Destination: Rwanda
aN ICONIC, year-round travel Destination
Rwanda, often called the "Land of a Thousand Hills," is a captivating East African gem. Renowned for its remarkable recovery from a tragic past, the country boasts stunning landscapes, from verdant hills to pristine lakes. Visitors visit to trek alongside majestic mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, or embark on thrilling safaris in Akagera National Park. Beyond wildlife encounters, Rwanda offers a rich cultural experience, with warm hospitality, vibrant markets, and a commitment to sustainability. It's a destination that leaves a lasting impression on every traveler.
Experience the ultimate safari adventure on our signature 8-day itinerary!
AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK
Akagera National Park, Rwanda's premier safari destination, spans 1,122 square kilometers in the east, bordering Tanzania. This diverse park boasts savannah, woodland, wetland, and lakes, providing ideal habitats for a rich array of wildlife. It is home to the Big Five as well as iconic African mammals like zebra, giraffe, crocodiles, and hippos. With over 490 bird species, Akagera offers exceptional game viewing opportunities. For a unique perspective, visitors can embark on a boat trip on Lake Ihema, complementing the classic day and night game drives.
KIGALI
Kigali, Rwanda's capital, is centrally located and spreads across a hilly landscape, well-connected by roads to the nation. A popular stopover, the city offers a poignant reflection on Rwanda's history through the Kigali Genocide Museum, featuring permanent exhibitions and burial gardens commemorating the tragic 1994 genocide. Kigali is also renowned for its thriving art scene, boasting over 10 galleries. Many Kigali day tours incorporate visits to these local art spaces, providing a glimpse into the city's creative spirit.
Nyungwe national park
Nyungwe National Park, one of Africa's oldest rainforests, is a breathtaking haven of biodiversity. Situated in the western Great Rift Valley, this vast 970 km² expanse encompasses rainforest, bamboo, grassland, swamps, and bogs. Home to 13 primate species, including the iconic chimpanzee and the endemic L'Hoest's monkey, the park is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts. Birdwatchers will be delighted by the over 320 species, with 29 unique to the Albertine Rift. With 85 mammal species and 248 orchid varieties, the park is a botanist's dream. Beyond wildlife, Nyungwe offers stunning natural wonders like the Isumo Waterfall and the Canopy Walk suspension bridge, providing unparalleled views of the forest canopy. The park's proximity to extensive tea plantations adds another layer of charm to this remarkable destination.
volcanoes national park
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda's most renowned park, is nestled in the country's northwest corner. This park is a mosaic of montane ecosystems, including evergreen and bamboo forests, open grasslands, swamps, and heaths. Renowned as the habitat of endangered mountain gorillas, many travelers combine a brief Kigali stay with a gorilla trekking adventure in this park before embarking on safaris in Kenya or beyond. However, Rwanda itself offers exceptional safari experiences, and this region is particularly rich in attractions. An extended stay allows for encounters with the rare Golden Monkeys and exploration of the 62-million-year-old Musanze Caves on the park's edge. The park's name originates from the dormant volcanoes of the Virunga Massif, including the 4,507-meter Karisimbi, the crater lake-adorned Bisoke, Sabinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura.
CENTRAL SERENGETI
Serengeti National Park, recognized as a World Heritage Site, is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world and is considered the world’s oldest protected ecosystem. The Serengeti is the largest national park in Tanzania, with a staggering animal population of almost four million and 523 recorded species of birds. It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world and the site of one of the most breathtaking events in the animal kingdom—the migration of more than 1.5 million wildebeest and another 400,000 zebras. The area consists of a treeless central plain, savannah dotted with acacia and granite outcroppings called kopjes, and riverine bush and forest in the north. The park’s name is derived from the Maasai language “SIRINGET” which means endless plains. The famous “migration” that people dream to experience is actually a dynamic process taking a full year to complete. There are different "events" that happen during the year and in different locations in this park.
ANIMALS YOU MAY SEE:
More than 3,000 lions live in this ecosystem. The population density of the African leopard is estimated at 5.41 individuals per 100 km2 (39 sq mi) in the dry season. African bush elephant herds recovered from a population low in the 1980s caused by poaching, and numbered over 5,000 individuals by 2014. The African buffalo population declined between 1976 and 1996 due to poaching, but increased to 28,524 individuals by 2008. The black rhinoceros population was reduced to about 10 individuals in the 1980s due to poaching. Less than 50 individuals survive today, mainly in areas that are less likely to be affected by wildfires. Rhinos mostly browse on grasses, woody Indigofera, Acacia and Crotalaria forbs and shrubs.
The massive Kopje’s (rock formations) spread throughout the endless plains, also known as the best nap destination for cats.
ROANE TRAVEL’S FAVORITE SIGHTINGS HERE:
1st November - 15 December 2022, 1st March - 31st May 2023
WESTERN CORRIDOR OR SERENGETI WEST
Western Serengeti, also commonly known as the "Western Corridor”, consists of a 50 km wide strip of land along the course of the Grumeti River, starting from the Seronera area and nearing Lake Victoria. It is not only made up of a large valley expanding from East to West, but is also lined on both sides by hills. For those who love birding, the Western Corridor is also known for being an ideal area for birds of prey, such as bateleurs, long-crested eagles, and goshawks. What is most beautiful about the Western Corridor is the ability to view an array of habitats - grassy plains, forests of Acacias, hills, marshes, and forests.
ANIMALS YOU MAY SEE:
Wildlife viewing in the Western Corridor is consistent throughout the year. The broken savannah south of the Grumeti River supports substantial resident populations of giraffe, wildebeest, elephant, zebra and other typical plains animals, and lion. The little-visited open grasslands north of the river are good for cheetahs! Furthermore, you can see impalas, bat-eared foxes, striped mongooses, elands, hartebeests, hippos, black and white colobuses, dik-diks, giraffes, lions and other mammals.
The abundance of wildebeest and zebra during the Great Migration during the March - May timeframe!
ROANE TRAVEL’S FAVORITE SIGHTINGS HERE:
1st November - 15 December 2022, 1st March - 31st May 2023
NORTHERN SERENGETI
The northern Serengeti is unspoiled and beautiful and quiet in comparison to the southern Serengeti plains. The area stretches from the Lobo Hills southwards to Seronera and is typified by stunning green rolling hills. Even more special about the lodge in the Northern Serengeti is the Wildlife Protected Area that allows for private, off-roading game driving while staying. This allows for elevated safari experiences in the open vehicles early in the morning and late at night when the cats do their hunting! Like the other areas throughout Tanzania, the Northern Serengeti is also filled with an abundance of diverse animals such as giraffes, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lions, leopards, and cheetahs!
ANIMALS YOU MAY SEE:
This area supports most of the park's elephant population (the Lobo area in specific is very good for elephants, much more so than the rest of Serengeti National Park), and the Lobo Hills are known for hosting several large lion prides. Cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena and bat-eared fox are also common, as is the elegant serval, a small spotted cat most often seen darting through open grassland shortly after sunrise.On the night game drives, be sure to look out for the smaller and more rare animals such as bush babies!
Seeing a lion up close and personal while off-roading!
ROANE TRAVEL’S FAVORITE SIGHTINGS HERE:
Rwanda Frequently Asked Questions
- Safari and Gorilla Trekking are informal and casual dress in comfortable lightweight cottons is appropriate, and a hat and pair of sunglasses are advisable for protection against the sun
- Light comfortable shoes such as sneakers or lightweight hiking boots are recommended
- Be prepared for cool evenings at higher altitudes of Virunga Mountains and Nyungwe, where you may need a sweater and trousers/jeans.
- All the hotels/lodges you visit will provide shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion. All hotel/lodges also provide hair dryers, if needed.
- Rwanda's relatively high altitude and high humidity provides it with a remarkably pleasant tropical highland climate, albeit also with plenty of rain.
- Rwanda's rainy season lasts from March to May, with their dry season occurring between June to mid-September. October to November is a shorter rainy season and it is followed by a short dry season from December to February.
- Temperatures vary considerably between locations depending on their altitude. In the capital, Kigali, the average daily temperature is about 21°C.
- Virunga’s high altitude occasionally brings light rain showers even in the dry season.
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Please note the ground lodges do NOT have camera gear available to rent, so we recommend bringing your own.
