Self-drive Kigali offers an outstanding adventure through the stunning landscapes and rich culture heritage of Rwanda. Rwanda ranks among the world’s most exciting emergent ecotourism destinations. Few would have expected it 25 years ago, when a long simmering civil war erupted into a tragic genocide in which up to a million people died.
If you are planning to visit Rwanda for the first time and would love to drive yourself around the city, parks and other popular destinations, we at Self Drive Kigali proudly present to you attractions to look out for on a self-drive tour in Rwanda.
Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda’s top draw is of course the mountain gorillas that inhabit the misty slope of the Virunga Volcanoes along its northern border. This is where Dian Fossey started the habituation of the mountain gorillas decades ago. Other activities in the park include golden monkey trekking, a hike to Dian Fossey’s former camp, and several strenuous climbs to the volcanic peaks.
The most famous activity is gorilla trekking, which gets you close to one of the world’s most iconic gorillas. Wildlife enthusiasts can also track golden monkeys in the bamboo zone. Other day hikes include the walk to Dian Fossey’s grave at the abandoned Karisoke Research Center and ascent to the scenic Crater Lake atop Mt Bisoke. Activities are all guided and undertaken as day excursions from outside the park.
Arguably the most exciting and moving wildlife encounter you will ever experience, it starts with a tense ascent through the fertile volcanic slopes dense with cultivation, into a hushed montane forest of impenetrable bamboo skyscrapers, until finally you come face to face with one of these extraordinary, inspirational, emotional and profoundly satisfying. Gorilla trekking is guaranteed throughout the year.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe National Park
This park protects the largest highland rain forest in East Africa. Even from the main road, you will be blown away by the endless views over layers of steep jungle clad mountains. This park still provides an opportunity to see an amazing variety of monkeys and birds. It also a prime chimpanzee trekking destination and notable for its remarkable 70m 230ft high canopy walk.
Nyungwe National Park has a good variety of forest animals but it’s the primates that steal the show. 13 species are present, including chimpanzees and Ruwenzori Colobus monkeys. Both can be tracked on separate activities. Another highlight is the land dwelling L’Hoest’s monkey which can often be found along the main road and in the campsite.
Although Nyungwe is bisected by a surfaced road, the guided activities are undertaken on foot and these include, the chimp trekking at Cyamudongo to see humankind’s closest relative, and the breathtaking suspended canopy walkway on the Igishigishigi Trail. Many other walking trails are available, some rated highly for monkey viewing or bird watching, while others visit scenic waterfalls, mountain summits or landmarks such as the most remote source of the Nile.
Wildlife in Akagera National Park
Since African Parks assumed management of Akagera in 2010, wildlife numbers have been on the increase. The Buffaloes are abundant, and elephants are commonly seen on the lake shores. After the first reintroduction of 2015, there are now more than 40 lions roaming the savannah plains. Leopards are common, but harder to spot. These secretive big cats are mostly seen on night drives.
Akagera is scenic and offers a wide diversity of habitats in a small area. Visitors can drive along a string of forest-fringed lakes and wetlands fed by the Akagera River. Tall mountains form a lovely backdrop to the ever-changing vegetation, which includes papyrus swamps and acacia woodland.
Game drives allow you to see a good selection of Akagera’s wildlife. It’s possible to self-drive, assuming you have a good 4×4. Guided night drives increase the odds of encountering nocturnal creatures such as leopards, bush babies and genets. Boat trips are excellent for hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. Privately run balloon safaris offer an aerial overview of the lush scenery. For deeper insight, join a Behind-the-Scenes tour or Walk-the-Line patrol of the boundary fence.
Gishwati Mukura National Park
This park was gazetted in 2015, Gishwati Mukura National Park is Rwanda’s newest national park and it consists of the Gishwati and Mukura Forest which are about 50km/30mi apart. The area between them has been set aside for reforestation. At this point, only the Gishwati sector, an exciting new chimp trekking destination, is developed for tourism.
The main attraction of Gishwati Forest is a community of chimpanzees. As they are only semi-habituated, seeing these charismatic primates shouldn’t be taken for granted. Although you might come across them while hiking, your best chance of a quality encounter is to head out to their nests before dawn. Watching them wake up, interact and start their daily activities is very special, and so are their loud vocalizations when they spot you.
A well-maintained trail crosses a tea plantation before disappearing into a beautiful secondary forest. The trail follows a lush river valley before coming to a stop at a picturesque waterfall. In 2002 the area was nearly depleted due to illegal mining and farming. Since then, big forestation efforts have accelerated the restoration of the Gishwati and Mukura Forests, which protect 60 species of tree including many hardwoods and bamboo.
The main activity is a guided forest walk through the Gishwati sector. These come with a good chance of encountering semi-habituated chimps, as well as golden monkey and L’Hoest’s monkey, and a variety of forest birds including several Albertine Rift endemics. The guided walks are only available to people staying at Gishwati community-owned guesthouse. No organized activities are available at the Mukura sector, but the forest here is rated highly by bird-watchers.
Kigali
The low-key but attractive Rwandan capital city of Kigali stands in the centre of the country, where it straggles over several hills and valleys, spanning altitudes of around 1,300m to 1,600m. This city was founded in 1907 at a location chosen by Dr Richard Kandt, who built an administrative residence close to the present-day Gakinjiro Market. Two years later, 20 further houses were built (one of which has been restored as a history museum) on the eastern slopes of Nyarugenge Hill, which now forms the commercial city centre.
The centre of Kigali is bustling, colourful and noisy, but impressively clean and safe (indeed, in 2008, Kigali was effectively pronounced the cleanest city on the continent, when it became the fifth the Habitat Scroll of Honor award, an annual award launched by the UN Human Settlements Programme in 1989).
However, it is undergoing rapid development and change, with shiny new shopping malls, hotels and office buildings springing up all over the city; most recently, the construction of a huge new US$12.9 million city hall, and the even larger, US$300 million Kigali Convention Centre, replete with its own five-star hotel, office park and cavernous conference facilities, which was inaugurated in 2016.
And while this is all well and good for Kigali’s increasingly striking skyline, it remains to be seen if the city’s green credentials survive all this development.