| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | If you happen to cross the border with Tanzania |
| Rwanda, the land of one thousand hills and | | | | at Rusumo don't forget to see the Rusumo falls. |
| 'hundreds attractions' is an extraordinary place | | | | 9. THE BEAUTIFULLY LAKE KIVU |
| where serene scenery and placid people greet | | | | The beautifully Lake Kivu is a large deposit of |
| you at every juncture. Rwanda is safe and | | | | fresh water that marks the western border with |
| secure with an overwhelming renaissance of | | | | DR Congo and one of the Great Lakes of Africa. |
| Rwandese national pride and cultural | | | | The lake is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the |
| reconstruction. It is full of sights and delights, | | | | Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the |
| waiting to be explored. If Rwanda is on your | | | | Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake |
| travel list there is no better time to runaway to | | | | Tanganyika. Beneath the lake lie vast reserves of |
| Rwanda...visit today you would want to stay! | | | | approximately 55 billion cubic of dissolved methane |
| The country is well known mostly because of its | | | | gas which have not been exploited. Lake Kivu is a |
| horrible recent history and you might think that | | | | tourist center, safe to swim (but just ask locally |
| Rwanda should therefore be more the scope for | | | | to be completely sure). There are nice beaches, |
| No governmental organization than for travelers. | | | | gorgeous landscapes and the sunsets are regularly |
| Nowadays, nothing is less true. Rwanda has | | | | stunning. There are some excellent places to stay |
| wonderful people, breathtaking beautiful lakes, | | | | on the Lakeside such as Kibuye and |
| challenging mountains, stunning scenery, perfect | | | | -especially-Gisenyi near the DR Congo border. |
| climate, rare species of apes, excellent roads, | | | | 10. BUTARE CITY IN HUYE |
| express buses, good and cheap food and beer, | | | | The most popular tourist attraction in Butare is |
| various accommodation options, fast internet, only | | | | the superb National Museum, which houses |
| few tourists outside the gorilla-homes, you will | | | | perhaps the finest ethnographic collection in East |
| found it all in Rwanda, a safe and yet to be | | | | Africa. The rooms are spacious, without the |
| discovered backpackers haven! | | | | excessive clutter of distracting memorabilia. This |
| Because of its small size, Rwanda attractions are | | | | makes the well-labeled exhibits easy to appreciate |
| near each other and can be reached quite easily | | | | and enjoy. Absorbing displays of traditional |
| and safely. | | | | artefacts are illuminated by a fascinating selection |
| 1. KIGALI CITY: A NICE PLACE TO EXPERIENCE | | | | of turn-of-the-century monochrome photographs, |
| AN AFRICAN CAPITAL | | | | providing insight not only into pre-colonial lifestyles, |
| Kigali is an interesting mix of rural and urban town | | | | but also into the subsequent development of |
| overflowing on juxtaposed hilly terrain. New | | | | Rwanda as a modern African state. Here the |
| construction is everywhere and large mansions | | | | Intore dancers can be commissioned to perform, |
| stand side by side with mud brick huts and lean | | | | but this is not a good deal for a single traveler. If |
| roads. It has a peaceful feel and the center is | | | | a group is present the price would definitely be |
| located upon the hilltop expanse. It feels safe and | | | | worthwhile as shows are few and far |
| getting around is easy on foot or minibuses...many | | | | between.mountain gorilla tour . |
| and new. For a bit more taxis can whiz you | | | | Fact about the Nyiragongo volcano in Goma |
| anywhere without breaking the bank. Kigali is a | | | | Congo |
| nice place to experience an African capital. | | | | Nyiragongo volcano is located in Virunga National |
| 2. KGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIALS CENTER IN | | | | park in the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC, |
| GISOZI | | | | At around 19 kilometers of Goma, very close to |
| During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, over a | | | | Rwandan border, in a safe and easily accessible |
| million people were murdered. Some 250,000 | | | | area. The Nyiragongo is one of Africa 's most |
| perished on the streets and in the houses, | | | | dangerous and the most famous for its semi |
| churches and hospitals of Kigali alone. The Kigali | | | | permanent lava lake. The volcano is also known |
| Genocide memorial center contains ten mass | | | | to the people of Congo as a sacred mountain |
| graves- a site of burial for almost victims, who | | | | where an angry spirit is trapped, The volcano is |
| were killed in the Kigali region. After the genocide, | | | | still active and it has erupted several times |
| as mass graves were being discovered around | | | | throwing lavas toward the town of Goma and |
| the city. It was decided that a single monument/ | | | | other neighboring villages. |
| burial place should be created, where the victims | | | | Any body knows about how long the volcano has |
| could be laid to rest with dignity, this is now their | | | | been erupting, but since 1882, it has erupted at |
| final resting place. The memorial houses a | | | | least 34 times, including many periods where |
| childrenâs section, a particularly powerful | | | | activity was continuous for years at a time, often |
| experience to read about the children- how they | | | | in the form of a churning lava lake in the crater. |
| lived, and how they died. Amongst other things, it | | | | The volcano partly overlaps with two older |
| traces how things came to being so bad, how the | | | | volcanoes, Baratu and Shaheru, and is also |
| ideology of genocide emerged, how the tragedy | | | | surrounded by hundreds of small volcanic cinder |
| could have been averted, and how the world | | | | cones from flank eruptions. |
| ignored the signs and warnings repeatedly. Some | | | | Volcanism at Nyiragongo is caused by the rifting |
| of the survivors of the genocide have been | | | | of the Earth's crust where two parts of the |
| trained as guides at the center. Open 10am to | | | | African Plate are breaking apart. A hot spot is |
| 5pm daily. Entrance is free but at the door there | | | | probably also partly responsible for the great |
| is a box for donation. The place is really heart | | | | activity at Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. |
| breaking! | | | | The lava emitted in eruptions at Nyiragongo is |
| 4. MOUNTAIN GORILLAS TREKKING | | | | often unusually fluid. Nyiragongo's lavas are made |
| A Mountain Gorilla Trekking is the pinnacle of all | | | | of melilite nephelinite, an alkali-rich type of volcanic |
| the wildlife experiences available in Africa and | | | | rock whose unusual chemical composition may be |
| Rwanda is with no doubt the best place for this. | | | | a factor in the unusual fluidity of the lavas there. |
| People are limited to spend only one hour with the | | | | Whereas most lava flows move rather slowly and |
| Gorillas and expect to hike for two to four hours | | | | rarely pose a danger to human life, Nyiragongo's |
| to see them. These incredible primates are divided | | | | lava flows may race downhill at up to 60 miles |
| into four groups that have been habituated over | | | | per hour (up to 100 km/h). This is because of the |
| the decades; itâs a thing not to miss in | | | | extremely low silica content. Hawaiian volcanic |
| Rwanda. Don't miss spending an hour with these | | | | eruptions are also characterized by lavas with low |
| magical creatures. It does require planning in | | | | silica content, but the Hawaiian volcanoes are |
| advance, and contacting the National Park or a | | | | broad, shallow-sloped shield volcanoes in contrast |
| local tour operator to check what the latest | | | | to the steep-sided cone of Nyiragongo, and the |
| system they have implemented with regards to | | | | silica content is high enough to slow most Hawaiian |
| how you get a permit - but it is all worthwhile. | | | | flows to walking pace. |
| Also, don't be put off by the price - a high price is | | | | The last known eruption was in 2002. The |
| needed to ensure that protecting the gorillas is | | | | Volcano erupted and ajected a large cloud of |
| economically sustainable for the local area. | | | | smoke and ash high into the sky and spewing lava |
| 5. MOUNTAINS CLIMBING | | | | down three sides of the volcano. One river of |
| The National park office offers guided climbs to | | | | lava flowed right through the center of Goma and |
| the top of 2 volcano among the 5 of the Virunga | | | | into Lake Kivu , effectively bisecting the city. |
| chain, Visoke (3711m) and Karisimbi (4705m -the | | | | Hundred of people were burnt to death . At least |
| tallest). | | | | 400,000 people fled their homes when the lava |
| The climbs to the summits are not technical and | | | | swept down the flanks of Mount Nyiragongo and |
| can be done by fit hikers. The scenery is great! | | | | through Goma's main street before pouring into |
| However, the trek to Karisimbi's summit is an | | | | Lake Kivu on the Rwandan border. The thousands |
| overnight trek and should be prepared properly. | | | | of displaced, came back after three days and |
| 6. NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK | | | | tried to rebuild their lives by erecting wooden huts |
| This national park is a preserved part of rain | | | | on top of the lava. Somewhere beneath lay the |
| forest which houses 13 species in all, including | | | | remains of their homes. |
| humankind's closest living relative the chimpanzee, | | | | The lava had set like concrete. It was impossible |
| as well as the handsome L'Hoest's monkey and | | | | to dig trenches for water supplies and drainage. |
| hundred-strong troops of the delightfully acrobatic | | | | Even to sink a hole for the simple African drop |
| Angola colombus. The most important | | | | toilet wasn't possible. The sharp irregular stones |
| ornithological site in Rwanda, Nyungwe harbours | | | | made walking difficult and slashed the tires of cars |
| almost 300 bird species of which two dozen are | | | | and motorbikes. |
| restricted to a handful of montane forests on the | | | | Lava dictated everything. It was the foundation |
| Albertine Rift. Please come with your car or book | | | | for people's homes, their yards, the building blocks |
| a tour with a local tour operator otherwise it is | | | | for yard walls and the surface of the roads. |
| very hard to reach the place and get away. You | | | | Buildings that had survived were submerged and |
| can camp there and pitch a tent but you have to | | | | set fast one story deep in it. |
| consider bringing all food and water with you as | | | | Even if the 2002 eruption was described by many |
| facilities are limited. The entry fee has recently | | | | Congolese as the worse; But the 1977 was many |
| been increased so check up the actual fares. | | | | times than it. The difference is that the first didn't |
| 7. AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK | | | | destroy houses like the last one, but its burnt |
| Akagera is the best national park of Rwanda - | | | | many peoples. On 10 January 1977, the crater |
| very helpful park-ranger help to find you all | | | | walls fractured, and the lava lake drained in less |
| animals in park - mainly, giraffes, zebras, | | | | than an hour. The lava flowed down the flanks of |
| antelopes, baboons, buffaloes, hippos and | | | | the volcano at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour |
| crocodiles. | | | | on the upper slopes, overwhelming villages and |
| 8. RUSUMO FALLS | | | | killing at least 2000 people. Some reports quote |
| Rusumo is a Marvelous and spectacular falls of | | | | much higher figures of up to several thousand |
| the Akagera River, a part of the most distant | | | | people. The hazards posed by eruptions like this |
| headwaters of the river Nile. The falls is located in | | | | are unique to Nyiragongo. Nowhere else in the |
| the Eastern part of Rwanda at the border with | | | | world does such a steep-sided stratovolcano |
| Tanzania. | | | | contain a lava lake containing such fluid lavas. |