May 6, 2020

Rwanda, even more remarkable

Aside from the fact that tourism is one of their fastest-growing economic resources, and became the country's leading foreign exchange earner back in 2007, and at the risk of repeating myself, Rwanda is a very special country filled with equally special people, and there is much there worth preserving and protecting.

I imagine from an international travel perspective, the mountain gorillas would probably be at the top of that list of “preserve and protect”. After all, they are the main attraction and if there’s just one thing I believe should be on everyone’s bucket list, it’s a walk up the Volcanos National Park slopes to spend an hour with these sentient beings. That’s all the time you’ll be allowed in their company, but I promise you it will change something deep

inside you forever. It’s nothing one can do fair justice trying to describe and as such I’ll say no more on the subject. Get yourself there, do it and you’ll understand exactly what I am referring to.

And if you find yourself wheezing and puffing due to the rare high altitude air, worry not, the wonder of the Rwandan people will come to the fore once more in the form of porters so keen to share the special moment and ensure your happiness they’ll literally carry you up the mountain, if that’s what it takes.

For those who enjoy keeping active and are seeking out even more walking, there are day trips up a few of the surrounding volcanoes on offer.

Even though they do steal the show, and it’s a hard act to beat, there’s a lot more going on in the Rwandan wilds than just the mountain gorillas. Head south west to Nyungwe Forest and you’ll get the opportunity to see thirteen different primate species including chimpanzees and Ruwenzori colobus arboreal monkeys. Don’t forget to pack your birding binoculars along for the trip too. Rwanda has an amazing variety of vegetation which lends cause to around 670 bird species considering it home, so you’ll be glad you did.

Black-crowned Waxbill Swee Waxbill Streaky Seedeater

There are a few very special smaller critters too, amongst others the Rwenzori bearded chameleon, so keep your eyes peeled when walking about in the forests.

It certainly isn’t all about the wildlife and wild countryside in Rwanda and a visit there wouldn’t be complete without at least one trip to a local market. I was lucky enough to get to spend some time wandering about and purchasing a few odds and ends in Muzanze, a town seated in the shadows of volcanoes. It’s a colourful and vibrant place where one can find almost anything one might need.

The local produce is simply fantastic, the real deal, and tastes just like it’s supposed to,

and the traders to be found there are the real deal too; very friendly and super helpful.

It is also a great place to buy coffee. Coffee is one of Rwanda's major cash crops and apparently more than 400,000 Rwandans make their living from it. I’m not surprised; it’s great coffee and makes for easy to pack take-home gifts. The truth is Rwandan coffee graces many cappuccinos, Americanos, lattes and the likes all over the world today, but for some reason it still feels right taking some home from origin to share with family and friends.

A few years down the line and I’m still waxing lyrical about this tiny country wedged in between Burundi (which is also very small), Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I challenge you though to see if you feel any different after a visit. Do yourself a favour, fire up the research and start planning your trip for as soon as international flights resume and the world returns to a form of normality. I reckon there’s zero chance you’ll end up regretting a journey to one of the most incredible countries on this planet ….

…. that of Remarkable Rwanda.

Fields of pyrethrum flowers

As an add-on:

While helping out at Bisate lodge at the end of 2017 we were visited by a lovely couple, Mats and Cecelia Ögren Wanger. They are both journalists who have spent a lot of time in Rwanda writing various articles pertaining to business, investment and tourism for a leading Swedish business magazine called “Veckans Affärer” (Weekly business) as well as “M-Magazine” (lifestyle for the wealthy 50+).