Our Trip in Rwanda!

Hello all!

As you probably know, we are trying to give you the best feedback for all our travels. After few months of research on internet, we find out that Rwanda is the perfect place in Africa to spend 15 days. Do you know that production and consumption of plastic bags is illegal in Rwanda for 15 years now? The government is also implementing awareness campaign in schools and companies in order to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. I recently heard about Rwanda in an article: “Rwanda has been ranked as the top Africa destination to travel to in 2020 and among the top 30 globally by a ranking, Travel Lemming which recognizes trending destinations” from “The New Times”, which is a Rwanda famous newspaper.

We will therefore tell you through this article about our fabulous trip to Rwanda. We left with my wife and our two children, Julian (8yo) and Amarine (7yo). Initially, we really questioned Rwanda's relevance to the ecological cause. The goal for us was to be able to go to a country that respects the environment as much as possible, and that promotes sustainable development in its economy. It is important for us to show to our children examples of countries which are involved in this cause.

My wife and I would like to tell you that Rwanda is now a very safe country, with a very low crime rate. However, we do not recommend that you walk alone in the evening in some parts of Kigali city. You never know!

In terms of length of stay, we left for 10 days (flights not included), because we wanted to visit both the city and the wild landscapes. The trip was a little short, so I would advise you to leave at least 13 days, in order to enjoy the activities on site.

The main city, Kigali

We left Paris airport (Charles de Gaulle) to arrive in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. First of all, we notice the cleanliness of the city. Not a paper on the floor, not a cigarette butt. I saw in an article that Rwanda is called "the Swiss of Africa"!

During our stay in Kigali, my wife decided to visit a special farm, which is very famous in Rwanda. It is a farm run exclusively by women, which is very rare in the world. This is also a major step forward, and it is also very interesting to be able to see how these women run their businesses and try to change the mentalities of the tourists who come to visit the farm.

We advise you to meet the Rwandans, because through their history and culture, they are very interesting people. They have a lot of stories and anecdotes to tell about the country, the cities, but also life in the countryside. You may know this, but Rwanda has a very rich history, and visit Rwanda is also an opportunity to discover its past, including through various well-known monuments and museums that trace the history of Rwanda.

For accommodation, we have chosen to stay at the Mariott. It was a good choice, especially thanks to the location of the establishment, which is located in the heart of the city, easily accessible and close to shops. The service is particularly well cared for, and the facilities are really useful for children (swimming pool in particular). We know that the Mariott is not particularly renowned for being "green", but we absolutely wanted to spend our first days in the city centre. We looked on the internet, but it was impossible to find a really eco-responsible hotel in the heart of the city. So, we made an exception, and promised ourselves to book in an eco-friendly hotel for the rest of our stay.

In order to immerse ourselves in the life of the Rwandan population, we decide to stay the first three days in the capital Kigali. It is a really dynamic city, with a lot of very typical districts to discover. We also went on a day trip in a 4x4 to Akagera National Park, well known for its fauna and flora. We strongly recommend that you bring sunscreen and caps before boarding on a safari, as the guides did not have any with them. It is also necessary to bring a bottle of water, especially in case of high heat. However, you will not be disappointed by the beauty of the landscapes and the very professional tour guide. We purchased our tickets online 3 days before. You must know that this type of activity cost at least 240$/person.

We also took advantage of an interesting offer that offered the whole family the opportunity to have a cooking class on coffee. It was especially an interesting experience for us adults, but I advise you not to do it with your children, because they were not sufficiently concerned about the subject. However, the “coffee master” as we called him ;) was very professional and cautious, which is particularly appreciable when you try to learn something new!

The northern Rwanda

For the second part of our trip, we decided to stop over in the north of the country and stay in homes that respect the environment and participate in the reforestation in Rwanda. We therefore chose the Bisate Lodges to stay for 4 days. If you want to rent a car, you can check on internet and you will probably find 3-4 main rental companies. We decided to rent a Toyota RAV4 hybrid, and hopefully it was a 4x4, because we were four people to move, and it was easier to carry our luggage.

When we arrived at the lodge, it was an eco-responsible and beautifully decorated villa. We recommend that you book well in advance, because this type of eco-friendly accommodation is in high demand in Rwanda. You can even book on Booking, like us.

To visit northern Rwanda, it is possible to rent bicycles (we always think about our carbon footprint) in order to combine sport and visiting. The roads are not too busy, so it is very easy to ride even with children. We have chosen to book electric bicycles, which allowed us to travel longer distances without effort.

We didn't really want to have an organized trip from the first to the last day. It was also very important for us to let ourselves be guided through our meetings. For example, we met a couple who invited us to eat at their house. We didn't imagine this before our trip, the Rwandans are very welcoming, smiling, and don't hesitate to help you if you have a problem. A gentleman even got into our car to guide us through the city of Ruhengeri.

We also had the opportunity to visit another type of ecological establishment in the north of the country. This recently opened "resort" is called Kwitonda Lodge. It is part of the Singita group, which is a group specialised in this type of lodge.

Lake Kivu and Nyungwe National Park (west countryside)

For the last three days of our trip, we decided to go near Nyungwe National Park (West of the country). To sleep, we chose One&Only Nyungwe House, which is a luxurious but also ecologically responsible accommodation. You will find below a very interesting article about the hotel's policy. The school also emphasizes respect for local communities, which is an important value for us. Everyone should be able to live in harmony with their environment and the other people in it! In any case, we can only recommend this hotel, which is a little isolated from the rest of the world. The service is very good, the restaurant is very good too, and the activities offered by the hotel are varied and interesting, even for young children. The rooms are comfortable, and the intimate atmosphere makes the place truly exclusive and very warm. It is also very interesting to see how the countryside is adapting to natural resources and how people live.

MIKE