Rwanda is often called ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’. Rwanda is a small, land-locked country on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift Valley, part of the Great Rift Valley. Rwanda is experiencing a tourism rebound after falling of the map after the genocide in 1994. The country now has many international visitors and is regarded as a safe place for tourists. Getting around is very easy, because the distances are relatively small and the paved roads are generally in good condition. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Come and see for yourself Rwanda has a lot to offer: Five volcanoes in a row and the biggest concentration of mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, vast tropical rainforest in Nyungwe Forest, with Chimpanzees, large troops of Angolan Colobus Monkeys, Red-tailed Monkeys, Patas Monkeys and Blue Monkeys.
Great Savannas in Akagera National park with the large animals like Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Leopards, Giraffes, Zebras, Hyenas, Warthogs, Hippos and Crocodiles and a stunning scenery at Gisenyi on lake Kivu.
Kigali is the vibrant capital, which is slowly regaining its former reputation of its great nightlife. Kigali’s international airport serves domestic and several international destinations. Kigali is also home to the National Genocide Memorial.
Western and central Rwanda has steep mountains and lies at elevations of between 1500 and 2500 metres above see level. The Virunga Volcanoes give a lot of hiking opportunities through beautiful scenery. The steep mountains only give way in the eastern part of the country, nearby the Tanzanian border. The lower lying terrain is part of the Lake Victoria Basin, with the Kagera River. Much of this ecosystem is protected within the Akagera National Park.
Rwanda is a tropical country and much of it lies on the African plateau. This gives Rwanda a nice tropical climate, with temperatures averaging between 23 and 28 degrees Celsius during the day and between 11 and 17 degrees Celsius at night. The rainy seasons are from March to May and October to December.
The official languages of Rwanda are French and Kinyarwandais, but English is also widely spoken. The currency is the Rwandan Franc (RFr). The land is 26.338 sq. kilometers, with a population of 8 million.
Further information
Books about Rwanda:
- Rwanda: The Bradt Travel Guide. This is the most detailed
guidebook for Rwanda.
- East Africa: The Lonely Planet. Information about Rwanda,
Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
- Footprint Guides and Spectrum Guides produce other
guidebooks.
Books about Wildlife:
- Watching Wildlife East Africa: The Lonely Planet. Detailed
guidebook about the wildlife in East Africa. Kenya,
Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and the Easternmost part of
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
Films about Rwanda:
- Gorillas in the Mist (1988): Feature film dramatizing the
work of American ethologist Dian Fossey, who studied
gorillas in Rwanda's mountain forests until her murder
there in 1985.
- Hotel Rwanda (2004): Feature film dramatizing the true
story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed
over a thousand threatened Tutsi refugees during the
1994 genocide.
