December 2024

How Was Rwanda founded?

Following several waves of migrations to the Central African region that is now known as Rwanda, small kingdoms began to emerge in 1100. By the late 1800s, the Kingdom of Rwanda had reached the height of its territorial expansion.

Germany colonised Rwanda in 1884 as part of German East Africa. After the German Empire’s defeat in World War I, Rwanda was acquired by Belgium. On August 23 1923, the League of Nation officially put Rwanda under Belgian supervision.

Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962, and Gregoire Kayibanda served as the new country’s first President.

How Gorilla Tourism is Saving Rwandans from Poverty

The Volcanoes national park located in northwestern Rwanda is a unique wildlife safari destination with over 300 mountain gorillas and the best place where tourists can mountain in their forested habitats. They are covered with black fur and are the biggest apes species with a fully-grown silverback (male mountain gorilla) weighing over 200 pounds.

Mountain gorillas are vegetarians that predominantly feed on plant leaves, shoots, and wild fruits. They have over 98% DNA similar to humans and therefore they have human-like behavior especially the way the female mountain gorillas look after their young ones. Much as the mountain gorillas have a DNA similar to humans, they are very sensitive animals and can be aggressive if provoked. When angry, they usually standstill as they beat their chest while groaning. This clearly shows the danger and it’s always wise to move a reasonable distance away from them.

Mountain gorillas are endangered primates that were in the 1990s on the verge of extinction but were saved after several conservation programs like securing their natural habitats from human encroachment where the Batwa who were initially forest dwellers were resettled from the forest, by introducing carrying capacity where only 8 tourists are allowed to track one mountain gorilla family which they only spend with an hour, by introducing the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony as a way of closely monitoring the newly born mountain gorillas and by massively sensitizing the local people on the importance of the mountain gorillas and encouraging them to abandon anti-conservation habits like poaching.

Because of all the above and other conservation efforts, mountain gorilla tourism has greatly grown over the years in Rwanda and has also proved to be another way of protecting these endangered species in the following ways;

The revenue generated from gorilla tours in Rwanda is used to fund conservation programs against poaching wildlife. The locals have also changed their attitudes towards protecting wildlife and this has greatly led to the increase in the mountain gorilla population.

The money collected from mountain gorilla safaris is used to pay the guides and rangers some of whom were poachers who just abandoned that anti-conservation act to start a new life as conservation agents. These rangers and guides having a secured source of money discourage them from again going back to poaching which is riskier.

Part of the money collected from the mountain gorilla permits is used for local community development. The popular Rwanda gorilla safaris are very good for both the mountain gorillas and the people and therefore tourists who go to Rwanda to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habitats get rewarded with once-in-a-lifetime encounters, contribute to mountain gorilla conservation and also contribute to local community development.

Treks to the forested mountains to track Mountain gorillas start very early in the morning after the tourists have been briefed and allocated to the gorilla families they will be tracking. The takes about 2 to 8 hours depending on the tourists’ luck and the movement of the mountain gorillas since they are mobile animals that usually move from one place to another looking for fresh leaves to feed on. After encountering the mountain gorillas, a time duration of one hour is allocated to the tourists taking photographs and learning more about the mountain gorillas.

Tourists interested in being part of mountain gorilla safaris should ensure to acquire their mountain gorilla tracking permits early enough. Each gorilla permit is sold at $750 and can be directly purchased from the Rwanda development board or acquired through a trusted tour operator. Mountain gorilla safari experiences are best enjoyed during the dry season though tracking is done throughout the year even during the wet season.

What is the Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony?

Gorillas, the largest living primate, are found across a large part of the African rainforest, and the volcanic range which spans across Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the mountain gorillas.

Currently an endangered species, the mountain gorillas are said to be approximately 1,000 strong in the wild, and of that number, 604 are in the Virunga Massif. The troops tend to stick to a preferred area within the forests and are constantly monitored with limited access for visitors of guided tours.

In total, there are twelve gorilla families living in the Volcanoes National Park, which are known as Susa, Igisha, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Bwenge, Ugyenda and Muhoza.

Every year during the month of September, there is a gorilla-naming ceremony held within the Volcanoes National Park known as Kwita Izina. This was inspired by the Rwandan tradition of holding a naming ceremony for babies after their birth.

Aside from a conference, workshops, music, dancing and opportunities to speak to staff and conservationists, the highlight of Kwita Izina is when baby gorillas that have been born within the past year are assigned a carefully picked name which reflects their unique personality and disposition. Rwandans believe that this encourages good fortune and help the infants to grow up to their greatest potential.

Kwita Izina is a core part of Rwandan culture because, not only does it promote conservation and help to raise the much-needed funds from the ceremony to continue these efforts, but it also encourages Rwandans to preserve their culture and heritage.

In 2016, naturalist Sir David Attenborough named a baby Inshungu, meaning ‘blessing’ and in 2018, former Arsenal footballer Laureano Bisan Etame-Mayer named a baby Ikipe, meaning ‘team’.

Enjoy an Authentic Cultural Experience in Rwanda

Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes national park is one of the outstanding adventures in Rwanda though the country is also rich in history, culture and traditions and when it comes to wildlife Rwanda is packed with other wildlife and nature which makes it unique tourism destination in Africa. Get a chance to experience not only the nature but also the daily life, habits, cultural traditions & local community efforts will opens the beauty of Rwanda to the world. It’s good to explore the countries culture in depth in a very new destination you visit, see what Rwanda has when it comes to a culture tour in Rwanda.

Kigali City

Rwanda capital has always been a start point for all culture tours in the country. The cleanest safe city is surrounded by green hills which embrace the natural beauty of the land of 1000 hills. Many cultural sites are found in Kigali one of the reasons as to why many visitors to the country can’t miss to take a ride around the city. Cultural attractions in Kigali include the 1994 Gisozi Genocide Memorial site a centre of genocide memories, Kigali Museum a place of history, the artisan shopping centre feel at home with locals. By any standard Kigali is an excellent city to dine in style since it supports numerous restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets.

The famous King’s Palace in Nyanza

This was a residential home of King Mutara III Rudahigwa found in Nyanza 87kms from Kigali the city centre. Get fast hand details of the Rwandan traditional seat of their monarchy plus its remarkable museum. Stories confirms that the palace was rebuilt in the old version state of 19^th century as assign of keeping cultural norms for the future generation.Traditional Cows known as Inyambo are also found out side the palace as assign of royalty. Visit the burial grounds of King Mutara III and his wife Queen Rosalie Gicanda at Mwima hill if time permits. The art museum at Rwesero is another place to unveil more within the Rwanda culture without forgetting the National Museum of Rwanda, which provide you with a deeper insight into Rwandan history and culture.

Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

A village of unity in Rwanda full of different cultural activities like,interactive experience, learn all about Rwandan traditions, culture, song and dance, participate in local dances and drumming, wear traditional local “Umushanana” dress; shooting arrows,attend a traditional healer’s medicine show, sample local foods and banana beer , visit a local household or school. Among others.All this is done just at the footsteps of Volcanoes national park famous for mountain Gorillas. However if the culture experience is joined to other adventures like Chimpanzee tracking, birding watching, Gorilla tracking your visit will make a difference not only to you but to the entire community of Rwanda.

Ecotours in Rwanda

Would you like to experience Rwanda differently? Why not go on a tour through Rwanda’s ecotourism destinations.

A Typical Itinerary in Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the famous countries inhabiting mountain gorillas. With arrival to Kigali City then proceed to Parc National des Volcans Rwanda. Head to hotel for dinner and rest for the next day.  On day two, after early breakfast, we head for a briefing about Gorilla trekking in Rwanda at the Kinigi Station, then head straight to the slopes of the Forest. Gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda is no-longer quite strenuous, we send an advance team so you can move direct to the spot where the advance team has located the Gorillas.

Go Gorilla Trekking

Maximum permitted time with the Gorillas is a one hour, return to the lodge and rest. You can choose to go gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans with no advance team. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience. If you are lucky you can get to the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch! Some gorilla families however are more elusive, and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy then back to the lodge for dinner and rest for the next day as you wait for your flight to your next destination for wildlife experience.

Iby’wacu Cultural Village

If you wish, you can visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, which will give you a fascinating insight into the traditions and history of Rwanda’s people. Rwanda Gorilla Safaris gives you all the pleasure to travel to Rwanda and enjoy all the gorilla families and wildlife at a relatively cheaper prince hence enabling you achieve your life time dream. Book now and experience the Rwandan gorillas,wildlife, birds and all other primates including the unique cultures in Rwanda.

With very early have a cup of tea / coffee and proceed for a morning game drive to catch up with early raisers and predators returning to their hideouts. The game drive will reward you with chances to see a variety elephants, buffaloes, lions, Maasai giraffe, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel’s zebra, topi, bush baby, leopard and bush buck among others. Return to the Lodge and relax to lunch time. In the afternoon, you take a nature walk with a guide from the park, learning about the flora and fauna of the forest. Alternatively, you could go on a short trek to search for one of the troops of golden monkeys which inhabit the forest (this would need to be pre-booked, and is an additional cost).

When is the Best Time to Visit Rwanda Gorillas?

Mountain Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is one of the safari activities that is loved by many tourists who visit this country. There are several gorilla families that have been habituated for gorilla visits. Gorilla tracking has been one of the iconic activities since the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) introduced a ceremony of naming newly born gorillas called Kwita Iziina and it is carried out mainly in Volcanoes National Park which is located in the north west of the country bordering Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. This activity has been mostly enjoyed and done by foreign tourists because of its prices that are cheap compared to the dollar rates. When you try to compare gorilla trekking in Rwanda and in the other countries like Uganda were it is done in bwindi impenetrable national park and DRC, you may wonder why Rwanda receives more than ever before.

Although countries like Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) do this activity as also as their main safari activity that brings in more income compared to other activities, Rwanda leads all of them in terms of number of tourists yearning for this activity. More so when you look at the gorilla permits that are sold at US$1500 that are higher than the rest of the countries (Uganda and DRC) because they do offer reliable good accommodation compared to other countries when it comes to offering good services to tourists.

To enjoy this activity in particular, there are number factors that are needed or considered when doing this activity one of them is climate and weather of the given national park. Mountain Gorilla tracking is mostly done in dry conditions which are favorable to both the tourists and the primates themselves.

To perform this activity in a wide scale, the dry periods of June to September, then from December, January and February are the best periods receiving good temperatures that favor gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park. it is for this reason that during this period, roads leading to the park in most cases are not muddy  which eases movements of cars driving tourists to the national park and also, with in the park most especially when there is a safari that is going on. Furthermore, in this period, prices for gorilla tracking tend to be high than other periods because tourists tend to be many because of the favorable climate that does not stop them from trekking. When you look at these primates in this period, their movements is limited in other words, they tend hide since in that time, there is limited food that is already for eating meaning taking gorilla tracking as an activity may take long to finish as the activity may even start from morning until in the evening hours trekking for a specific Gorilla family unlike in other periods which are wet.

When you look at another side of the coin, the wet periods of March, April and May tend to be wet making the movements of the tourists more difficult or limited causing a scare to the tourism industry in terms of revenue to the government. During this season, at the top most of highlands in volcanoes national park, temperatures tend to be cooler. And that is why gorilla tracking in this period takes a short period of time from 1 to 2 hours because these primates do not normally move alot when food is not in plenty. It is for this reason that tourists end up doing a double trek than what they asked to do.