Rwanda, known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” is a fantastic destination for outdoor adventures, featuring diverse landscapes, wildlife, and activities like gorilla trekking, hiking, and bird watching in national parks like Volcanoes and Nyungwe.
There’s no better eco-friendly way to experience Rwanda’s wild beauty than on foot or from a bike saddle. There are also rivers and lakes to paddle and caves to explore. And if after all that exercise you want to recharge the batteries, a couple of expanses of white sand beckon.
You will take on Cycling along the Congo Nile Trail. A cycling and hiking safari runs along the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s great lakes, in western Rwanda. it uses a series of interconnected rural paths, dirt road and drivable tracks through the tropical Kivu Region. Running roughly parallel to the eastern shores of the lake for 140 miles from Gisenyi to Kamembe and completed in about five days.
You will go through coffee plantations and fascinating tropical forests making it a great way to meet locals and share traditional activities, including craft making, honey harvesting, visiting tea or coffee estates or joining local fishermen as they spend the night fishing sambaza.
When you go gorilla trekking safari, add on a visit to the Musanze caves which will give you the opportunity to see bats. Bat roosts are a significant feature of the caves, as are huge roof collapses that create vast arrays of coloured light shafts incredibly photogenic! You don’t need to be a superhero to explore these caves, but a guide is required.
Continue with a visit to Lake Ruhondo and Lake Burera, also on the outskirts of Musanze. The two large lakes are dotted with small villages and accessed via a network of dirt roads. The scenery of the twin lakes is breathtaking as the shores of the lakes are heavily terraced and cultivated with crops, and the Virunga volcanoes looming in the distance. While Ruhondo and Burera lack tourist infrastructure, you can easily have a do-it-yourself adventure here.
While in Nyungwe forest for your chimpanzee trekking, you will not miss out on the canopy walk suspended above a ravine in the lush montane rain forest. The canopy provides memorable views of the surrounding forest and is accessible after a preliminary 30-minute ascent. You’ll see plenty of butterflies, orchids and colourful birds on the way.
Kayaking is yet another outdoor activity which you can do on lake Kivu. you can take a kayak excursion to explore the blue and clear waters that lap the scenic shores of the lake. paddling is super safe as there are no hippos or crocs. You’ll find peace and tranquillity on the quiet waters and feel the cares of the breeze, with the volcanic mountains as an astounding backdrop.
Take a hike to the iconic summits of the Volcanoes National Park making it an absolute must-see. You can choose to climb Karisimbi, Bisoke crater lake, Gahinga or Dian Fossey grave yard. you’ll pass through some remarkable changes of vegetation, ranging from thick forests of bamboo and giant lobelia or hagenia on to alpine meadows. And there are further rewards in store: if the weather is favourable, you can enjoy spectacular views over the mountain chain.
One of the best parts of climbing and trekking the volcanoes is that you will be awarded ample opportunities to view wildlife and primates like gorillas and golden monkeys. The most common herbivores in the park are bush bucks and black-fronted duikers; buffaloes, bush pigs and giant forest hogs are infrequently spotted. Also, be sure to inspect the hollows of trees for hyraxes, genets, dormice, squirrels and forest pouched rats.
