The three cultures of Rwanda once clashed, largely over socio-economic differences, but today the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa peoples represent a common commitment to the betterment of all Rwandan people.

Through unity, collaboration, and absolute dedication, the people of Rwanda take every measure to ensure that the fabric of their country is never again torn by genocide and other crimes against humanity. Meeting some of the people from these three tribes allows you to see the value of each of their cultures and their pride in the homeland.

Gorilla Safaris Uganda offers cultural tours that are sensitive to the preservation of Africa’s indigenous tribes, and all of our cultural activities are carefully coordinated with the local communities. Our goal is to provide our guests with authentic cultural engagements with Rwandan people while ensuring the privacy and respect that villagers need to maintain their cultural traditions. The activities allow villagers to share their culture, arts, beliefs, and much more, while providing a source of income that supports education, medical care, and other valuable resources.

At Ibyiwacu Village, outside Volcanoes National Park, our guests are greeted by an amazing presentation featuring traditional drumming and dancing coupled with warm, heartfelt Rwandan hospitality. You visit a replica of the king’s house, learn about traditional medicine, meet children at the local school, and even sample some delicious food and banana beer.

During your visit to Nyungwe National Park, take some time to explore Banda Village, in the heart of the park, and Kitabi Cultural Village, on the eastern edge of the park. With advance preparation, you can even stay overnight in the villages to see another side of day-to-day life here.

Families traveling with older children always find the cultural activities in Rwanda to be educational and interesting for the loved ones. Imagine the delight on your children’s faces when someone from an exotic tribe shows them how to weave a basket, shoot a bow, or create a ceramic pot!

Delving into the tumultuous history of Rwanda is difficult for many guests; yet, seeing the genocide memorial sites first-hand provides valuable insight into the transformative journey of the Rwandan people.

Memorials from the 1994 genocide are scattered around the country and remain in the same state as when the tragedy was unfolding.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial Center provides visitors with a two- to three-hour orientation into the events that occurred at the site, where an over 259,000 victims lie buried.

We recommend this exhibit as your last stop after visiting other sites in the country. Each display is beautifully designed to tell the story of Rwanda in a poignant and moving way. The indoor museum provides a historical overview of the events that led up to the genocide, as well as displays dedicated to Rwandan children who were killed.

Another exhibit highlights the global issue of genocide, with displays that depict the Holocaust and similar tragedies in Bosnia, Southwest Africa, Cambodia, and Armenia.

In addition to the Tutsi, peoples from around the world were targeted around the same time the genocide took place. Camp Kigali Belgian Monument stands as a memorial to ten Belgian United Nations soldiers who were killed while protecting the prime minister. Their lives were taken to undermine international support that stood against the genocide. The Nyanza Genocide Memorial shows the next chapter in the genocide, after the Belgian soldiers were killed. The school was a hideout for 2,000 Tutsis, including 400 children, who were seized, taken to a nearby garbage dump, and murdered. Some of the most brutal killings occurred at two churches—Nyamata and Ntarama.

These memorials are some of the most shocking and deeply emotional of all the memorials in Rwanda. The skulls and bones unveil the story of those who were murdered. Blood-stained walls, pews draped with clothing, sharpened stakes, bullet holes, and small wood caskets reveal a vivid and deeply emotional chapter in Rwandan history.

The exhibits are so powerful that many guests find it difficult to reconcile the country’s past with the joy and warm-hearted hospitality that is Rwanda today—a contrast that is testament to the country’s dedication to defining and protecting a better future for all of its people.

Believe it or not, Rwanda is home to one of Central Africa’s best beach escapes! Lake Kivu is the 18th deepest lake on the planet, with a total surface area of 2700 square kilometers at an elevation of 1460 meters.

Imagine spending a few days exploring Rwanda’s lush green rainforests, communing with mountain gorillas, tracking chimpanzees, and walking in the footsteps of Rwandan kings, and then traveling a short distance to a sparkling lake and lovely beach for some rejuvenation.

Lake Kivu offers endless possibilities for fun-filled beach days, including sailing, water sports, fishing, beachfront lounging, and much more! The splendid scenery does much to relax you. Explore the lake by way of a charter boat that will take you to one of the lakeside towns.

Gisenyi is the most developed, with tranquil accommodations and post-colonial architecture nestled against sandy beaches dotted with swaying palm trees. Pine-covered hills invite guests to visit Kibuye, in the middle of the lakeshore, and Cyangugu, in the south.

In addition to the charming settlements along the lake, you can take nature walks to explore the flora and fauna, including an amazing bird population. While other lakes in Africa are home to hippos and crocodiles, Lake Kivu is free of these dangerous animals and safe for swimming.

Kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, waterskiing, and windsurfing can also be arranged. Anglers can try their luck with native fish species, either from shore or by boat.

Go hiking or cycling in the hills around the lake and visit a local flower plantation at the former home of Rosamond Carr, one of Dian Fossey’s closest friends.

If you prefer coffee over flowers, AfricanMecca can arrange a tour of the coffee plantation at Cyimbili, or perhaps a bat-viewing expedition on Napoleon Island, one of the distinct islands found on Lake Kivu.

Gorilla Trekking
Rwanda is one of only three places in the world where you can spot some of the world’s remaining 880 mountain gorillas, and staring down one of mankind’s closest relatives in its natural habitat is an experience we doubt you’ll soon forget. (Mountain gorillas share 98 percent of our DNA.)

Book a gorilla trekking permit for inside Volcanoes National Park, one of Africa’s oldest national parks, and you’ll be led on a daily guided gorilla trek that tops out at eight visitors.

The only other two countries that offer the same experience—the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda—are less safe, and require more vigorous hikes with no guarantee of great ape encounters.

The country debuted signature Rwandan cuisine with the help of award-winning American chef Silvia Bianco earlier this year for the World Economic Forum on Africa, and has been perfecting it ever since.

The dishes, available in restaurants and luxury hotels like the Kigali Serena Hotel, blend traditional Rwandan foodstuffs, such as sambaza (small fish) and urwagwa (a fermented banana beer) with modern culinary methods and artistic presentation.

Don’t leave the country without trying Rwandan coffee (more on that later).

After acquiring lions a few years back, and with plans to introduce black rhinos this year, Akagera National Park is primed to become a Big Five safari destination. With elephants, buffalo, and a wide variety of antelope, you’ll get the full savannah experience and the added bonus of the park’s river boat cruises, which include rare encounters with crocodiles and hippos.

Akagera provides campgrounds and tents for a small fee, but honestly, “glamping” on the edge of Lake Ihema at the Ruzizi Tented Lodge is the way to go. Even better? All proceeds benefit the park.

Mountain gorillas are the best-known of Rwanda’s primates, but the country offers many other scampering creatures to delight visitors, including chimpanzees, golden monkeys, blue monkeys, and black and white colobus. Chimpanzees are considered the most human-like of primates, and Nyungwe National Park is the premium destination in Rwanda for chimpanzee viewing experiences.

Just before daylight, you start a journey into the forests where families of chimps live in a natural habitat. The effort to find them makes for a wondrous combination of adventure and mystery as you follow the keen leadership of a professional guide, learning the nuances of tracking and locating these fast-moving animals.

Each day the groups of chimps move through the forest in search of food before finding a secluded place to build their nests and rest for the night. Fortunately, our guides are experts in locating the chimpanzees, so your chances of seeing them are very good.

Another primate species that thrills our guests is the golden monkey, a colorful species that constantly scampers through the treetops, stopping only to dine upon fruits and leaves. The golden monkeys of Rwanda can be found in the incredible bamboo forests of Volcanoes Park, as well as Gishwati-Mukura Forest in the northwestern part of the country.

Unconfirmed sightings have also been reported in Nyungwe Forest. Another of the 14 primate species in Rwanda, many of which are endemic and endangered, are the black and white colobus monkeys that live in groups of over 300, the largest of their kind on the continent.

Hikes through the deep African rainforest to find the colobus can be challenging for some guests. During your primate treks, you may also come across blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, vervet monkeys, Dent’s monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys.