Visit Rwanda - Land Of A Thousand Hills!

  • Gazelle Safari Africa

  • Destination
  • Aug 09, 2021
Rwanda Destinations

Rwanda, fondly known as “the land of a thousand hills” is located in East-central Africa lying  121 Km (75 miles) south of the equator in the Tropic of Capricorn, 1416 kilometers (880Miles) West of the Indian Ocean and 1250Km (777Miles) East of the Atlantic Ocean.

Rwanda which location-wise is literally the heart of Africa has successfully emerged from its dark past and swiftly moved forward becoming one of Africa’s biggest success stories with Kigali, the cleanest city on the continent.

Rwanda’s inhabitants today were raised in several countries both in and outside Africa. Most returned from long exile abroad where they had sought refuge during and after the genocide that followed the disruptive clashes between the Hutu and Tutsis. Gladly, this beautiful country refuses to be defined by its dark past by emphasizing reconciliation and peaceful co-existence at all levels and strata of society. Only in Rwanda do you find genocide perpetrators and survivors living together as neighbors!

Rwanda is paying forward the kindness it was shown by its neighbors during the dark times by hosting thousands of refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

English is now the official language after Rwanda became fully Anglophone and is spoken alongside Kinyarwanda the local language. Interestingly, French is still widely spoken especially by the old folks and returnees from DR Congo and Burundi. Kiswahili is also spoken by Rwandans who grew up and lived in Uganda  Kenya, Tanzania, and DR Congo. It is a common trade language just like in other East African countries.

Sunday is observed as a day of worship in this predominantly Christian country. Offices are closed and most of the shopping centers work half a day.  Muslims are common in urban centers especially in areas of Nyamirambo which is regarded as a Muslim quarter.

While many Africa countries desert their culture (s) and lean more towards “Western Culture”, Rwanda has however not forgotten where it came from. No social gathering is complete without the elegant traditional dance, folklore and poetry not forgetting the fact that Rwandan handicrafts, baskets, and wood curving grace most of the modern interiors.

Kigali the capital city of Rwanda comes alive during the sports season especially when Amavubi Stars- the Rwandan National Team plays a foreign soccer team on home grounds. Amahoro Stadium fills to capacity with crowds of patriotic Rwandans cheering on.  Other prominent sporting activities include Cricket, Rugby, basketball, and Cycling. Be sure to attend Tour De Rwanda every year where throngs of fans line up the street to cheer on their favorite cyclists.

Every first and third Sunday of the month is a car-free day in Kigali where some roads are closed for motorized vehicles and used only for walking and cycling with the main aim of promoting the culture of sport among Kigali City residents, improve their health through preventing non-communicable diseases and on the other hand, reduce on gas emissions to make Kigali a green city.

Additionally, the Peace, calm, and progress made by Rwanda in the past years have made it a preferred MICE destination in Africa. This has been further facilitated by the good air connections, friendly investment climate, and good infrastructure.  Delegates and attendees of meetings, conferences, and exhibitions can take advantage of the discounted Rwanda Gorilla safaris,  Rwanda Big 5 Safaris in Akagera National Park, Track Chimpanzees in Nyungwe,  get to some monkey business in Volcanoes National Park, or better still just relax by the shores of Lake Kivu.

Book Your Rwanda Safari and Kigali City Tour with us today.

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