Unusual Destinations Blog

First impressions

I had no idea what to expect in Rwanda, but a lush, peaceful, clean country filled with gentle, regal people was definitely not on my idea list at all. And that is exactly what I found. Now I know why Rwanda is called ‘Africa’s Switzerland’. Sure, it’s right on the equator and there are banana trees and terraces of vegetables, which are certainly not Swiss, but the landscape is magnificently beautiful and deep green. The little towns and villages are clean and well tended and the rural mud-brick homes even have handmade terracotta tiled roofs. Quite unexpectedly, the road network is excellent and tarred too. But the biggest surprise was the extensive cell phone coverage throughout the country. Rwanda is one pleasant surprise after another, all in the tiniest, most misunderstood country in Africa.

Rwandan culture

Everyone who has a television knows that Rwanda’s two main tribes are the Tutsi and the Hutus. They fought each other to the death nearly two decades ago, with the Tutsi suffering most, but I was again surprised and quite overwhelmed how they now live together harmoniously and deeply respect each others cultures. Most of the rural folk are Hutus and the tall, elegant, refined Tutsis live mostly in towns and villages. But everywhere I went I saw clearly that today there are only Rwandans, tribes are not distinguished and any prejudices are abhorred. Kinyarwanda and French are spoken throughout, along with English and Swahili.

Main attractions

Of course the highly endangered mountain gorillas are the best known drawcard to Rwanda, and trekking in the soaring Virunga mountains to see them is a life changing experience. While with the gorillas, I kept wondering who was watching who, since gorillas share 97% of our DNA. They could very well be ‘human viewing’ and be tickled at the lengths humans go to, to see them munching wild celery and romping on the mountain side.

Seeing the Karisoke Research Institute set up by Dian Fossey is also a must do. If you have seen Gorillas in the Mist, you will be walking in Dian’s footsteps all the time you are in the Virungas. It gave me a little chill, but a very pleasant one, and I felt like I was part of the iconic movie for a while.

Nyungwe Forest is a primeval tropical rainforest that is a true African Eden. Think of 275 different bird species – including paradise monarchs flitting through the forest canopy – providing amusement for the 500 wild chimpanzees that live there. The chimps are quite hard to find in their extensive habitat, and I didn’t see any – though I tried hard – but they are there for sure, along with black and white clown-like colobus monkeys and 11 other different primate species. There are also 120 different butterflies, 200 orchid species and 75 species of mammal in this magnificent forest.

Another surprise for me was Lake Kivu, a huge freshwater lake in the west that produces fine eating tilapia fish and is a holiday playground for locals. Seeing the traditional fishing methods was also quite comical. From their traditional boats, fishermen slap the water with long sticks, because they say it attracts the fish to the surface. To be honest, if I was a fish, I’d be scared to greater depths.

But just driving through Rwanda is in itself inspiring. To see how organically and peacefully the people live. Everyone is always busy, and I am completely convinced there are no lazy Rwandans. I also never saw one piece of plastic or litter in the countryside, which was a first for Africa. Some say it’s a sign of true poverty, that every piece of litter is burnt for fuel; I believe it’s the pride Rwandans take in their beautiful country.

Where to stay

There are swish hotels in the capital Kigali and on the languid Lake Kivu – five stars if you wish. In smaller towns there is always somewhere clean and hospitable to stay and the choice is increasing all the time. Basic accommodation in Rwanda is always pleasant, always clean, and the friendliness of the people makes up for not having Egyptian cotton sheets. For me, it was all part of the authentic experience of Rwanda – simple and real.

Dining out

In Kigali there are plenty of options, with great restaurants in the tourist hotels and many other local ones to try out. In smaller towns, I thoroughly enjoyed eating out with the locals in tiny establishments that always served a good plate of chicken and fresh vegetables. Along Lake Kivu, outdoor restaurants serve the fine fish from the lake – best grilled on an open fire. It’s so fresh you expect it to flap around your plate.

In a nutshell

Rwanda is astoundingly beautiful, peaceful and safe. It’s a truly extraordinary country with a lot to teach the rest of Africa about treasuring what you have – as they do their mountain gorillas, and forgiving past mistakes. The people are exemplary, serene, beautiful and utterly dignified. It’s an inspiring country everywhere you go

Farm terraces — Photo Credit: Heinrich van den Berg

Personal highlight

Seeing just how fast Rwandans have rebuilt their morale and their country after the genocide of 1994 – when a million people died in 100 days. Their fortitude, resilience and pride in their heritage are breathtaking. Everyone I spoke to was positive and energized, and they are all emphatic that, while they will never forget the past, they will never again allow such atrocities to happen again – and they believe the future is bright. I do too, because they live their words.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 6:13 am and is filed under Rwanda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.