“THE LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS”
“THE LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS”—RWANDA BEYOND GORILLAS
For starters, there is the capital city of Kigali, which is the entry point of any visit to Rwanda and well worth a visit. Known as The Land of a Thousand Hills, travelers can get a taste of the country’s lush landscape by wandering its many parks and gardens. It’s also one of Africa’s cleanest cities, thanks in part to the governmental initiative of “Umuganda,” which translates to “coming together in common purpose.” It is a country-wide cleanup that takes place on the last Saturday of every month from 8AM – 11AM. Projects can range from picking up litter to building a community hospital and visitors will not only notice but feel the communality of Kigali as they explore. If the timing works, you can also participate!
In April 1994, as the world’s media was focusing its attention on the election of Nelson Mandela, and the end of South Africa’s apartheid, something terrible was happening in Rwanda. This tiny East African country, with a population of approximately 12 million as of 2016, was the centre of the world’s most barbaric, bloodiest and cruelest massacre that left over 1 million minority Tutsi and moderate Hutus dead.
The violence was sparked by a plane carrying Rwanda’s president, Juvénal Habyarimana, and Burundi President, Cyprien Ntaryamira, being shot down in Kigali, killing both presidents. The mass slaughter left a trail of destruction bringing Rwanda to its knees as many innocent souls lost their lives. After the genocide, Rwanda’s fragile economy was completely destroyed, impoverishing the entire population.
However, Rwanda has risen from the ashes, and its remarkable story of recovery and hope has inspired the entire globe. More than two decades later, Rwanda is not only a success story on the African continent, but a perfect example for other war-ravaged countries globally to borrow a leaf from. The country has made substantial progress in developing its economy and strengthening the social fabric.
Curious for a firsthand glimpse at how Rwanda has managed to rebuild itself after a dark and horrendous past, I decided to visit Rwanda to explore and have my own personal experience. As I boarded my flight from Nairobi headed to Kigali, Rwanda, I was excited to see this fast-developing country that is a beacon of hope, and whose economy now surpasses many African nations.
After about one-and-a-half hours, we were already in Rwanda’s airspace, and looking down through my window, I was fascinated by the beautiful green topography dominated by numerous hills. Did you know Rwanda is also known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills?”
The Memorial is also the final resting-place for over 250,000 victims. Family members of the departed come here to pay their respects, walk the peaceful gardens, and reflect. The Memorial has even developed a “peace education” program that is now built into the country’s national school curriculum. As a visitor, you are given an audio guide headset to wear. This provides background context and historical commentary as you walk around the various exhibits. The Memorial Center also continues to provide support to orphans and widows and plays an important role in Rwanda’s extraordinary journey towards healing and reconstruction. Quite an emotional and moving experience, the hour or two that one spends here is a small way in which to pay tribute to and honor the victims. Entry is free of charge and donations are encouraged.
Another meaningful activity in Kigali is visiting an Azizi Life Experience Project, a Rwandan cooperative that supports local businesses throughout the country. One option is spending time with a lady’s group, where you can join the artisan hostesses in their village for a morning of family chores, a simple home-cooked lunch, and an afternoon of learning how to craft. It’s an incredible way to learn about one another as you share conversation and laughter with the artisans and their families.
For bird lovers, there is the Umusambi Village, which sits just an hour outside the city. The area is a restored wetland area and a sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes (rescued from the illegal pet trade and unable to otherwise be returned to the wild). The village is a lovely place to walk and enjoy nature while admiring these stunning creatures.
While in Kigali, I stayed at The Retreat by Heaven, an independently owned boutique hotel just outside of the city center. All of its rooms (including its new pool villas) have names such as ‘Praise,’ ‘Equality,’ and ‘Compassion’ and public areas are decorated with Rwandan crafts and photographs of daily life. The hillside setting itself is so peaceful and would make for a perfect yoga retreat. Allowing oneself time to enjoy the grounds, swimming pool, spa, and its intimate Fusion restaurant (offering local farm-to-table cuisine), are reason alone to extend a day or two on each end of your gorilla trek.
From Kigali, having explored its many cafes, art galleries and markets, everyone inevitably makes their way to Volcanoes National Park. Of course, it is from here that you visit the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. But since these operate as morning excursions, you have the afternoon to visit and learn about other parts of the region.
One such place you may enjoy visiting is the Gorilla Guardian Cultural Village, home to former poachers who now work to protect the mountain gorilla population. At this cultural center you learn about their traditional music and healing practices, take archery lessons, and try your hand at local food preparation – such as banana beer which you can also purchase. It is an experience the entire family would love. Is it a little touristy? Sure. But your visit supports a great cause—that of transforming poachers into guardians and showing them another way to earn a meaningful living.
Another ideal afternoon activity near Volcanoes National Park is a visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Anyone who has seen the movie Gorillas in the Mist (required watching if you are planning a trip to Rwanda) would be somewhat familiar with the incredible legacy of Dian Fossey and her work with the mountain gorillas. This facility is a fun yet educational place to visit and houses never-before-seen artifacts from Dian Fossey’s time living with the gorillas (even an exact replica of her cabin). It also screens a humorous 8-minute movie (in a 360-degree immersive theater) about a day in the life of a gorilla family and offers other interactive exhibits (really ideal for children but adults will enjoy it as well). Overall, a visit to this Center is an excellent way to learn more about the gorillas and the efforts in place to protect them.
Lastly, if time allows, you can spend a night or two up by the Twin Lakes (about one hour from Volcanoes National Park) at Virunga Lodge. Situated high on a ridge with breathtaking views of the Twin Lakes, the Virunga Volcanoes, and the Musanze Valley, the dramatic landscape is reason enough to visit. While here, guests can hike to a local community or volcano, do some bird watching or enjoy the spa treatments on offer. I especially loved the singing butlers who awaken you each day with songs and morning coffee! It is a wonderful way to end a stay in this enchanting and very special country.
From city to forest – and all of the places in between – Rwanda offers diversity, beauty and culture! This inviting country is not to be missed!
Day 1- Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Finally, we landed at Kigali International Airport, sometimes referred to as Kanombe International Airport. It’s mid December, and with temperatures almost at 30 degrees, it’s hot and sunny. One thing I particularly liked about Rwanda is that it’s a safe country that you can explore confidently. Interestingly, foreign agencies have few things to say about Rwanda’s security, as it’s described as generally safe with relatively low crime rates.
Kigali Airport is located only 10 km east of the city. Aside from air travel, you can travel to Rwanda via road. Kigali is accessible by road from other regional cities such as Kampala and Nairobi, with several buses plying the route daily. Kigali Airport is busy and receives regular flights from various regional and global destinations such as Entebbe, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Juba, Johannesburg, Lagos, Dubai, Doha, London, Amsterdam, and Istanbul, among others. Currently, the airport is undergoing expansion to better its facilities and boost passenger numbers.
“Hello and welcome to Rwanda. Open your bags, please,” one of Rwanda’s officials asked politely. I wasn’t perplexed because this is common procedure at airports, as officials search for contraband, i.e. drugs and banned items. But, Rwandan officials were looking for something else unusual – plastic bags!
Everybody, including myself who had plastic bags in their luggage, was forced to remove them and hand them over to the authorities. At Kigali International Airport, there is a sign that warns travelers that their plastic bags will be confiscated. In 2016, Rwanda was the first country in the world to ban plastic bags, and this directive has since remained in force. Although it was a bit inconveniencing, it was definitely worth it as Rwanda is famous for its high standards of cleanliness.
Going through immigration was a fairly straightforward process as there isn’t too much paperwork, and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. According to Sleeping in Airports, a Canadian Aviation website, Kigali International Airport is ranked 2nd best in Africa after Cape Town International Airport.
The airport is busy but well-organized; the terminals are modern, spotlessly clean, and easy to navigate. The ongoing expansion and remodeling is expected to give it a major facelift. There are coffee shops, free Wi-Fi, and numerous other amenities in the airport. To be honest, I was quite impressed with the entire immigration process.
Getting into Kigali
On my way out of the airport, I was delighted to meet Eric, my tour guide, who had patiently waited for me at the airport. Being a local, I knew I was in the right hands as he had been referred to me by a friend who regularly visits Kigali. With my luggage in the trunk, we left in a taxi to a hotel in the city centre, which was to be my home for the next 4 days I was to be in Rwanda.
The moment we left the airport, I began to see how beautiful Kigali was. The beautiful green vegetation and clean streets were a marvel. The city also has plenty of trees that allow passers-by to enjoy shading, as well as help to keep the air cool and fresh. If you can’t afford a taxi, there are other numerous transport options to choose from. The city is populated with small buses, as well as large buses with higher seating capacity. It’s worth mentioning that the standard fare to any part of Kigali is 200 Rwandan Francs.
Traffic was moving smoothly despite the approaching rush hour. Unlike some cities in Africa that experience huge traffic snarl-ups and motorists disobeying traffic rules, there is a lot of discipline on the roads here as Rwandans respect the law. My tour guide explained traffic offenses are punished severely, and this has helped to maintain sanity on the road.
On our way to the hotel, I noticed there are so many motorbikes in Kigali, and the good thing is, they can quickly and safely get you to any part of the city. Remember, the law requires both the rider and passenger to wear a vest and protective helmets. I also spotted a couple of bicycle-taxis on the road as locals find them a cheap alternative to taxis, buses, and motorbikes. Unlike buses, you can negotiate fare if you plan to travel with a motorbike or bicycle-taxi.
Arrival at the Hotel
I arrived at the hotel at around 5 p.m. and was welcomed in the modern lobby with friendly and helpful staff. Heaven Boutique Hotel is our popular 4 Star hotel with 28 rooms located on 2 separate properties on a peaceful, residential road. Heaven Boutique Hotel features local Rwandan décor, warm hospitality, delicious breakfasts at Heaven Restaurant, and access to a solar-heated salt water swimming pool, outdoor yoga deck and fitness center.
The Heaven Boutique Hotel Residence is located 1 door downhill from Heaven Restaurant. The Residence King rooms are spacious with a King or Twin bed setup; some rooms have balconies. The Residence features a solar heated, salt water swimming pool, yoga deck, and each two bedrooms share a common living room and balcony.
PRICE FROM $260 PER NIGHT | 35 SQM
In 2008, Alissa & Josh Ruxin built Heaven – Kigali’s first international restaurant and hospitality training facility. Since then they have trained over 1000 Rwandans and expanded to two hotels and restaurants and a tour company. At the heart of our approach is an authentic and tailored Rwandan experience delivered by an inspired team. Everything we offer was custom-built by local craftspeople and showcases Rwandan arts, photography, experiences, and agriculture. Our book, written by Josh, “A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope and a Restaurant in Rwanda”, is available on Amazon.
Day 2- Kigali City Tour
After a restful night, it was daybreak; time to officially start my Kigali city tour. After a quick sumptuous breakfast, I met with Eric, who was to take me on an extensive tour of Kigali City and its attractions. As we began driving around Kigali, I began to discover a clean, well-organized and developed city.
Despite having gone through political turmoil over two decades ago, I was so impressed to see a well-developed infrastructure and modern buildings around the city. Transport is available in Kigali 24 hours a day. The transport industry is mostly dominated by youths who depend on the industry to earn an income.
With a population of over 1 million, Kigali has been built over several hills and valleys with a view that is exhilarating. The city is developing rapidly, with characteristics of a burgeoning metropolis with modern international standards. Kigali is very popular with foreigners and expatriates, as it hosts a number of diplomatic missions and international NGO’s.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
My tour began with visiting a popular historical site that defines Rwanda’s past – Kigali Genocide Memorial Museum. This is an important stop for anyone coming to Rwanda, as it shows how this country has been to hell and back, memorializing 250,000 victims of Rwanda’s 100-day massacre that killed over 800,000 people who are buried here. As I entered the museum, a strong sense of sadness engulfed me. It was easy to paint a picture of the magnitude of human suffering. What happened in Rwanda could only come second to the world’s deadliest massacre – the Holocaust. Men were slashed by machetes, women raped and tortured to death, and children clubbed to death.
I was eager to learn more and reconcile how Rwanda has managed to pull through this dark past, a recent historical event that happened when I was in kindergarten. Open to the public a decade after the genocide, the memorial has photos, giant wall displays, archival documents, video footage, and weapons that were used at the time were encased in glass. The indoor exhibit is filled with thousands of human skulls and a children’s memorial section with photos of innocent little souls who were cruelly butchered.
On the outer section is beautiful garden, perfect for those who needed to reflect and have a moment of silence after what they’d just seen. There are large tombs holding the mass graves for 250,000 victims covered by giant concrete blocks. You can pay your respects here by buying a rose as a donation to the memorial and lay it on the grave. Those who lost their loved ones often come here to mourn and remember.
Further ahead, I saw a giant marble wall with the names of all of the perished in the massacre. It was heartbreaking, but a reminder that no other catastrophe of this magnitude should ever be allowed to happen again. My trip here taught me that we shouldn’t ever take the peace we enjoy for granted.
Entry to the museum is free, but it’s good to leave a small donation at the gate to help manage the memorial and help survivors of the genocide. Please note, you’re not allowed to take photographs inside, but you can do so outside. There’s also a restaurant at the site where you can coffee or eat lunch, with proceeds going towards maintaining the site.
Presidential Palace Museum
After completing my tour at the memorial, my next stop was the Presidential Palace Museum located in Kanombe, about 5 km east of Kigali City Centre. The palace is home to former Rwandan President, Juvenal Habyarimana, who was assassinated in a plane crash in 1994 triggering the deadly genocide. As we entered the museum, I was told visitors come to the palace to see how the president lived. In addition, in the rear of the vast compound lies the debris of Falcon 60, the presidential jet that was brought down and landed in the president’s own backyard. The palace was built in 1976, but Juvenal lived in the palace designed by a French architect from 1980.
The palace was strange, as it had sensors that alerted the president when someone was walking in the house – he was paranoid and fearful. The former president practiced both Christianity and traditionalism, as there’s a room that was specifically used for witchcraft activities and animal sacrifice. The exterior has beautiful and well-kept lawns, a tennis court, pool, and outside pets. There’s also a concrete pond that once housed a 300-pound python that the president believed protected him from evil spirits. The pond was destroyed during the crash and the python mysteriously disappeared never to be seen again.
Dining
After a day full of activities, it was time to head back to the city centre for an evening walk. Mark decided to take me on a tour of Nyamirambo and a few other areas of the city. Nyamirambo is particularly lively with plenty of bars and restaurants. After the walking tour, we decided to sit down and sample Rwanda’s delicacies. Rwanda is well-known for its fantastic local coffee, so it’s best to try out a cup of coffee. I decided to sample “Nyama Choma,” or roasted meat, with Ugali, which is a favorite in Kenya, but also very popular in Rwanda. Popular dishes in Rwanda include Matoke (Steamed fish), cassava, sweet potatoes, ibihaza, and groundnut paste, kanyinga, among others.
A visit to the market
A stop at Nyabugogo Market made me realize just how clean and organized Rwanda is. The market is centrally located in the city, is clean and organized with different merchandize being sold at affordable prices. You can find anything here – fruits, meat, vegetables, cereals, home products, and textiles, among others. It’s the perfect place to shop if you need fresh produce, and the best thing is you have a wide variety to choose from. Since I am used to walking in local markets, it was easy for me to move around and see.
Day 3 – Trip to Volcanoes National Park
On the third, and final, day in Rwanda, it was time to head out of Kigali to embark on the much-awaited gorilla expedition. Rwanda is amongst three countries in the world where you can see mountain gorillas. For me, this was definitely an exciting trip I have waited for all my life. Together, with my tour guide Mark, we joined another group of travellers and shared the same 4×4 for the group tour.
Our two-hour journey from Kigali began at 5 a.m. I was told you need to arrive very early to have ample time to explore. Aside from Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, gorillas also inhabit Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Aside from mountain gorillas, the park has golden monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, and over 178 bird species. This national park has a total of five volcanoes.
The drive was scenic with lush green hills and locals busy cultivating their lands. Volcanoes National Park is located in Musanze, a small village that is the starting point for gorilla trekking. The good thing is that if you arrive early, you can do your trek and travel back to Kigali the same day.
When we arrived at the park entrance, the scenery was stunning. After being briefed and placed in groups, the trek began, being led by experienced guides who’ve done this for years. There are various other activities you can do such as hiking Karisimbi Volcano, visiting Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, and a one-day Mount Bisoke Volcano hike.
Visitors need to pay for a permit to trek, which costs $1,500 to watch gorillas. The aim is to promote high-end tourism in Rwanda. It is good to book your permit in advance from Rwanda’s Tourism and Conservation Office, as the demand is usually high.
The scenery was breathtaking, but the climb began to become challenging as we went deeper in search of gorillas. The trek is challenging, as you have to pass through thick bushes with numerous insects. Luckily, our trek took only about an hour, and we started spotting gorillas feeding and running through the bushes.
It was interesting to see baby gorillas running alongside their parents. We were warned not to move too close to them for safety purposes. Our guide said we were extremely lucky as some groups trek over seven hours before spotting any gorillas. Aside from gorillas, you can also see Rwanda’s golden monkeys at a lesser price of approximately 100 dollars for a permit.
However, bear in mind that you cannot do both the gorilla trek and view golden monkey’s on the same day. It’s a shorter walk to the golden monkeys than the mountain gorillas since the gorillas are found at the higher altitude. Unlike the gorillas, which move slowly and rest as a group in one place, the monkeys keep tourists on their toes. They are fast so you have to be fast to see them.
After the long and tiring trek, it was time to head back to Kigali. We arrived late in the evening and I was extremely fatigued from ascending the steep hills in the national park. However, this was an unforgettable experience that anyone would want to be part of. The permits are expensive, so you need to plan your finances in advance and secure bookings in good time.
Departure
Sadly, my three-day tour had come to an end and it was time to have dinner and get to bed as my flight was the next day at 11 a.m. in the morning. Overall, Rwanda is a great country and a must visit. I was on a tight schedule, and therefore, couldn’t manage to visit all of Rwanda’s attractions, as there are many.
The next day, I woke up early, took breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and headed to the airport at 10 a.m. My experience in Rwanda was great and I was touched by the warm hospitality of the people and everyone I met. Mark was of great help to me throughout my entire tour, as he organized my tours and ensured I got to see as much of Rwanda as I could. At the departure lounge, it was time to say goodbye to him and embark on my flight back home. It was fun and I look forward to visiting again.
Final Thoughts
I was impressed by the remarkable standards of cleanliness, which have been achieved through consistent community cleanliness efforts. On the last Saturday of every month, Rwandans come together for “Umuganda,” a national community service day, where communities come together to clean their neighborhoods and towns.
The main aim of these initiatives is to ensure the country remains clean and organized and help enforce community togetherness as part of the Rwanda’s post-genocide healing process. Rwanda’s growth is phenomenal and the future is bright due to the fact that the government is working on a strategy to make Rwanda’s economy achieve middle income status by 2020.