I and my family for so many years we have been planning to visit Kigali and experience the smartest taste of this small city that everyone could praise online. When it comes to international medias, they bring the city before your face enticing and like it or not you will get the zeal to love this country.
Last year 2020 we started our plans to visit this country and on our early stages of planning we got in contact with our friends and family members who have been here before. In an interview with so many members guys were praising the city and one of our friends was here so many years working with the American embassy and her advice was like go self-driving and you will explore the city in details at relatively affordable price.
But, being Americans and we want to hold our dignity we were not interested in driving ourselves and on our visit to our Aunt Ellen Kubala we started the interview again about Kigali and she was like do you want to visit this wonderful country? And we were YES, she started narrating how this country is beautiful from Kigali to even other places she visited and from her talk we started thinking of adding these new points she mentioned and later recommended us to travel with none other than Eco Tours Rwanda one of the leading Eco safari companies in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Behind the management of this company, you will find Moses Konde and this guy highly ranked by travelers and you can only him in details when you visit the trip advisor forum of Eco Tours Rwanda and here you will see what every traveler talks about this gentleman and when you read you will not think of contacting other companies.
Before we left aunt’s home, she directly contacted Moses Konde via what’s app linking with this guy but just a call with this guy gave courage that we are in safe hands on our travel and our aunt said Moses managed to keep their deposit during the times of Covid-19 and when they were ready to go, he was so positive that their deposit still valid which aunt could believe that in Africa exist trustful people like Moses.
When I discussed with Moses about our trip, he was so helpful and advised me that spending 01-week holiday would be too much but we can add on a visit the great mountain gorilla and the chimps. Moses was so smart in advice as he told me when you come during peak season (June to October a permit cost $ 1500 US and if am to go during low season (November – May) and we happen to visit 2 or 03 Rwanda parks a permit costs $ 1050 US and since our trip was planned in November, we managed to take this offer.
We did very advance planning and with so many luxuries, mid-range and medium hotels in Kigali city it was a bit hard for us to choose one for us to city because what Moses highlighted was so lovely and service superb but with the help of Moses, we stayed at the historical Hotel Mille Collins and for the 2-nights we chose the rooms that are facing the city.
This gentleman gave us every information concerning this hotel and we too managed to read online about the premise and we found so interesting staying her for about the 2-nights we spent in Kigali upon arrival and before our departure.
The tourist places that were in our plans includes the Akagera, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes National Park. But Rwanda being the land of thousands hills and the agro – tourism projects in the place like the tea plantations makes Rwanda to purely look a green – eco centric tourism destination.
After the half way experiencing the Kigali city that visiting the historical land marks, local and craft shops we continued the trip to Akagera National Park and here our interest was to spot the African wildlife on game drive viewing and boat cruise along the Lake Ihema. We were so lucky having a well experienced safari guide Steve who could spot all what we wanted to see.
On our first day to Akagera we took an en-route game drive towards to our African designed Ruzizi Safari Tented Camp and few wildlife we spotted and later on the sunset boat cruise we managed to see many animals and bird species along the shores of the Lake. Then the next day we were so much prepared early morning with our packed lunch we took a full day game drive towards the northern sector of the park and it is here that you will find most of the animals and remember this park acts as a wildlife corridor between Rwanda and Tanzania.
For the 2-nights we spent at the camp were so interesting and while at this camp you are in a free zone away from the noisy cities and here you will enjoy your cool moments with the view of the landscapes, water body and the surrounding environment.
More so for those visiting Akagera and looking at staying some of the Rwanda luxury lodges in the park you can think about the Magash Camp which is an exclusive eco – centric lodge that is set and designed at the shores of the Lake and blend with nature. While staying at this camp you will have all the super luxury amenities that you would wish to consume while on your holiday in Africa. Magash Camp being a sister camp to Bisate Lodge it is so much possible to combine luxury gorilla wildlife safari in Rwanda and it can be customized on ground driving or flying with one of the reputable local airlines Akagera Aviation that offers scheduled or private routing within Rwanda. Last but not least, still on your visit to Akagera park you can stay at Akagera Game Lodge which seems to be good mid-range lodge and offering quite good number of rooms and the services are perfect to any traveler.
Thereafter, on our next day we took en-route scenic game drive and more of the wildlife were spotted and with our suitable jeep we drove via Kigali to the Butare former Huye town and here we had stopover at the Butare Museum and we experienced the local dance that has put Rwanda on an international image “the Intore Dance” and then we took an overnight at the Ibis Hotel and before on our evening with our youth safari guide, we visited some local clubs and had fun with the locals.
Today, we woke up excited to proceed to Cyangugu where our guide Steve briefed about visiting to the tea plantation factory and enjoy the process of the produce and also take fresh tea. Here we had an overnight stay at the Kivu Marina Bay Hotel and enjoyed the scenic view of the volcanic Lake.
From the Nyungwe Forest National Park we enjoyed the chimps trek and the canopy walk and this is so interesting viewing the primates, birds and canopies. More so drive to Kibuye and here enjoy the undulating landscape and beautiful dotted islands. Here we did not sleep over but we driving along the shores of the Lake Kivu our next stop was at Lake Kivu in Gisenyi and here we stayed at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel that is situated at the shores of Lake. This is one of the luxury lodges in the area and we did expect to stay here from the payment we made for our Rwanda safari but Moses managed to secure us rooms here at our moderate price.
Gisenyi is an historical town with some of the genocide and staying here you can visit and from here we visited to the Dancing pots offering visitors a unique opportunity to learn about and interact with this settled and forward-looking Batwa community. The excursion starts with an introductory presentation that explains the historical and cultural background, and prepares the visitor for the interaction with the community. After drive to Kanama, you are welcomed by vibrantly drumming and dancing men, excitingly waving and smiling children as well as beautifully clothed singing young ladies.
Visiting the Musanze, was our climax destination as from this town you find the Volcanoes National Park where we had an interesting everlasting memory from the gorilla trekking safari experience in the mist and a day, we arrived at the Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge and as we were a family of 04 people Moses suitably booked us in a family house “Volcano Manor” and it was so stylish and living to have our 2 nights stay. In the morning we had early morning breakfast and after transferred to the gorilla trekking head offices for the briefing about the mountain gorillas and the park as well.
Add Comment