Rwanda
Overview
Capital: Kigali
Population: 13 million
Languages: Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Swahili
Tourists in a year (average): 1.6 million
A nation Reborn, Rwanda epitomizes the power of unity and reconciliation. Having fallen into turmoil in the 1994 genocide that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the future looked bleak for Rwanda, but thanks to good leadership, understanding, and reconciliation the country that was once in ashes has risen to become one of Africa’s fastest-growing economy and a major tourist hot spot. In tourism, Rwanda has invested a lot of money time, and effort to properly harness the natural beauty it possesses together with rich biodiversity and history. Notably, in recent years, the country has turned up as a sponsor to the France football champions (Paris St. Germaine) and North London football giant Arsenal to further help push the country’s image all over the world.
The land of a thousand hills, as it is known to many boasts an extravagant rolling landscape of green rainforests on the mountain slopes with sweeping plains, lakes, and picturesque sites at the bottom that will leave you in constant awe. The people of the country are warm, charming, and very hard-working justifying the country’s meteoric rise in a space of two decades. It is a very peaceful and tranquil nation, it was named the 9th safest country in the world.
The huge draw for tourists in this tiny Nation in the middle of Africa is the gigantic gorillas in the preserved virunga slopes inside a dense rainforest, what is now known as the Volcanoes National Park. The beauty of the rainforest on the slopes of Virunga mountain ranges where the Gorillas leave is heavenly, and when you finally get to encounter these gentle giants you feel your heart melt inside with joy and a newfound appreciation of life, many say that once you’ve looked into the eyes of this creatures, your life is forever changed it is so magnificent it’s unexplainable.
The Volcanoes Gorillas are not the only remarkable thing about the country, the rich history, and culture in cities like Kigali, the capital, are also pretty fascinating and moving. Game drives in Akagera NP and Nyungwe NP, will treat you to your favorite wildlife, or you might choose the lake towns of Rubavu and Karongi, great places to enjoy the lake shore experience, sports such as Kayaking in the freshwater are popular, and biking around the hills of the town is another favorite pastime in the lakeshore towns.