About Rwanda, Rwanda is a small country sometimes referred to as ‘’ the land of a Thousand Hills’’ and it was named due to very many green rolling landscape of hills inhabit the country.
Rwanda occupy an area of about 26,338 sq km (10,169sqmiles). The current population of Rwanda is 13,873,756 as of Thursday, May 18, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. Like its counterpart Uganda, Rwanda is also a landlocked country in the central Africa and it has no sea port, it lies a few degrees south of the Equator.
Rwanda neighbors countries like Uganda in the north, Burundi in the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the West and Tanzania in the East. The country is divided by great peaks of up to 3,000m (9,842ft) which run across the county from north to south.
Rwanda is a very beautiful county with a moderate climate. Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda which is located in the heart of Rwanda; it’s just 7kms from Kanombe international airport, so any traveler to Rwanda can’t leave minus exploring the Kigali city to visit some of the attractive places within the city including the Kigali genocide memorial site, National museum, handicraft markets, cultural places among many other interesting places within the city.
Kigali is a very attractive small city with a fantastic variety of flowering trees and plants from various points on the edge, there are outstanding views over the intensively cultivated and terraced countryside. The mountains and hills seem to stretch forever and the abundant rainfall keeps them a rush green. The population is young and predominantly rural, with a population density among the highest in Africa.
Rwanda is gifted with very many natural wonders ranging from the rare mountain gorillas to bird life. It’s one of the three countries the other two are Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo to house the rare mountain gorillas left worldwide and its regarded the best safari destination for gorilla tracking, housing almost a half of the world’s population.
Rwanda is also known as a birders paradise as it houses almost one third of Africa’s bird species, it houses over 13 species of primates the popular are the chimpanzee the most close relative of man sharing about 98% of human DNA make up other primate species include baboon, vervet monkey, mona monkey, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabey just to mention but a few.
Rwanda also houses very many Volcanoes, game reserve, resorts and islands on the expansive Lake Kivu, graceful dancers, artistic crafts and friendly people and plenty of wildlife species among many other all these and many others not mentioned, make Rwanda a worth to visit African country.
When in Rwanda you can’t even remember that ounce it suffered from a terrible war where over one million people killed within 90 days. However, all come to pass and many infrastructures that were destroyed are now re-build up, the country is now steady and considered one of the safest countries in developing not only in Africa but also in the entire world.
A team of Adventure Rwanda Safaris is waiting for you to take you and enjoy Rwanda’s secrets most of them are untouched just waiting for you to explore.
The altitude is less than 1500 meters in the Eastern plateau but rising to between 1500 and 2000 meters in the west and north
This is a newly introduced day/event in Rwanda celebrated every year, and it has attracted a huge number of people whole over the world that came to witness the naming of new born gorillas by the ranger or concerned authorities, it’s ongoing for close to 3 decades.
Also the pan African dance festival which is organized every after two years to discuss issues about the cultural, political, social and economic development of Africa, this event has also attracted numerous people in Rwanda
After the genocide war which happened in Rwanda in1994, many memorial sites where built as a remind of the tragedy which happened after the killings of the president Habyalimana, these include Gisozi Genocide memorial museum Nyamata, Mulambi, Bisesero, Ntarama, Kigali memorial center and Nyarbuye.
After the killing of Habyalimana, immediately road brocks, looting, bunting and killings started, and the war was between the Hutus and Tutsis, within about 90 days, over an estimate of 1 million people were registered death as a result of this terrible war, and thousands fled to nearby countries to seek for asylum.
The war affected the economy the more, the population went down, and many Infrastructures like building, banks, among many others we destroyed.
As result of the many deceased, it was decide that a one graveyard should be built for the burials of the dead bodies and over 8 memorial sites are recognized in Rwanda many visitors to Rwanda can’t leave minus a visit to one of these sites.
The survivors of this dreadful war will provide you with relative information about how the war started and how they survived from the marauding killers, you can’t fail to feel tears camming from your throats after receiving such heart touching stories. Let’s us examine one by one of these Rwanda genocide memorial sites.
Murambi was a recognized school before the genocide war, but after the breakdown of the killings, people rushed to this school to seek for a refuge and also they thought protection from the French soldiers, however this did not work out the way they thought, the Hutu attacked and killed the Tutsis in big number, within here and in the nearby road blocks, over 2700 people are estimated to have been murdered and buried here.
For preservation of the place natives were resettled in other places for the preservation of the corpses in the place and it’s now an exhibition place related to tourism.
Many bodies are still preserved and nobody is allowed to interrupt their peace. The school is now used as an exhibition to tourist. Ounce here you will receive informative information from the survivors of this horrific war
This is where most of the killings started and it’s considered as the first genocide memorial site to be set in Rwanda immediately after the killings. An estimation of about 12000 victims who were killed in the genocide were buried here mostly the Hutus and a few Tutsis called within and in the nearby towns.
The memorial site was built with the help of IBUKA, the genocide survivors’ organization, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. The site is located in in Gisenyi; it’s where Madame Carr’s grave who was in charge of the Imbabazi orphanage is found.
Nyamata formally known as a church, its located just about an hour from Kigali city and its located in Bugesera district, over 2500 who had come to seek refuge at the church were killed mostly the Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Ounce here you can still see people’s IDS, bones, are still emerged with bits of clothing’s. The church still exits as to commemoration of the incidence that took place.
This is one of the most visited memorial site, its located just about 3km from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city in Gisabo village in Gisenyi. Many visitors to Rwanda find it easy to drive and visit this memorial site and then after drive back to their destination.
Within here over 20000 people are said to have been buried under the same graveyard. The museum was built by a joint partnership of the Kigali city council and the UK based sponsorship trust.
Bisesero is located in Karongi district on the lower slopes of Kibuye region in the western part of Rwanda and it’s referred to as a hill of resistance because of the brave opposition the Tutsis showed the Hutus. The Tutsis hide here for weeks against the Hutus and the hill was characterized with very many rocks which they used to defend themselves.
however this did not lost for long, they were betrayed by the French soldiers who promised them protection if they vacate the hills, the French withdrawn from protecting the Tutsis and hence they were attacked by the Intarahamwe soldiers who were well equipped with guns and machetes, against the Tutsis who only fighting using stick, stones, they were over powered and accounts to over 30000 were killed, and it was decided to buried them in one graveyard. The site has nine small structures meaning the nine communities which formed the Kibuye region.
Nyarubuye was a convent as well as a school, when the war started, the nuns and bishops ordered people to go and hide from here and the nearby school thinking that they won’t be attacked by the marauding killers since they had been promised protection from the French soldiers.
The French soldiers withdrawn, and went back home giving room for the killers to attack and kill who ever found here as they tried to escape for their lives in Tanzania.
The church is now known as a tourist site and the school was renovated in 2003 and it’s now opened, operating with a number of students. People’s items like clothes, dishes, identity cards, shoes, wallet among many others are still preserved and kept in the convent building.
Most of the memorial rituals which are conducted in Rwanda every 15 April in the commemoration of the 1994 genocide war are done from here. Many travelers, VIPs from different countries whole over the world meet here as they commemorate the massive killing of the people.
Nyanza was formally a school called ETO managed by the UN who had come to provide security to the Rwanda before the genocide, the site is located in Kicukiro a suburb southeast of the city center, people thought protection form the French soldiers and took refuge to the school, however when the French soldiers returned to their country, it gave a room to the marauding killers to attack and kill who ever took refugee here majorly the Tutsis and a few Hutus.
An estimate of 5000 people are said to have been killed within the church and nearby road blocks around the town, it was formally a church before the war, where many people rush to hide from most especially women and children, thinking they won’t be attacked the killers, they padlocked them self-inside the church, however they were attacked and killed in such large number.
Since the genocide, this church was not interfered with and today it is an exhibition site. You can still identify peoples ID, clothes, wallets shoes. It’s located just about an hour’s drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and it’s largest city and its located in Bugesera
Kigali city is the most recognized Rwanda’s town located within the heart of Rwanda where all the most attractive tourists’ activities can be found. It’s known as a business center port entry and an international airport just about 7 kilometers from the international airport.
Kigali city was named by a first German colonial resident of Rwanda in 1907 Dr. Richard Kandt after the 1962 independence.
Kigali attracts many tourists and travelers to Rwanda and it’s known as one of the cleanest with friendliest people and also known as a safest city not only in the east and central Africa but also in the whole world. It’s built on a hill and it can be viewed in a distance, more especially at night with stunning light around.
Rwanda is generally a mountainous country and sometimes it’s referred to ‘’a land of a thousand hills’’. The city has favorable climate normally with a marked dry season that will truly make you feel away from home. Over one million people are said to live within the city making it the highest concentration of the country’s population.
Kigali city is comprised of 3 districts including Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro. Kigali was affected much doing the Horrific war which happened in 1992 which was against the Hutu and Tutsis, the genocide war claimed over 1 million people for only about 90 days, over 25000 people majorly the Tutsis and a few Hutu where killed in Kigali only any seek a asylum to the nearby countries.
A one genocide memorial site was built in Gisenyi; so many visitors can’t leave Kigali minus touring this site. However ounce you visits Kigali, you can’t even remember that it affected much, most of the infrastructures which were destroyed were rebuilt and everything has come back to normal and Kigali city now is known as one of the most visited town in Africa attracting a huge number of travelers whole over the world who came to have a glance about kigali incredible attractions around.
Other attractive places to visit within the city include the national museum, handicraft shops, market places, the Hero’s Cemetery at Amahoro National Stadium, visit the pottery project of the Batwa, Coffee shops, bars and local and international restaurants ranging from Chinese, Italian, North African, clubs Muslim quarter of Nyamirambo among many other interesting sites depends on the time available. You can drive to volcanoes national park a home to endangered mountain gorillas.
Rwanda is one of the blessed countries with very many incredible tourist secrets; Lake Kivu is one of the places attracting a huge number of tourists who visit Rwanda either for a safari or business. It’s known as Rwanda’s freshest water bodies and the biggest in Rwanda and also known as the sixth largest lake in Africa, located on the western side of Rwanda along the border of Congo and Rwanda.
It occupies a total surface area of about 2,700 km2 (1,040 sq mi) and stands at a height of 1,460 meters (4,790 ft) above sea level.
The lake is one of the perfect places to visit in Rwanda, it’s a lovely option for a visitor coming from volcanoes national park or Nyungwe forest national park, you can spend a night at the lake while enjoying the serenity of the lake, and also enjoy memorable activities which include swimming, beach volley ball, relaxing at the lake, or you can go for a boat ride on the lake and explore the neighboring island around the lake as well as viewing to peoples farmland, fishermen, bird viewing to various species of birds like the kingfisher, crowned cranes, pelicans among many others. You will also have a glance at the Nyiragongo Volcano in DR. Congo, it’s said that it’s the only active Volcano in Africa. You can also tour the nearby towns of Cyangugu, Kibuye and Gisenyi.
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