3 Must visit places on a Rwanda Safari : Rwanda is regarded as the land of a thousand hills therefore here are the most stunning places to visit while on Rwanda Safaris Tours
The King’s Palace of Rwanda
The king’s palace museum of Rwanda is one of their historical statues that speaks so much to their cultural heritage. It is located in Nyanza town where most of the monarchical talents can all be seen. This palace of the old monarchy of Rwanda is also known as Rukari museum. The palace has some of the utensils and other household items like the bed, shields, arrows and drums of the King while items the German colonizers used to come and see there.
The king’s palace was constructed in the traditional African architecture and later the Inyambo cows were introduced as the major culture of the Rwandan people. The cows are decorated with expensive and beautiful jewelry to demonstrate the Rwandan culture of their old traditions. Visitors are also taken to the special hill called Mwima where the King and the Queen Rosalie Gisanda were buried.
The major areas of interest here in the palace include the poles that support this thatched building, they have been named to have meaning like the one entering the king’s bed has a name that means “Do not speak what happens here”.
Gorilla tracking is another great activity to engage in on your visit to Rwanda, the Gorillas live in the Virunga volcanoes where they feed on the bamboo shoots as their delicacy. The chimpanzees can also be tracked in the Nyungwe forest where they live in very large numbers, Nyungwe forest National Park is also well known for the rare Canopy walk, which is one of the three in Africa.
Rwanda also offers several other tour activities like Game viewing in their different game parks where these animals live. Akagera National Park is a good example of places in Rwanda with animals like the Giraffes, waterbucks, hippos, zebras, wathorgs, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, lions and many bird and plant species.
Rwanda Genocide
Rwanda Genocide of 1994 was the massive massacre against the Tutsi that happened between 7th April and 15 July 1994. The killings began a day after President Juvenal Habyarimana had been assassinated on 6th April 1994 in a plane crash. The acts of massive killings against the Tutsi looked like had been planned a year before the actual war happened. Thousands of Ugandans were killed totaling to over 500,000 and 800,000 people in a short time. The massacre was so intense and the world was left in shock as no country came in to help and calm the situation. The victim of this brutality were killed in their own villages and towns. The militia followed the victims where they were hiding allover in churches and school buildings. The RPF a rebel group dominated by the Tutsi soon restarted the war against the killers and the government when the genocide had started forcing them to end the killings and flee to Zaire.
Prominent politicians and security personnel were killed that night the president had been assassinated from wherever they were hiding. Wherever they hid, they were identified and killed in their homes and other hiding places. The massive killing plan was very successfully executed leaving thousands of Tutsi Rwandese massacred.
The Rwanda genocide in Kigali started with the assassination of the presidential guard the elite side of the army murdered by the interahamwe soldiers. The Interahamwe set up roadblocks and would ask all the travelers for their Identity cards which clearly showed the ethnicity. The militias started searches in villages and houses of the people to find the Tutsi and all those they found in the hunt were slaughtered immediately. The worst catalyst to the search was the villagers who had killed together and knew where the all the victims were living and just gave direction to the killers or killed their own neighbors. The villagers who refused to kill their Tutsi neighbors were seen as sympathizers and were killed.
Gorilla Guardians Village
Gorilla tracking at Volcanoes National Park may look like the major tour activity but the Gorilla guardian’s village was established to offer you much more. The Gorilla guardian’s village is an establishment in the neighborhood of the park to bring you close to the Rwandan culture in one place. This place is occupied by the former poachers who are now reformed and are involved in nonprofit making projects in the gorilla village to supplement the tracking of Gorillas with a fresh cultural experience.
Some of the major projects conducted at the Gorilla guardian’s village include; Art and crafts, basket weaving. These projects have helped improve the livelihoods of these reformed poachers through infrastructure like health and education facilities. The visitors will have an opportunity to learn or even partake in the traditional cultural performances of the Intore Dance and the traditional marriage event. Taking part in this exciting cultural experience is the best way to enjoy the trip in this amazing village.
The Gorilla guardian’s village is strategically located at the parking of the famous Sabyinyo gorilla groups which makes it easy to participate in a visit to the Volcanoes National Park and the Gorilla guardians village in a short period.
A visit to the Gorilla guardians village costs only 35USD per person and includes all activities like visiting the traditional healers, the banana brewery and other cultural performances within this village. For guests who love to spend a night in this village, you will be required to pay only 70USD full board.
