Rwanda Safari Holidays: Explore Wildlife & Adventure

With its official title as The Republic of Rwanda, this landlocked country is situated in the heart of East Africa. It is one of the smallest countries on the African continent.

Rwanda is crowned the “land of a thousand hills” due to its beautiful topography, which is generally composed of low-lying plateaus, hills, and highlands.

It also has extensive coverage of savannah and alpine vegetation, with the most common vegetation type being the tropical and equatorial rainforest.

Rwanda’s neighbors include D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi. It is blessed with a vast and distinct concentration of fauna, which is a great attraction to her visitors.

The flora consists of distinct tree species and lowland ferns. The country’s drainage system includes numerous lakes such as Lakes Kivu, Ruhondo, Ihema, Muhazi, Burera, and Rweru.

Of these, Lake Kivu is the largest in the country. The river system is composed of River Nyabarongo (Rwanda’s longest river), River Kagera, River Ruvubu, and other smaller lakes.

Rwanda Safari Parks

Akagera National Park

This is the only savannah park in Rwanda. It was the second park to be gazetted in Rwanda after Volcanoes National Park, making it one of the oldest in the country. It has all the major land animals a tourist would desire to see, such as giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, lions, leopards, antelopes, and many other savannah-bound animals.

Volcanoes National Park

This park is well known for its massive population of mountain gorillas that inhabit its highland forests. It also offers hiking opportunities. Additionally, it is home to golden monkeys, over 10 species of primates, various mammals, birds, and vast flora.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

This park is the primate home of Rwanda, with over 13 species of primates. These include colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, baboons, and other primates.

Canopy Walk Adventure Safaris in Rwanda

Canopies are found in the equatorial rainforest regions. They are formed at different levels as trees grow steadily. Branches spread out magnetically, and because the trees are so strong, canopy walking has become a major tourist activity in Rwanda.

Trails have been set up in Nyungwe Forest for tourists to explore. These trails are at different levels to accommodate all types of visitors – those intimidated by heights and those who are not.

These canopy walks give guests unmatched scenery of the far forest lands and close highlands. The canopy walk gives a tourist a sense of standing on top of the entire forest.

People get to view trees at their highest heights, watch chattering birds, see primates jumping across tree branches, and take beautiful photos.

Mountains in Rwanda

The land of a thousand hills has many highlands. Renowned mountains include Mountain Kigali in the vicinity of Kigali City center, Mountain Muhabura, Mountain Karisimbi, Bisoke, and Mountain Sabyinyo, all located in the northwestern part of the country within the Virunga region.

Golden Monkey Trekking Safaris in Rwanda

Golden monkey trekking helps visitors explore the rare golden monkeys up close. They are trekked in Volcanoes National Park.

They have extremely rare beauty, with blends of colors and golden being the dominant one.

It’s from this that they are named golden monkeys. The greatest concentration is around Mount Sabyinyo slopes.

One of the most attractive features is their nostrils, which face upwards – a rare feature in primates. They can be trekked for a fee of only $100 per permit.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda

This is one of the most outstanding tourist activities in Rwanda. These creatures are rare, considering they can only be viewed in East Africa.

Rwanda has a considerable population. They can only be trekked in Volcanoes National Park, located in the Virunga massif.

They live in families, and some have been habituated, creating a proper atmosphere for interacting with these creatures.

Trekkers visit each gorilla family with much amazement because the region is mountainous.

Therefore, tourists get to hike the slopes, making it a memorable experience.

Big 5 Safaris in Rwanda

The best place for this activity is Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda. This is because the main big mammals available in Rwanda are extensively savannah dwellers.

While in Akagera, visitors can view giraffes, lions, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes. Other resident mammals include leopards, warthogs, zebras, and cheetahs.

Generally, the big five mammals are readily present for tourists.

Rwanda’s Beautiful Scenery

Better scenery often comes with differences in altitude. Given the presence of numerous attractions in Rwanda, the scenery varies. At Mt. Kigali, the capital city is beautiful as a tourist rides across its slopes.

While hiking the Virunga ranges, the lowland scenery is as beautiful as it gets. While cruising across the water bodies of Rwanda, the scenery is equally beautiful.

The same can be said for national parks and other city-bound tourist zones.

Best Time to Go on Rwanda Safaris

The best time for tourists to visit Rwanda is from July to September and/or December to February.

These periods of the year have an abundance of sunshine, inviting fewer abrupt weather interruptions.