9
Example tour (14 days)
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Exemplary
Tour:
Discovering Rwanda - Nature, Life and People (14 days)
Day 1:
After your arrival at Kigali's
international airport, your Amahoro tour guide will meet you
directly in the
arrival hall. A vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Once
you feel refreshed from the journey, you can get to know your guide at an
informal welcome in the hotel bar or a nearby cafe. Depending on the time of
your arrival and on your personal condition, your guide will offer you a
first experience with Rwandan life by taking you on a short walk into the
city. Dinner can take place either at your hotel or a nearby restaurant.
[Overnight: Different types of accommodation are available ranging
from lower mid-range to a 5*-hotel. We recommend the Novotel Umubano (4*) or the Hotel Chez Lando (2*).]
Day 2:
After a good night's sleep and a nice breakfast, you will
board a vehicle that will bring you to Ruhengeri, a provincial
capital in the north of the country. The 1 1/2 hours drive is a first
highlight to every 'newcomer' to Rwanda. You will get first impressions of
why the country is called the 'Land of a Thousand Hills', and you will be
astonished by the vegetation along the way which is so untypical for Africa.
You will also realise that much of Rwandan life takes part on the fields
and even on the street.
In Ruhengeri you will be offered a tour around the vivid and friendly town centre
before you will have lunch in a local restaurant. The afternoon is allocated
to a trip to the clay fields of a group of brick makers. They will
explain their activities, offer you insights about their daily life, and
even give you the opportunity to get your own hands dirty and produce a
brick. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional dinner and a cultural
performance of a local Intore dance troup.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Gorillas' Nest or the
basic Centre d'Accueil d'Eglise Episcopal.]
Day 3:
You won't regret getting up early because today is the big day
on which you will have your personal encounter with the mountain gorillas.
Before bringing you to the headquarters of the ORTPN park authorities, your
guide will show you where to get a light breakfast and some additional food
and drinks for the hike in the Virunga mountains. At around 7 a.m. you will
meet your ORTPN guide for the gorilla trekking tour. You will be fully
briefed on the activities of the day, and on how you're supposed to behave in
the Volcanoes National Park and, particularly, when close to the mountain
gorillas. Complying with the rules set by the ORTPN is essential for the
conservation of these highly endangered animals. Since accessibility of the
four gorilla families varies, you will be attributed to one of four groups
depending on your abilities and wishes. Gorilla trekking usually takes
between three (for most of the gorilla families) and up to eight hours (for the Susa
group).
After your return you might be exhausted and overwhelmed by the experience
with the gentle giants. And you will be hungry so that your Amahoro guide
will await you for a good late lunch near the ORTPN headquarters. If you're
still active and looking for yet another great experience, your tour guide
will invite you to optionally visit a group of local bee keepers before
heading back to Ruhengeri for a quiet evening with dinner,
either in town or
at your hotel.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Gorillas' Nest or the
basic Centre d'Accueil d'Eglise Episcopal.]
Day 4:
It's time to get a deeper impression of life in Rwanda. After
a breakfast at your hotel, your guide will take you on a trip to the
beautiful area around the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. The scenery
is absolutely breathtaking, and you'll have plenty of time to
enjoy it and to take photos.
Still, your main focus
will be placed on the different activities
around the lakes. Several times you will stop to be introduced to methods of
sustainable farming. Knowledgeable farmers will introduce special
African vegetables and fruits, and explain the processes of sowing, growing and
harvesting. You will be surprised by the sophisticated methods that have
been developed over the centuries.
Finally, you will arrive at the shores of Lake Burera where you can witness
local fishermen going about their daily activities. Various fishing
methods will be presented to you, and you will be invited to try your luck
and take part in a small fishing competition with children from the adjacent
villages. Furthermore, more experienced fishermen will offer the opportunity
to join them on a lake cruise in one of the shaky traditional canoes that
they created out of a single piece of wood (don't be afraid of
getting a little wet!). Alternatively, a short walk to
the villages can be organised. On the way back to Ruhengeri, you will stop
at the Foyer de Charité, a small convent located on a hill
overlooking the beautiful twin lakes. If no seminar is held at the Foyer,
lunch can be obtained here - otherwise, your stomach will have to wait
until you get back to Ruhengeri.
During the afternoon, another highlight will be the visit to the local
witch doctors
and fortune tellers. They will introduce their
conventional herbal treatment methods, and
you can listen to their numerous mythical stories, and
if you're lucky, even some
fortune telling. The evening will be spent in Ruhengeri where your guide
will show you some small restaurants and pubs where the locals meet
to cherish a tasteful banana beer or other local drinks and spirits.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Gorillas' Nest or the
basic Centre d'Accueil d'Eglise Episcopal.]
Day 5:
After breakfast at your hotel your tour vehicle will be
waiting to take you to Gisenyi at the northern shore of Lake Kivu. On the
way, volcanic landscape will take turns with smooth dark green hills and
sporadic light green tea plantations. One of these tea plantations
will be the first stop of this exciting
day. You will learn everything you need to
know about producing tea, and, depending on the season, you will be offered
the opportunity to get involved in sowing or picking tea. Later on, you
will pass numerous small villages with occassional markets. If possible, you
will stop on one of these markets to have the chance to buy some fresh
fruits or vegetables. Among others, your guide will buy large amounts of
fresh eggs and sweet potatoes, and soon you will find out why. Near Gisenyi,
on the shore of Lake Kivu, are some tiny but extremely hot springs.
While your guide is boiling the eggs and the sweet potatoes for you
in this 'natural kitchen', you can
have a look around the village area or take a refreshing bath in the heated
waters of the adjacent Lake Kivu.
For a late lunch you will then check into your hotel in Gisenyi,
before having the afternoon and evening free for your own convenience in
this old resort town with sandy beaches, a palm-shaded beach promenade and
various small restaurants and bars.
[Overnight: We recommend the Meridien "Kivu Sun" (4*) or the cozy
Oasis Guesthouse.)
Day 6:
The day is reserved for a boat trip to a nearby island in Lake
Kivu. After breakfast at your hotel you will meet the boat driver at the
beach. Gishamwana Island is easily accessible from Gisenyi, and its
major attraction is a coffee plantation which covers most of the
island. However, a tour around the plantation is certainly not the only
highlight of the day. You will find out that the landscape around, and even
"in" Lake Kivu, is very representative for the rest of Rwanda. The lake is
surrounded by numerous hills that extend to the lake shore in multiple
gorges, inlets and beaches, and the lake itself contains dozens of small
hilly islands. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and it constantly
changes from banana plantations to terraced hills and meadows where children
watch cows or goats.
Lunch will be provided on the island, and in late afternoon, the boat will
take you back to Gisenyi. During the evening, you can take part in an
optional African party in the atmospheric bar of the Oasis Guesthouse.
Alternatively, you might prefer a quiet romantic evening at the shores of the lake.
[Overnight: We recommend the Meridien "Kivu Sun" (4*) or the cozy
Oasis Guesthouse.]
Day 7:
We would like to offer you an optional trip across the nearby
border into the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the time of writing,
visits to the DRC are absolutely safe - however, due to unforseeable events
your Amahoro guide will decide on the day itself whether crossing the border
is appropriate. The entry into the DRC is without complication - you can
obtain a visa at the customs office, and passing the border usually takes no
more than 15 minutes. On the other side of the border, everything seems to
be the same - and still you have the feeling of somehow being in another
world. After only few minutes, you will reach the outskirts of Goma,
a large city that has repeatedly been in the news in recent years. Goma has
been the venue where enormous refugee camps have been erected during the
years of war and civil war in Rwanda. The city has been exposed to hunger
and multiple diseases. And, as if that wasn't enough, the nearby volcano
Nyiragongo erupted in early 2002 and entirely buried large parts of the city
- like the historic town of Pompeji in Italy. Traces of these tragic events
are impossible to be overlooked, and it will be hard to forget the images of
sad people trying to reconstruct the city on top of up to 7 metres of lava,
while the menacing volcano is still smoking in the background.
After lunch at the high standard Hotel Ihusi near the border, you will cross
back into Rwanda where yet another boat will be waiting for you to take you
on a trip to Kibuye, the resort town on the eastern shore of Lake
Kivu. A quiet dinner at your hotel will offer you the opportunity to come to
terms with the experiences of the day.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Kibuye Guesthouse or the
basic Centre Béthanie.]
Day 8:
During the morning, you will have the chance to visit the
town centre of Kibuye. On the way, your guide will stop at the local
church, a peaceful and quiet place that offers time for reflection on
some of the worst massacres that happened during the genocide. If possible,
you will be given the chance to speak to some survivors of the genocide.
After lunch, you can take part in a discovery tour on the lake with
traditional boats. Near to Kibuye are numerous small islands that are almost
always unpopulated, and invite for the exploration of the lake flora and
fauna. Highlights certainly are the two islands "Napoleon's Hat" and
"Amahoro", the Island of Peace. The former is shaped like an old French
military hat, offering hiking and hill climbing possibilities. At the foot
of the peak, thousands of bats have found their home, darkening the sky when
people approach too close. Amahoro Island is being transformed into a natural
leisure place with a small beach, an old beachvolleyball facility and the
possibility to enjoy traditional Rwandan food while watching an absolutely
romantic and colourful sunset.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Kibuye Guesthouse or the
basic Centre Béthanie.]
Day 9: The morning boat cruise will bring you from Kibuye to
Cyangugu, the southern resort town. For the last time you will enjoy the
breathtaking scenery around Lake Kivu. Like Gisenyi, Cyangugu is a border
town, only a stone's throw away from Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Here, you will be offered the opportunity to gaze at the
tiny bridge which has gained renown for the images of hundreds of thousands
of refugees passing it into another country, and into a more hopeful future.
After lunch in town your tour vehicle will be waiting to take you
to the outskirts of Nyungwe National Park in the south-west of
Rwanda. Listening to the shouts of first primates and birds, you will find
some sleep in the very basic ORTPN Resthouse near the park entrance, looking
forward to another day full of activity and great nature experiences.
[Overnight: ORTPN Resthouse.]
Day 10:
Nyungwe National Park is the largest montaneous forest in the
whole region of Central and East Africa. After a basic breakfast, you will
start a half-day hiking trip during which you will discover the
enormous diversity of flora and fauna including gigantic troups of 13
different primate species.
Nature shall not remain the only attraction of the day. After the hike and a
quick late lunch, your tour vehicle will bring you to Butare, the
former capital of Rwanda, and still the most important cultural centre in the
country. If the time permits, you will spend the late afternoon in the
popular National Museum, before strolling around the National
University and the Arboretum. The exhaustive day will end with a traditional
dinner and a performance of the famous Intore dancers.
[Overnight: We recommend the comfortable Hotel Ibis or
the more basic Hotel Credo.]
Day 11:
If there was not enough time for Butare's cultural
attractions on Day 10, the morning can be spent visiting the National
Museum, the National University and the Arboretum. Otherwise, you will
immediately continue your trip to Nyanza, the seat of the ancient Rwandan kings.
These days a sort of semi-professional museum,
Nyanza offers a visit to the
royal court and the chance to listen
to the village elders who will tell you stories from pre-colonial times.
After lunch you will head back to Kigali where your guide will offer
you a city tour and will show you some good places to do your
shopping for souvenirs.
[Overnight: Different types of accommodation are available ranging
from lower mid-range to 5*-hotels. We recommend the Novotel Umubano (4*) or the Hotel Chez Lando (2*).]
Day 12:
Today you have to wake up very early, because your guide will
show you the third Rwandan national park, and chances to see much wildlife
are higher in the early morning hours. Akagera National Park in East Rwanda is
supposed to be the most complex savannah ecosystem in East Africa. With
your tour vehicle you will go on a safari to explore the savannah and
wetland habitats, the extraordinary birdlife around the five lakes, and the
occasional big game animals. Your guide will provide you with small lunch
packages. During the afternoon, you will be offered the possibility to take
part in lake activities such as canoeing or fishing. For the night you have
the option to camp in or near the park, or to drive to the nearby Rwamagana
for basic hotel accommodation.
[Overnight: Camping in or near the park, or Dereva Hotel in Rwamagana. In exceptional cases, you can request to drive back to Kigali for more comfortable accommodation.]
Day 13:
On the way back to Kigali, you will stop in Rwamagana,
a small provincial town. Here, you can have a brunch, before visiting a
local handicraft production project. The group is supported by the
professional assistance of foreign development agencies, and they try to
offer more than the usual African wood carving. This exemplary project will give you
valuable insights into the development work that is indirectly linked to
tourism, as many of the products can be sold as souvenirs.
Back in Kigali, you can spend the afternoon at your own convenience. Your
guide will certainly be available for another short tour to local and nearby
attractions that you might be interested in - alternatively, you will have time for packing or shopping for
souvenirs.
The last big highlight will be an early evening performance by members of a
Batwa Pottery Project. These native Rwandans do not only produce pots
- they also sing and dance, allowing for a joyful final evening with Rwanda
and its lovely people.
[Overnight: Different types of accommodation are available ranging
from lower mid-range to 5*-hotels. We recommend the Novotel Umubano (4*) or the Hotel Chez Lando (2*).]
Day 14:
Your guide will accompany you back to the airport. In the case
that you have a late evening flight, he will be happy to offer more optional
visits, for example, to nearby genocide memorial sites or local markets in
Kigali's busy suburbs.
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