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.
Read MoreWhat 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’.
Read MoreEnjoy 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 19th 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.
Read MoreEcotours 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).
Read MoreWhen 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.
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See Lowland Gorillas and Chimpanzees on Single Safari!
Low land Gorillas in Congo and Nyungwe Chimpanzee present an opportunity to explore the two of the Big Apes. Take time off your schedule to get lost on a Rwanda safari that combines the breathtaking Nyungwe forest and the Kahuzi Biega that has great sights and sounds of a rain forest. Nyungwe harbors more primates and attractions that you can choose to visit if you spare more time. Kahuzi Biega is one of the existing national parks with lowland Gorillas and is situated in the southern side of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kahuzi Biega National Park
Kahuzi Biega National Park is the only place in the whole world where you can track the critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas; the park is home to about 300 lowland Grauer’s Gorillas.
Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park
The biggest attraction to travelers who visit Kahuzi Biega Park is also the world’s biggest primate the eastern lowland gorilla. There are three habituated lowland gorilla families available for trekking every day namely the Bonne Annee family with 8 members, Pungwe family with 23 members, and Chimanuka family with 19 members.
Most tourists who go to Kahuzi-Biega National Park do so to spot Grauer’s gorillas. Eastern lowland gorillas are larger than the mountain gorillas. The specie is making one of its last stands here and faces the possibility of extinction. The census of 2013 discovered 145 individuals in the highland sector of the park, a great decline from the 600 first counted in 1990.
Grauer’s gorillas face threats from poaching (young gorillas for trade), illegal cutting down of trees, encroachment on land for farming and mining coltan. Three Grauer’s lowland gorilla groups are fully habituated and open to tourists in the highlands. Kahuzi-Biega National Park Congo Tracking the gorillas involves hiking though the dense tropical rain forests, swamps and even highlands depending on the last location of the gorilla group.
While tracking the gorillas, it is important to listen to the instructions of the rangers at all times. Tracking can take anywhere between thirty minutes to 6 hours. You are only allowed one hour with the gorillas. Use this time to observe the family keenly. You should be able to spot juveniles playing, females nursing the young ones and the dominant silverback looking out for any danger to the family.
You should also be able to identify the different individuals, personalities and group dynamics. By the end of the activity you will realize just how similar human beings are with gorillas and the more reason why we should protect them at all costs. Permits for gorilla tracking cost $400.
How to Get There and Away
Travelers to Kahuzi Biega National Park can access the national park by road or air transport, visitors can opt to fly from Kigali International Airport to Goma International Airport then transfer by road to the Park for about 6 hours, alternatively visitors to the park can embark on 6-7 hours drive from Kigali International Airport to Kahuzi Biega National Park via Rusizi border.
Where to Stay
There are many accommodation facilities to choose from for visitors who want to trek lowland gorillas in their natural habitat namely Hotel Begonias, Orchids Safari Club, Guesthouse Formulac, Guesthouse de Lwiro, and Mount Kahuzi Hotel among others. For more info about Gorilla Trekking trips in the Democratic Republic of Congo, kindly contact Gorilla Tracking Africa so we tailor your remarkable trip to Africa.
Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe forest national park is one of the top destinations in Rwanda is that receives a number of visitors and second popular national park after volcanoes national park. It is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Africa which is situated in south western region of Rwanda.
Nyungwe forest is the best popular and famous for the chimpanzee trekking experience in Rwanda although it is a home to a number of wildlife animal species and birds.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe National Park
Chimp trekking safaris in Rwanda are the second most sold primate activity in Gorilla trekking. Chimp trekking in Rwanda is quite the unique activity and it gives visitors memorable life time experiences of stay in the country. Chimpanzees possess close to 99% of the human DNA making them our closest living relatives and thus chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe can be considered a journey to self-discovery and worthwhile.
Chimpanzee trekking experience, there are over 500 chimpanzee populations in Nyungwe forest national park 90 habituated chimpanzee communities that are open for tourism throughout the year. The habituated chimpanzee communities are found in the different locations within the park such as Nyungwe forest that has about 60 habituated chimpanzee community and Cyamudongo forest that harbors about 30 habituated chimpanzee communities.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is an early morning activity that starts at 5:00 am with a briefing at the park centers. Nyungwe forest national park has about three sections where the chimpanzee trekking starts from such as kitabi section, Gisakura section as well as the uwinka which known as the park headquarters. During the briefing session visitors are divided into groups of 8 people and they are assigned to different park ranger guides that will guide them as they go for chimpanzee trekking in the forest.
To a chimpanzee community in Nyungwe forest national park will take travelers about 2-6 hours due to the fact that chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park are found of moving from one place to another from tree to tree as they search for food of the day in the forest. Visitors who go for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park are allowed to spend only one hour with the chimpanzee community from the time they have met it. In the one hour experience, travelers are allowed to take photos and with chimpanzees as they de-nest, beast-feed, as well as with the juvenile monkeys.
The habituated chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park are so friendly, calm, playful and they are used to the presence of human being they therefore come done from trees when they see people and they will sometimes walk towards them thus give you an opportunity to take clear photos and videos of them.
While trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest travelers will have an insight to encounter with other primate animals such as red tailed monkeys, the olive baboons, silver monkeys, golden monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, the grey checked mangabey among others. Travelers will as enjoy viewing different bird species such as the Rwenzori bats, purple breasted sun bird among others due to the fact Nyungwe forest national park is one of the birders paradise in Rwanda.
There is an age limit of for one to go chimp trekking in Rwanda and you must be 16 years and above.
How to Reach the Park
It takes four hours of driving by road to reach Nyungwe forest from the capital Kigali. One can also take a domestic flight from Kigali to an airstrip close to the park office.
Accommodation
- Nyungwe House
- Gisakura Guest House
- Nyungwe Top View Hotel
Conclusion, Nyungwe Forest and Kahuzi Biega is one of the amazing Rwanda and Congo safari packages aimed at exploring the Chimps in Rwanda and Gorillas in Congo. This trip favors Chimp and Gorilla lovers who have short time in the country.
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10 Amazing Places to Explore in Rwanda
The land of a thousand hills is more than mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys. There is more to this country than meets the eye, and the beauty of this country only awaits you to visit. There is a lot of wildlife to explore from the only Savannah National Park, several interesting attractions within the Afro-montane forests, the pristine sandy beaches of Lake Kivu, outstanding cultures and traditions, the serene Kigali City (one of the most organized and cleanest Cities in Africa), the mouth-watering foods, the tasty coffee and tea and the hospitality of the people all await you to uncover. Remarkable Rwanda cannot wait to indulge you in the most phenomenal attractions and destinations other than the iconic mountain gorillas that draw thousands of tourists to the country. The following are the attractions/places that you must not miss to visit when you go on a safari to Rwanda, one of the most beautiful country;
Akagera National Park
Akagera National park is the only Savannah National Park within the borders of this country. A visit to this national park will introduce you to the Big Five animals (Lions introduced in 2014, leopards, elephants, Buffaloes and Rhinos introduced in 2017). Other wildlife species to look out for in Akagera national park include Giraffes, Hippos, Crocodiles, and Antelopes such as Topis, bushbucks and waterbucks and bird species such as the stunning shoebill storks. It is not only the wildlife and bird species that will fascinate you but also the spectacular scenery of the landscape of the National Park. Some of the activities to participate in within this Park include game drives, camping, boat rides, nature walks and birding among others, and the most cozy accommodation facilities within this Park include the Ruzizi Tented Lodge. With such
Nyungwe Forest National park
Nyungwe Forest national Park is also an important destination worth visiting within the Land of a thousand hills because it is a Primate lover’s paradise. At 1000 square kilometers, Nyungwe Forest National Park is the largest Afro-montane rainforest in Africa and has over 130 kilometers of nature walk/hiking trails and is a home to over 13 primate species with the stars of the show being the Chimpanzees. Other primate species that call Nyungwe Forest National park home include the Red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Grey-cheeked mangabey and the L’Hoest’s monkeys among others. This Forest National park is also known for several forest bird species, tree and flower species, orchids and butterfly species among others. Did you know that this Forest national park is the only place in East Africa where you can enjoy the “Canopy walk?”With the attractions and activities within Nyungwe National park, it is very clear that Rwanda is beautiful beyond the renowned Mountain gorillas.
The spectacular Lake Kivu
This Lake is found in the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo border and is one of the most spectacular Lakes in the country. This Lake is best known for boat rides, relaxing and fishing. The Beaches around the Lake shores of Kivu are worth visiting after as long day in gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking or game drives.
The sacred genocide Sites
The 1994 Rwandan genocide is of them most painful things in Rwanda which saw over 800,000 Tutsi killed. There are several sites put to respect the memory of the ones who died during the genocide. Some of these sites include the Gisozi Genocide Memorial site, the Bisesero Memorial site, Nyamata memorial site, Gisenyi memorial site, Murambi genocide memorial site, Nyarubuye memorial site, Nyanza memorial site and Ntarama memorial site among others.
The Serene Kigali City of Rwanda is worth visiting for a city tour and the friendly people of Rwanda describe the nature of Rwandans (being hospitable and friendly).
In conclusion, Rwanda the Land of a thousand hills is blessed beyond the Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys because you will explore the Savannah National Park-Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, the serene Kigali City, the breathtaking Lake Kivu, Rwanda’s rich cultures and traditions, the sacred Genocide Sites and the friendly People of the country among other interesting attractions within the country.
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Unvaccinated Eritrea Cyclists Excluded from Tour of Rwanda
The Eritrea cycling team has been excluded from the Tour of Rwanda race because its members have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Eritrea, a country in the Horn of Africa region, is the only one of the African Union’s 55 member states that’s yet to vaccinate any of its population.
Rwanda Cycling Federation president Abdallah Murenzi said it was “a requirement” for next month’s race that all competitors are fully vaccinated.
“The cyclists from Eritrea said they cannot meet this condition,” Murenzi said.
Five cyclists from Eritrea were expected to compete. Eritrean cyclists won the race in 2019 and 2020.
Rwanda has strict rules in place to fight the pandemic. Authorities have ordered public sector workers to get vaccinated or resign from their jobs and the government said last week that people must be fully vaccinated to access public spaces and attend public events.
Cycling is highly popular in Rwanda and it has been chosen to host the 2025 Road World Championships, the first African nation to be awarded the event.
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Rooftop Rental for Outdoors in Rwanda
Although car rental is mobile, at the end of each day, you will still have to look for a place to spend a night. Whether you are an adventurer or nature lover, Rwanda Car Rental will offer the most comfortable and efficient economical way to discover yourself drive safari with Roof top tented cars.
A cheap car hire with Roof top tent will meet your budget somewhere halfway of your car rental or car hire.so if staying in any lodge/hotel or guest house for a long term car rental is not exactly your kind of thing, then a roof top tent car rental will probably be your best solution.
Camping safaris are often the best way to go when trying to experience the best of African wilderness safaris. Whenever you mention camping safaris; there are a number of things to put into consideration ranging from tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, camping light, and a lot of things that come along with the camping gear.
Roof top tent advantages
Cleanliness
For those that have camped in a ground tent, you know just how quickly the tent will get dirty. It gets covered in dirt the second you lay it down and once you walk inside the tent a couple of times you track in the dirt too. An even worse scenario is when it rains and the ground becomes muddy.
With a Roof Top Tents you don’t have to worry about these issues since it doesn’t sit on the ground. When you enter the tent, you can place your shoes inside a waterproof shoe bag that sits just outside the entrance of your Roof top tent. Taking your shoes on and off before getting in the tent is so much easier than doing it using a ground tent.
Camping on the beach is fun in theory, but the amount of sand that gets into your tent and gear is the worst part. Sand always seems to find a way to get into the tent but it will be far less when using a Roof top tent.
Also, you won’t need to rinse off or clean the roof top tent after a muddy camping trip like you would for a ground tent. It is still a good idea to clean your Roof top tent periodically and you can learn how to properly do this here from my Step By Step Cleaning Guide.
Comfort
The comfort in a Roof top tent is second to none. The biggest difference-maker for me is simply having a flat surface to sleep on. When in a ground tent, even with a nice mattress pad, the bumpy and uneven surface makes it very uncomfortable.
This is especially true if you go on an extended camping trip for a few days at a time. To have the most comfortable sleeping arrangement, owners will even add another mattress topper. For more details on other ways to make a roof top tent more Comfortable, click the link provided for some helpful tips and examples.
While on the topic of comfort, let’s talk about bedding. Being able to skip the process of blowing up an air mattress and making the bed is a huge time saver.
Most Roof top tents allow you to keep your bedding stored inside the tent when closed. This means pillows, sheets, and blankets can all be kept ready to use inside the tent without having to take them out after every use.
Besides the fact that this will save you huge amounts of time, I just like knowing the fact that I won’t forget anything as I rush out of the house for my next camping trip.
Effortless setup
This may be a debatable topic for some but I feel that Roof top tents are easier to setup. For one, I stay much cleaner since the tent never touches the ground. But also, I don’t have to use those stupid poles, tie-downs, or stakes to secure the tent. Setting up a ground tent can vary a lot, but counting the time to do that as well as make the bed probably takes 15-20 minutes all together.
Some RTTs are faster to deploy than others. For example, foldout soft shell Roof top tents require you to take off the PVC cover and undo multiple straps before use. Depending on the model, the set up should take roughly five minutes. I would argue closing the tent takes a few more minutes to tuck all of the fabric in as you close it too.
However, many hard shell Roof top tents only require a couple of clamps to be undone and then the gas struts will pop open the tent for you. This process takes only 60 seconds to do with little to no effort required.
I understand there are some pop-up ground tents that can be put up in minutes, but excluding the outliers, Roof top tents in my opinion do have the advantage here.
Packing less gear
As you head out for a camping trip and pack your vehicle with all of the necessities, you quickly realize how little space you have left for everything you need.
This is an area where the Roof top tents shine since it sits on top of your vehicle. You also don’t need to worry about the space the air mattress would normally take up as well. And as I mentioned when talking about comfort, most if not all of the bedding can be stored inside the Roof top tents when it’s closed too.
I can see this being very valuable for a large family where space is very limited in the car. It’s also nice for forgetful people, like me, who always seems to forget an item or two for my trip! Having the tent ready to go at all times gives you peace of mind and one less thing to worry about.
Luxury
There is definitely a level of luxury that comes with Roof top tents. Making it a happy medium or step above a ground tent, but less luxurious than a teardrop trailer. Roof top tents are pricey, but not when comparing it to any trailer.
I could go on forever about the possible upgrades you can make to Roof top tents. There is nothing like it in the ground tent category, which is why I consider Roof top tents far more luxurious for campers.
All-season use
The best way to extend your camping season to later in the year or year-round is by having a well-equipped tent and the proper equipment. There are plenty of all-season Roof top tents which are fitted with extremely thick fabric, anti-condensation mats, insulated floors, and even more add-ons.
A natural advantage they have is being elevated in the air which will allow you to stay dry but also not sleep on the freezing cold ground.
Fun factor
This is somewhat of an intangible but in my eyes, it is an advantage. Owning a Roof top tent is just fun. really do love being 8 feet off the ground and having the best possible view as I relax in my tent.
Friends and family will immediately tell you how cool it is once they actually understand how it works. At first, people didn’t even know how it worked. After posting plenty of pictures on camping trips, people love it and have flooded me with questions.
It has been an awesome piece of equipment to own and I have found myself camping more frequently since I bought it. With all of the great advantages that come with a Roof top tent, it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows. Here are some clear disadvantages that come with owning one.
Lastly, we traveled around a large part of Rwanda with a rental car and rooftop tent. Tourists really love this way of traveling and camping.
Read MoreBest 5 Things to Do in Rwanda
There are several unique tourism activities to do in Rwanda; this country is long past its war torn days and now it’s one of safest countries visited in Africa. You will feel the real true African country with lots of unique attractions which have attracted many safari tours to Rwanda. This country is extremely small and there is one unique thing about this small country, this is gorilla trekking which is done in volcanoes National park and it has raised increased revenues for the country.
Kigali City Tour
There is the Kigali city which is in the heart of Rwanda, this gorgeous city with great weather can get you taste the history here through visiting the genocide memorials and here you will learn about the turbulent past of this country. You will also have a chance to visit the different local markets which are found in the city as well as the art facts and the craft shops which are found within the city. These have also attracted many safaris to Rwanda.
Gorilla Trekking
Thinking about Rwanda makes you come close to the mountain gorillas and these can be spotted in volcanoes National park which is found some few kilometers from Kigali city. You will enjoy a very unique experience taking Rwanda Gorilla adventure, take this advantage and experience the largest group of gorillas when you come for a safari . Gorilla trekking can also be carried out in Uganda and the Democratic Republic Congo.
Game Drives
Rwanda has also got three national parks and these include; Akagera National park, Nyungwe National park and Volcanoes National park, there are many animal species which can be spotted in these national parks and some of these include; the chimpanzees, bird species, elephants, lions, leopards, and the monkeys.
Holiday at Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu also makes a border between Rwanda and Congo and it’s a great region where the tourists are safe to visit and swim, you will also visit the safari cities like Kibuye and Gisenyi near DR Congo border.
The other attractions which are found in Rwanda include; city tours, cultures, bird species and many wild animal species. The Butare is a cultural hub for the country and was once the most important city before 1965. You will also visit the great national museum which will help you explore the great history of Rwanda.
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