Rwanda’s Eco-tourism hot spots: A quick guide to
a sustainable travel in the land of a thousand hills.
While the Rwanda benefits from being the fastest growing
economy of the world, receiving 1.22 million visitors annually accounts for
serious challenges to eco-tourism and sustainability of its limited wildlife
resources.
Rwanda has 3 national parks, few forest reserves and rich
cultural traditions including the growing number of visitors associating Rwanda
as a place of horrific human tragedy, the genocide of 1994. In Rwanda, many
visitors pay their respect to victims at famous Gisozi, Mirambi, Ntaram
genocide memorials and commentaries.
Luckily enough, reducing your foot print in Rwanda is hardly
avoided by travelers, with countless opportunities to benefit from a greener
visit to Kigali city. Regarded as the most organized and clean city to live in,
it has been transformation through modern infrastructure, public
transportation, Kigali convention center and the safety and security.
From cultural village home stays at Iby’Iwacu cultural village
in Musanze, interacting with local farmers, women, children, former poachers
and Batwa forest dwellers, with their average harvest, they have helped in the
conservation of endangered mountain gorillas as well as other wildlife and
recovery of Rwandan ecosystems.
Rwanda’s Green spaces
Possibly there could be no perfect way to appreciate
Rwanda than its well managed natural ecosystems. With 4 national parks and
several forest reserves, fresh water lakes and 3 of the virunga volcanic
mountains, which dot its north western part, Rwanda was nicknamed the land of a
thousand hills; views are incredible, there are many adventures than you would
think.
Rwanda’s first protected swath of jungle, volcanoes
national park gazetted in 1925 is the most popular for mountain gorilla
trekking. The 160 sq km park is a vast expanse of bamboo and rare montane
forests and home to the remaining population of the critically endangered
mountain gorillas including golden monkeys, both red listed by IUCN.
An inspiration behind the cult of conservation film,
the “Gorillas in the Mist”, about, 200 mountain gorillas live in volcanoes
national park, which is part of the virunga conservation area including Virunga
national park in eastern DR Congo.
Once poached to extinction, Dian Fossey’s legacy at
Karisoke research center in Rwanda remains committed to monitoring of gorilla
population across virunga and Bwindi impenetrable, the only places on earth
providing habitat to the last remaining 880 mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey’s
grave site is protected in volcanoes national park, Rwanda and visitors hike to
pay tribute, eventually create their own gorillas in the mist.
Volcanoes national park is made up of three dormant
volcanoes ranging between 2500 to 4500 meters above sea level; they include Mt.
Karisimbi, Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Sabinyo. There are several hiking trails, starting
from Kinigi, the main eco tourism center, hikers can choose from easy to more strenuous
multi-day hikes. Led by a Rwandan development
board park ranger, you traverse large bamboo and afro-montane vegetations, the views
are impressive stretching eyes over the virunga massifs and crater lakes in
western rift valley
And with 178 species of birds, volcanoes national
park is a twitcher’s paradise to spot over 10 Albertine rift endemic birds such
as Rwenzori Turaco, regal sun bird and strange weaver.
Nyungwe Forest National Park in south eastern Rwanda
is another top pick. Nungywe forests are one of the oldest evergreen low-land
and mountainous rainforests in Africa. It provides a home to a host of
wildlife, including 400 species of forest birds, leopards, serval cats, warthogs
and several species of primates. There are 13 species of primates, including
chimpanzees. Most of these primates are elusive and nocturnal. But, you can get
up close with chimps and also see black and white Colobus monkeys.
Uwinka visitor center, set on the eastern mountain slopes
of the park, hiking trails lead visitors to habituated communities of
chimpanzee as well as some 400 troop of black and white Colobus monkeys, hard
to spot in any other part of east Africa.
However, Nyungwe is not all about the primates,
there’s plenty to see and do, and the park’s heavy rainfall creates spectacular
waterfalls, and getting into the interior of the forest is easier with around
13 hiking trails. Visitors can choose from short easy to difficult multi-day
hikes, along with camping, exotic birding. While nothing beats, the thrill of
Nyungwe forest canopy walk, a range of 60 to 90 meters above metallic canopy walks
offers ethical and close encounters primates, birds, flowers and breathtaking
views of the whole forest.
Akagera national park once occupied by farmers and
cattle herders, its pristine wetlands, rivers, lakes and savannah wilderness
are protected by the African parks. Now a shelter for big game such as African lions,
elephants, buffalos, leopards, antelopes, giraffes as well as 500 birds
including the rare shoebill stork and papyrus gonelock, which can be spotted
during a wetland walk.
When visiting gorillas in Rwanda, be sure to resist
the temptation of disturbing wildlife, which can make them aggressive,
especially habituated gorilla families. Visitors must also not dispose off
their waste including lunch boxes, biscuits or water bottles which you must
carry during gorilla trekking. For more information on gorilla safaris in
Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo visit www.ugandagorillassafari.com
Wildlife
viewing and interactions in Rwanda
Not for many years, trekking mountain gorillas in
Rwanda is synonymous with the visitor experience. However, there’s now increasing
evidence to prove that the activity is harmful for the survival of gorillas if
not well maintained. With conservationists concerned about frequent visits, and
the impact it creates on gorilla behavior and ecosystem. Rwandan development
board offers eco friendly treks; spending time with gorillas is highly
restricted,
While nothing beats the thrill of seeing gorillas in
the wild, fortunately 10 gorilla families are habituated for visitors.
Agro
Tourism
Agriculture has been the major part of the Rwandan
people way if life for centuries. And thanks to the growing number of agro-tourism
projects in Musanze and Nyungwe national park. Visitors who want to taste a
handful of Rwandan traditional cultural experience; one can try everything from
dancing with cultural performers to preparing local cuisine while helping the
farmers, former poachers, and Batwa and women groups. Iby’Iwacu cultural village is the cultural hub
of Rwanda; it’s a home to the local owned pioneering mountain gorilla conservation
project set up by Edwin Sabuhoro. His aim was to encourage people around
volcanoes national park to switch from unsustainable agriculture to gainful
farming and providing community and cultural tourism services, besides
wildlife. People have increased their income generating opportunities from
fruit and vegetables, craft making, banana beer brewing, folklore, and visitors
wanting to help can stay at Iby’Iwacu cultural village or at a home stay near
volcanoes national park.
In Nyungwe forest national park, the Banda and
Kitabi cultural village centers, a three day home stay not only put you into
rural life styles but also insight into the coffee farmers, and their story of coffee
from the field to the cup.
Eco
friendly accommodation
Opting for a home stay over a bigger hotel or lodge even
when visiting Rwanda for a short period, will give you an opportunity to
experience a more traditional way of life in Rwanda. As the main goal, it puts
the control of community tourism business into the hands of the local people,
with the dollars and Rwanda francs if community tours are organized through the
right tour operator. The Rwandan development board (http://www.rdb.rw/home.html ) has helped
set up several community tourism projects, including home stays, lodges and
camps around volcanoes and Nyungwe forest national parks. Offering stays in the
foothills of virunga volcanoes in the north to a fishing village on Lake Kivu. Sabinyo
community livelihood association (SACOLA) is an outstanding socio-economic and
conservation project and Sabinyo community lodge. It has helped to fund successful local gorilla
conservation campaigns.
To be eco friendly, community stay in Rwanda does
not in any way sacrifice for luxury, there are an impressive sustainable
tourism programs at Iby’Iwacu in Musanze including clean water, health care
centers, tree planting and conservation education.