Rwanda is a landlocked country located in east-central Africa. The country is covered most by steep hills and deep valleys with its highest point being Karisimbi ((14,187 ft; 4,324 m) in the Virunga mountains. Although well known for the horrible history of the genocide, Rwanda is a nice country, with magnificent people, amazing lakes, mountains, a great climate, good roads, a nice standard of living with cheap things ranging from food to accommodation and lots of things. Rwanda is a small country and almost all its attractions of nice places are next to each other.
Tourists are fond of the following places in Rwanda.
1. The Gorillas in the Virunga Mountains
The gorillas in these mountains are shared with countries like Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These three countries share the few remaining gorillas in the world. People frequent Parc National Des Volcans to track these humble giants that have endured civil and world wars. People come from all over the world to spend one hour with these great apes. Looking through the eyes of these humble giants (Gorilla) gives you a feeling that triggers a question in your mind that goes “Why, why, why, not protect” they are exhilarating. Gorillas are herbivores that live in groups and like humans, there is always a dominant male which is the silverback and it is the head of the family. To track Gorillas in Rwanda you need at least 2 days and tracking gorillas in Rwanda is not as strenuous as it is in Uganda. A gorilla permit that allows you to track Gorillas in Rwanda Costs USD 750 and it is usually restricted to a particular date.
2. Genocide memorial
Rwanda has two genocide memorials – one is Ntarama church which is about 5 km down a right-hand fork that branches off the Nyamata road roughly 20 km outside Kigali. This church has been left empty just as it was after removing the bodies with scraps of personal items like clothes on the floor. Next to this church is a building where other people seeking safety were massacred. The other church is just at Nyamata 30 km from Kigali which was a site of a horrible massacre. The bodies were also removed although blood stains remain on the walls. A courtyard was dug outside the underground chamber and that’s where the skulls of many victims are being displayed. While visiting this memorial you will be told to sign a visitor’s book from which you might spot lots of people’s names that are familiar.
3. Kabgayi Church museum
3 km from Gitarama along Butare road lies the massive cathedral of Kabgayi. This is the oldest in the country dating back to 1925. This was the first settlement area of the Catholic Bishop. With a huge size and peaceful interior, the church is worth a visit and there is a small museum beside it.