I lost about 75% of my photos from this trip, so unfortunately I can’t represent Rwanda nearly as well as I’d like. Even with that setback, Rwanda ended up being one of the most impressive countries I’ve visited in Africa. The country has gone through an extraordinary transformation since the genocide and civil war of the 1990s, and today much of Rwanda feels organized, clean, and easy to travel through. Kigali especially surprised me with its modern neighborhoods, good infrastructure, restaurants, and welcoming atmosphere. Between the capital, the national parks, the mountains, and the country’s famous primates, Rwanda is definitely a place I’d like to return to and explore in much greater depth.
Explore Kigali
Kigali is one of the biggest surprises I had while traveling in Africa. The city is spread across a series of green hills and has a much more modern and orderly feel than I expected before arriving. There are plenty of restaurants, hotels, museums, markets, and neighborhoods to explore, while the city’s history gives visitors a much deeper understanding of Rwanda’s past and how dramatically the country has changed. Kigali also makes a convenient base for traveling to other parts of Rwanda because of its central location.
Explore Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park sits in southwestern Rwanda and protects one of the largest remaining montane rainforests in this part of Africa. The park is especially famous for its chimpanzees, and a chimpanzee trek is one of the main reasons travelers come here. Nyungwe also has a wide network of hiking trails, excellent birdlife, waterfalls, dense forest, and the well-known canopy walkway suspended high above the trees. Even without seeing chimpanzees, the rainforest itself makes Nyungwe one of Rwanda’s best outdoor destinations.
