enclosed by steep, green terraced hills and Islands. It is easily accessible from Kigali and all the national parks such as Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park. It is located on the tourism circuit making it an ideal stopover while you explore Rwanda.

Lake Kivu covers most of the western border of Rwanda with main tourist areas being Gisenyi, Kibuye, and Cyangugu which lie along the lake’s shores.

Gisenyi is the most developed of the sites and is less than an hour’s drive from the volcanoes national park and is about 2.5 hours’ drive from Kigali. It is set on a sandy beach lined with swaying palms and colonial-era hotels. Here you are able to find both the upmarket hotels and the budget ones.

Kibuye is located between Gisenyi and Cyangugu in the center along the shores of Lake Kivu. It has tourist activities centered on a modern lake-shore guesthouse overlooking pine-covered hills and boat trips from here to Gisenyi.

Cyangugu is the least developed for tourism and different from the other two. It is the closest to Nyungwe Forest with great community engagements and beautiful views of Congo but limited lake activities except the fishermen.

As you interact with the people on the shores, you will quickly notice how they are generally laid back exhibiting the phrase ‘hakuna matata’ to its fullest. Fishermen ply the water in dugout canoes on their usual routine of laying their nets for a possible catch of fish. This sell to various hotels and restaurants in town and some is taken to as far as Kigali and the rest is smoked by ladies on the shores for local consumption. You can choose to take a boat ride in the traditional dugout canoes and listen to the ‘sea stories” of the fishermen and even participate in the fishing. The place is teaming with water birds like pelicans sailing, Grey crowned cranes, pied and malachite kingfishers above the shore waiting to catch their next meal.

with one of her favorite gorilla Digit.

IbyI’wacu Cultural Village. IbyI’wacu cultural village is one of the community owned enterprises in Rwanda which was started with a major aim to address local community conflicts with mountain gorilla conservation around volcanoes national park in Nyabigoma Kinigi in Musanze district north of Rwanda.

IbyI’wacu people used to depend on Volcanoes National Park resources through illegal poaching for bush meat, timber, wood and water collection and wild honey gathering which were restraining conservation of gorillas and other wildlife. Later these people were taught about the goodness of protecting wildlife and a demarcated piece of land was given to them and that’s where they are currently staying.

People from IbyI’wacu Cultural Village involve in various projects with the aim of changing the lives of people through enterprise development where individuals use arts and crafts to start up community-based tourism business which helps them to earn a living from sale of craft products to tourists who come to visit the village.

The cultural village also provides conservation support through educating locals about sustainable agriculture projects including vegetable growing, bee keeping, goat rearing as alternative resources of livelihood apart from depending on the forest products.

In 2011 the village successfully initiated a project called “goats for gorillas” with the aim that for each tourist who goes on gorilla trekking, gives an amount equivalent to a goat which goes to every local household living near volcanoes national park. There is no much poaching in Volcanoes National Park since the IbyI’wacu people no longer depend on the bush meat but rather depend on the income they generate from sustainable farming and goat rearing which guarantees economic and food security.

People who visit IbyI’wacu Cultural Village have an opportunity to explore the unique traditional rural life of Rwandan culture, traditions, beliefs with well-established activities that tourists can engage or participate in with the help of experienced local guides who will share stories about their lifestyles.

Anyone wishing to experience the best of Rwanda’s distinct cultures and traditions, the best place he or she should visit is Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.

On your visit to this village, you can get the opportunity of enjoying traditional dances, music and drama performed by the local residents. You will listen to different local musical sounds such as Ibyivugo, Umuduri, Amakondera, Ingoma, Agakenke, Iningiri, and others. The amazing bit about these sounds is that they are unique to each other and special instruments are used to play them.

The Intore dance is performed by men with little bells wrapped around their legs. The young and energetic men and women dance with endless smile and happy faces. To enjoy more of their performances, it is advisable to at least spend a night with them and tourists sleep over in hunts within the village. A visit to IbyI’wacu Cultural Village you pay USD35 per person.

Rwandan genocide memorial centers. The Rwandan genocide memorial centers are spread all over the country with some more prominent than others commemorating the Rwandan genocide of 1994. It is believed that over 800,000 people were killed in a space of 100 days starting in April 1994. The centers have exhibits of remains, photographs, and personal belongings like clothing, shoes of the genocide victims. The genocide centers act as a reminder of the evil act of genocide and an appeal that it should never be repeated in Rwanda or anywhere in the world. The centers are places of solace, mourning and link for survivors with their dead relatives and friends. People come over at different times throughout the year but more especially during the national mourning time in April of every year. Some of the major memorial centers are highlighted below and, on your itinerary, you can choose any of them you want to visit.

a) Kigali Genocide Memorial Center. The Kigali genocide memorial center is located 10 minutes’ drive from the city center in Gisozi. It is the final resting place of 250,000 Rwandans killed in the genocide. It is run by AEGIS a UK Non-Governmental Organization committed to stop genocides from happening around the world.

The center has different exhibit places with space of skulls of survivors and their personal belongings, photographs of survivors, reconciliation efforts and genocide perpetrators. Another space has photographs and descriptions of genocides that have happened around the world showing that this indeed is not a Rwandan problem but a world problem that should never happen again.

b) Murambi Genocide Memorial. Murambi genocide memorial set on the grounds of former Murambi technical school near Murambi town is by far the most difficult memorial to visit because of the bodies and skeletons of genocide victims on display. One can almost recognize and identify a survivor if indeed they were a relative or friend. Tutsi were advised to hide in the technical school with pretext that French soldiers would protect them but alas, it was a trap. After gathering there, they had no food and were attacked by the militia. The site has several mass graves with former classrooms acting as exhibition rooms.

c) Nyamata Genocide Memorial. Nyamata genocide memorial center is a former church located 30 km south of Kigali in Bugesera. The center commemorates the 25,000 Rwanda genocide victims buried here. This is one of the darker sites in Rwanda after Murambi genocide memorial.

It is unfortunate that many Tutsi people gathered here considering it a safe sanctuary because previously churches were seen as safe places. Little did they know that this building was a pure death trap as opposed to life. The Tutsi’s had locked themselves up in the church seeking safety but were shocked when Hutu militias forced open the doors open with hand grenades and reigned on them with machetes. You will find clothes and national ID cards of the dead victims on the church pews with blood spread all over the place. The alter cloth is still stained with blood from the massacre of the several victims. Outside the church are mass graves for your visits.

d) Nyanza Genocide Memorial. Nyanza genocide memorial is located on the grounds of Kigali’s Ecole Technique Officielle in Kicukiro district. This often acts as the grounds for the genocide anniversary commemorations which happen yearly in April. It holds the graves of more than 10,000 genocide victims abandoned by the Belgian UN peacekeeping forces as the genocide intensified. The UN forces left these Tutsi’s in the hands of their massacres by not airlifting them to the safety.

e) Bisesero genocide memorial is located 60 km from Kibuye, Rwanda with 40,000 people said to have died here. This genocide memorial site is a story of resistance of the Tutsi’s against their attackers the Hutu’s in the hills of Bisesero where they used stones and sticks to counter the Hutu attack.

f) Ntarama genocide memorial is an hour’s drive from Kigali. It is a former catholic church where 5000 people were massacred. It is much smaller than the other church genocide memorial sites because it was a small village parish. Just like the others, the Tutsi’s came here for refuge assuming that it would be safe but were shocked by attacks from the Hutu militias, who in some place accessed the building by removing bricks one by one.

g) Nyarubuye genocide memorial site is located 140 km from Kigali is Catholic Church where 2000 Rwandan were killed. It is said that Sylvestre Gacumbitsi the then mayor of the district was involved in distributing arms and encouraging Hutu’s to use rape and later maim and kill the Tutsi’s. Unlike Ntarama and Nyamata genocide memorial sites, Nyarubuye was restored into a church and is currently used by people in the area with the memorial center adjacent to the church.

Rwanda museums. Rwanda is very committed to keeping and sharing their history with both the locals and international visitors hence the government’s commitment to keep on funding the Museums. The institute of Museums of Rwanda comprises of 6 museums in total with headquarters in Huye district located throughout the country open for visitors throughout the year. Below are the different museums in Rwanda and their locations.

1899. Kings Palace Museum. The Kings palace museum is located in Nyanza which is 85 km from Kigali. Nyanza became the royal capital of the Kingdom under the reign of King Yuhi V Musinga in 1899. Over the years with development and abolition of the Kingdom, the palaces suffered destruction but have been renovated. The royal palace acted as the place where decisions on running the kingdom were made and had the best artistic impressions of building architecture of the time. Today on your visit to the palace, you will enjoy the beauty and learn more about the lifestyle of the ruling class and Rwandan culture plus the history and culture of Rwandan people. The palace has also been restored and is open for visitors.
1900. Rwesero Arts Museum. Rwesero arts museum is located in Nyanza district which is about 85 km from Kigali. The museum was built initially as residence for King Mutara III Rudahingwa but unfortunately, he passed on before he could reside there. The museum displays contemporary artwork showing how it derives its inspiration from the Rwandan traditional and national history. Its location on Rwesero hill gives you a panoramic view of Nyanza and its environs. It is strategically located en route to Nyungwe forest national park from Kigali so you can consider stopping over for rich Rwandan history and buy yourself some artwork.
1901. Presidential Palace Museum. The presidential palace museum was recently added on the list of museums of Rwanda. It is located about 2 km from Kigali international airport and served as home to the former presidents of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana, and his predecessor Pasteur Bizimungu during their reign as Rwandan presidents. It houses the debris of the presidential jet which was shot down on 6th April 1994, this later sparked off the Rwandan genocide. You can walk through the different rooms and ‘secret’ passage ways offering you a small glimpse of the statehouse. The visit to this museum gives you a glimpse in the life of the two presidents with portraits of the former presidents and the gifts received from different presidents or nations.
1902. The Ethnographic Museum. The national museum of Rwanda is located in Huye district which is en route to Nyungwe forest national park, 132 km from Kigali. It is the largest and most known of all the museums of Rwanda. The museum boasts of some of the best ethnographic and archaeological collections in East Africa of more than 10,000 artifacts. These materials include maps, photos, art objects and artifacts documenting hunting, fishing, basketry, pottery, textiles, woodcarving and metallurgy. The tour guides at the museum are knowledgeable and friendly as they take you around sharing this history.

You will get insights of not only pre-colonial times but also the development curve of Rwanda and its cultural history. This is highly recommended stopover for you on your way to Nyungwe forest to break the journey but to also give a glimpse in more of Rwanda beyond the national parks, wildlife and cities.

1. Rwanda Museum of Natural History. Rwanda museum of natural history also known as Kandt house is located in Kigali city on Nyarugenge hill. It was the former residence of Richard Kandt a German scientist and imperialist who was the first to reside in Rwanda as all the former governors where ruling from outside Rwanda. His home was converted into the Museum of Natural History by the Rwandan government to celebrate him and his work and to symbolize the evolution of the ground, animals, and plants showing their interdependence on each other.
2. Museum of Environment. The Rwandan Museum of environment is located next to Lake Kivu in Karongi district. This is the perfect location because Lake Kivu is one of Rwanda’s major environmental assets. The museum acts as an educational aid on how to co-exist and utilize natural resources in a sustainable way. Its mandate is to educate the public on how to utilize the environment without destroying it and therefore benefit from it for generations. A visit to this museum will give you a glimpse of climate change in relation to Rwanda and how the people and government respond to it.

Mukura Forest Reserve. The Mukura Forest reserve is located within the Albertine Rift Region in Rwanda’s Western Province, within the Congo-Nile crest. The Mukura Forest Reserve is a protected reserve in the northwest part of Rwanda, covering about 16 km2. Mukura is now an isolated chunk of forest.

Mukura was designated in 1951 and originally covered an area of 30,000 hectares. However, nearly half of the total forest cover and biodiversity has been lost since leaving the forest with an area of only 16,000 hectares.

The average annual temperature of Mukura Forest is 15 °C. The forest rises to an average height of 2,600 meters above sea level and receives 1,500 mm of rainfall annually. It used to be part of a continuous mountain forest from Nyungwe to the Volcanos Park.

The reserve has about 163 species of birds.

Gishwati Forest Reserve. The Gishwati Forest Reserve is situated not far from Lake Kivu, in the north-western part of Rwanda. This reserve is part of the Gishwati Forest which is one of the protected areas in the country.

Between 1978 and 1986, a large portion of the Gishwati forest reserve of about 80% was covered by forests until 1994 when the Rwanda genocide forced a large number of Rwandans to flee their homes and settle within the forest reserve. Due to the Rwanda genocide a large part of this reserve and also the wildlife were destroyed.

Gishwati Forest Reserve used to extend to west and far Lake Kivu and leading into the tropical rain forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The southern part of this forest reserve connected with Nyungwe National Park.

The reserve has about 58 tree species and shrubs including various indigenous hardwoods and bamboo. There is also a variety of Eastern chimpanzees, golden monkeys, the blue monkeys and the L’Hoest monkey. Other wildlife species can be found in this forest include; the river hog, African golden cat, the black front duiker and southern tree hyrax.

It is endowed with about 84 bird species including wood hoopoes, mountain yellow warbler and old-world warbler and many other species.

The Gishwati Forest Reserve is a source of livelihood of about 100 Rwandans living around the area. The reserve a big scientific of role of maintaining the soil’s fertility and preventing erosion. The reserve boosts ecotourism in Rwanda through its rich biodiversity.

Rubavu. A waterfront town on the shores of Lake Kivu. Rubavu is an hour away from the Volcanoes National Park, and makes a good stopover on the way to or from Nyungwe, or somewhere to relax after gorilla tracking.

Rubavu as well as other spots along Lake Kivu has red sandy beaches, warm, clean water and an easygoing tropical character. It is a great place to unwind, soak up the tranquil vibe, watch the birds and enjoy various water sports. The city marks the beginning of the Congo Nile Trail, which extends 227km south to Rusizi. The trail can be enjoyed on foot or by mountain bike, with endless lake views, friendly hamlets, fishermen at work and women clothed in striking prints going about their daily lives.

With many tea and coffee plantations around Rubavu, as well as bird and primates to see in the new Gishwati-Mukura National Park, the area is worth visiting.

Karongi. A popular beach retreat on the shores of Lake Kivu with majestic vistas, a tranquil atmosphere and easy access from Kigali.

The main source of Karongi’s popularity comes from the popular attraction of Lake Kivu. There are many resorts and hotels which have been built in recent years outside the town of Kibuye most of which are on the shores of Lake Kivu. One of the most frequently visited islands in Karongi is Napoleon Island which is known for Straw-colored fruit bats and district-provided hiking trails. Other islands in Karongi are Monkey Island which has a small population of vervet monkeys and Amahoro or Peace Island. Another source of tourism comes from traditional night fishing.

The Karongi is divided into 13 sectors: Bwishyura, Mutuntu, Rubengera, Gitesi, Ruganda, Rugabano, Gishyita, Gishari, Mubuga, Murambi, Murundi, Rwankuba and Twumba.

Nyanza. It is the administrative capital of the Southern Province. Nyanza is the eighth largest city in Rwanda. The main attraction of the region lies in its cultural heritage which undoubtedly merits a stopover en route to Nyungwe National Park.

Musanze. Close to the Volcanoes National Park, Musanze is a hassle-free and buzzing city, with plenty of choice for eating out, ATMs to withdraw cash, vibrant nightlife, markets and artisanal trades.  It is also known as Ruhengeri.

Rusizi. A small town on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with views across to the Congolese city of Bukavu.

Rusizi is the closest town to Nyungwe National Park, which is about an hour’s drive away. Budget accommodation here will appeal to self-drive visitors to the National Park.

Huye. Huye is located in the southern province of Rwanda and is popularly known for its vibrant capital city Butare which was the formal colonial capital of Rwanda.

Huye is also well known for being the intellectual and cultural Centre of the country. The city hosts the largest University of Rwanda, the National University of Rwanda which is home to the National Ethnographic Museum one of Africa’s finest collections of pre and post-colonial ethnographic, artistic, and archaeological displays. The National Ethnographic Museum is also an excellent source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda.

Huye offers a range of unique African accommodation experiences to visitors such as Credo Hotel, Galileo Stadium Hotel and Mater Boni Consilii Hotel.

Kibeho. Kibeho is a sector and small town in south Rwanda which became known outside of that country because of reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ occurring between 1981 and 1989. It is also known for the Kibeho Massacre in April 1995 when several thousand internally displaced people were killed by the Rwandan Patriotic Army.

Kigali city.  Kigali City is the capital of Rwanda, located in the center of the country well known for its beauty, clean, Safe and well-maintained roads and streets as compared to most cities in Africa. Many travelers spend only a night in Kigali before gorilla trekking, missing out on the vibrant culture, cuisine, and sightseeing in Rwanda’s capital city. Plan to spend at least a few days here at the beginning or end of your trip.

Stock up on bespoke clothes from swirling patterned textiles and experience the energetic atmosphere at Kimironko Market, Kigali’s largest marketplace. The warehouse space is like a maze, with surprises around every corner.

Then, check out Kigali’s creative scene at Inema Arts Center, a gallery that showcases the works of up to 10 local artists in residence. Make your way to the Rwanda Art Museum at the former Presidential Palace. It displays some of the finest contemporary pieces from Rwanda and nearby regions. You can also see debris from the presidential aircraft that crashed in 1994.

When you’re ready to refuel, savor an authentic Rwandan cup of joe at Question Coffee Cafe. Check out the cafe’s specials menu to see what experimental caffeinated concoctions the baristas have recently come up with. They’re known to infuse some coffee beverages with unexpected local ingredients, like tree tomato.

Finally, wind down with a succulent meal at one of Kigali’s great restaurants. Le Panorama Restaurant at Hôtel des Mille Collins offers dazzling views of the city, along with a diverse menu of local and international favorites.

For an even more romantic setting, head to Fusion Restaurant’s al fresco dining room at The Retreat hotel. It overlooks a twinkling pool and serves up homemade pastas, flavorful starters, and fresh seafood.

Butare. The city of Butare is situated in the Rwanda’s southern Huye region. The city is an educational center in southern Rwanda. Before Rwanda’s independence in 1962, the town was called Astrida. It consists of the traditional housing areas of Ngoma and Matyazo, the former colonial settlement, and a newer commercial section with a nearby airstrip. Butare, the third largest town in Rwanda, houses the National University of Rwanda, which was established in 1963, the National Museum, a teacher’s college, a national institute of scientific research, and a school of agriculture. Therefore, the above are some the best places that are worth visiting on your Rwanda safari and we eagerly waiting to travel with you.