Our fun facts about Rwanda: Rwanda! The fast-growing East African country in recent years, a top safari destination and adventure hub.
Rwanda Called the Land of a Thousand Hills because almost 70% of the country’s landscape is mountainous. The country whose capital is Kigali is surrounded by Uganda in the north, Tanzania in the east, Burundi in the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the northwest.
Rwanda was a Belgium and French colony and got her independence from Belgium on July 1, 1962, becoming a sovereign country.
Because of the colonial masters, the official languages in the nation are Kinyarwanda – the local native language, French, and English.
Rwanda is known for many things mostly good things, but the 1994 genocide that resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 people, is one story that has spread across and one not easily forgotten.
But apart from the genocide, Rwanda is gifted by nature boasting a wide array of beautiful flora and fauna spread across the country.
Some of these places with the best. Nature and wildlife include: –
Volcanoes National Park is famous for being home to the endangered mountain gorillas. And is only one of 4 mountain gorilla habitats in the region. A visit to this park actually gives you the opportunity to see these primates in their natural habitat.
Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s largest and only savannah national park, is home to over 80 species of wildlife and about 100 bird species. Activities at this park include but are not limited to game drives, bird watching, nature walks, boat rides on Lake Ihema and many more activities.
Nyungwe Forest National Park, the oldest park in the country, is home to about 11 primate species, over 1,000 plant species and 300 bird species among other things.
Rwanda also has a number of Coffee plantations that you can tour and visit anytime you are in Rwanda.
If you are into cultural exploration, you can visit the numerous cultural centers in Rwanda. There are many all around town and the country. At these cultural exhibitions, you get to engage in the different traditional dances and activities that are a part of Rwanda’s cultural heritage.
On these explorations, you get to taste the Rwandan cuisine widely known for its simplicity and deliciousness. Most of the food is prepared with fresh ingredients and from the garden additives. Common delicacies you will find include Rwandan rice, ugali and grilled meat among others.
As stated earlier the 1994 genocide is one of the things that are known about Rwanda so when you visit the country, you will not miss a visit to one of the genocide memorial centers There are several across the country, and the most visited Being the Kigali Genocide Memorial found in the heart of Kigali.
Up northeast of Rwanda bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo is the beautiful Lake Kivu that you can visit for a relaxed day and other activities like fishing, community tours, and plantation visits among other things.
On your community visits, you can try out the traditional basket weaving activity with the locals. The baskets are made from natural materials and the activity is popular as a socialization activity for women in the different communities. The baskets are sold for basic home income. Travelers usually buy these baskets as souvenirs.
Rwanda celebrates its liberation Day on July 4th just like America celebrates the 4th of July. For Rwanda, the liberation day marks the end of the genocide. However, you should know the end of the genocide is celebrated over a period of 3 – 4 months. The celebrations start with a mourning period known as kwibuka – Remembrance, then the country will have a commemoration day on 7th April and finalize with the 4th July liberation.
When you visit Rwanda during this period you should make it a point to take part in all these activities, you will have so much fun as you learn more about Rwanda.
Well, those are some of the things we feel you should know about Rwanda but you can find out more from your tour operator such as Focus East Africa Tours.
