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Rwanda

The focus of holidays to Rwanda tends to be a gorilla safari or trek. This is indeed an incredibly special experience, but not the only holiday experience which this country can offer.

Rwanda is a beautiful East African country supporting a wide diversity of flora and fauna, including the famed Mountain Gorillas. It offers many other attractions too including hiking, walking and chimp tracking. There are 170 species of mammals, 670 birds and 400 butterflies.

The most visited park is the Parc National des Volcans which is dominated by the Virunga volcanoes, the tallest of which is Karisimbi at 4507m.  Landscape and vegetation is similar on both this and the Ugandan side of the mountains with swathes of bamboo forest and woodland.  This park is where Dian Fossey worked in her study of Mountain Gorilla behaviour.  There are other nature walks in the area as well as the gorilla treks and there are a handful of hotels in the area. 

The main airport is Kigali which is quite centrally placed and has a good range of hotels as well.  If you have any time here you can take a tour of the genocide museum. 

To the south of the country is the Nyungwe Forest National Park which is home to around 1000 chimps and huge troops of Colobus Monkey plus some more unusual mammals such as Giant Forest Hogs.  There are masses of tree species and butterflies and orchids here too and many forest trails can be hiked.

To the west is Lake Kivu the Rwanda equivalent of 'the beach'! If you want you can spend a few days here relaxing and mixing with the local fishing communities who live along the shores.

So for your Rwanda holidays, safaris or treks, talk to our friendly experts for advice, or read more about the places by clicking on links to your left.

Featured Trips

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  1. Primates of Rwanda

    Primates of Rwanda

    A 7 day trip to Rwanda to see gorillas and chimpanzees.

    Length: 6 nights / 7 days - Guide price from.. £2105

  2. Gorilla Trekking

    Gorilla Trekking

    One of the must do things on most wildlife enthusiasts list, coming face to face with our close cousins in their natural habitat is a life changing experience.

    Length: 1 day - Guide price from.. £275

Featured Accommodation

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  1. Virunga Lodge

    Virunga Lodge

    Virunga Lodge offers comfortable accommodation in a stunning location, perfectly located for gorilla trekking in the Parc National des Volcans.

  2. Kigali Serena Hotel

    Kigali Serena Hotel

    Kigali Serena Hotel offers comfortable guest accommodation and a range of facilities in the centre of the city, conveniently located just 10kms from the airport

Rwanda highlights

  • THE place to see Mountain Gorillas in the Parc National de Volcans.
  • See other primates including chimpanzees.
  • Excellent birdwatching.  

Weather

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Client Comments

View a map of Rwanda

Rwanda

Language

The main language used is French.

Visas

Visas are required by all British and other EU passport holders.

Health

Rwanda is a malarial country. The following vaccinations are recommendedin Rwanda: Hepatitis A & B, Polio, Tetanus & Typhoid. Yellow fever innoculations are only necessary if visiting or passing through an infected area.

Best times to go

Gorillas can be tracked all year round. The main rains are between March and May then again September to November.

Getting there

International flights are direct three times a week with British Airways to Entebbe (Uganda) or daily via Nairobi with Kenyan Airways into Kigali.

Foreign Office Travel Advice - www.fco.gov.uk/travel

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