Mixture of business and leisure
When you come to Rwanda for business, short or long, you will stay in a country with excellent nature, hotels, houses and a beautiful culture. It is almost impossible to do your business without enjoying the aforementioned aspects of the country. Hereinafter, we zoom in on Rwanda’s parks and mention some available hotels who have a website with information.
NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK Extending for 1,000 square kilometers across the majestic hills of southeast Rwanda, Nyungwe National Park is the largest block of montane forest in East or Central Africa, and one of the most ancient, dating back to before the last Ice Age. A uniquely rich centre of floral diversity, the forest has more than 200 different types of tree, and a myriad of flowering plants including the other-worldly giant lobelia and a host of colourful orchids. Nyungwe is most alluring for its primates: 13 species in all, including humankind’s closest living relative the chimpanzee, as well as the handsome L’Hoest’s monkey and hundred-strong troops of the delightfully acrobatic Angola colobus. The most important ornithological site in Rwanda, Nyungwe harbours almost 300 bird species of which two dozen are restricted to a handful of montane forests on the Albertine Rift. The avian highlight of Nyungwe is the great blue turaco - an outlandish blue, red and green bird which streams from tree to tree like a procession of streamlined psychedelic turkeys. An extensive network of well-maintained walking trails leads through the forest to various waterfalls and viewing points. A comfortably rustic resthouse and perfectly situated campsite lie alongside the main road, and the reserve can readily be visited as a day trip from the towns of Butare and Cyangugu. Nyungwe does, however, deserve more time: anybody who wants to track chimps and see several varieties of smaller primate will need two days there - and dedicated birdwatchers might never want to leave!
Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is the largest of numerous freshwater bodies that shimmer in the valleys of Rwanda. Lakes Burera and Ruhondo, close to the gorilla-tracking centre of Ruhengeri, are oft-neglected gems, deep blue waters ringed by steep hills and tall waterfalls, with the nearby Virunga Volcanoes providing a spectacular backdrop. Away from the main resorts, Rwanda’s lakes offer visitors rewarding glimpses into ancient African lifestyles. Here, fishermen ply the water in dugout canoes unchanged in design for centuries, while colorfully dressed ladies smoke traditional wooden pipes and troubadours strum sweetly on stringed iningire (traditional ’guitars’). And, the birdlife is fantastic: flotillas of pelicans sail ponderously across the open water, majestic crowned cranes preen their golden crests in the surrounding swamps, while jewel-like malachite kingfishers hawk silently above the shore.
Hotels in Rwanda with an available website:
KIGALI SERENA HOTEL www.serenahotels.com
HOTEL DES MILLES COLLINES www.millecollines.net
NOVOTEL UMUBANO www.laicohotels.com
ABERDEEN HOUSE www.aberdeenhouse.rw.com
TOP TOWER HOTEL www.toptowerhotel.rw
ROYALE VILLAS www.royalevillas.rbo.rw
ALPHA PALACE HOTEL www.alpha-palace.com
STIPP HOTEL KIYOVU www.stippag.co.rw
HOTEL CHEZ LANDO www.hotelchezlando.com
IMPALA HOTEL www.impalaHotel.rw
HOTEL LE GARNI DU CENTRE www.garni.co.rw
SABYINYO SILVERBACK
LODGE www.governorscamp.com
VIRUNGA LODGE www.volcanoessafaris.com
LE PALME HOTEL www.lapalmehotel.com
VIRUNGA HOTEL www.virungatravel.com
ISHEMA HOTEL www.shyiradiocese.org
LAKE KIVU SERENA HOTEL www.southernsun.com
PEACE LAND HOTEL www.peacelandhotel.com
AKAGERA GAME LODGE www.akageragamelodge.com
NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK Extending for 1,000 square kilometers across the majestic hills of southeast Rwanda, Nyungwe National Park is the largest block of montane forest in East or Central Africa, and one of the most ancient, dating back to before the last Ice Age. A uniquely rich centre of floral diversity, the forest has more than 200 different types of tree, and a myriad of flowering plants including the other-worldly giant lobelia and a host of colourful orchids. Nyungwe is most alluring for its primates: 13 species in all, including humankind’s closest living relative the chimpanzee, as well as the handsome L’Hoest’s monkey and hundred-strong troops of the delightfully acrobatic Angola colobus. The most important ornithological site in Rwanda, Nyungwe harbours almost 300 bird species of which two dozen are restricted to a handful of montane forests on the Albertine Rift. The avian highlight of Nyungwe is the great blue turaco - an outlandish blue, red and green bird which streams from tree to tree like a procession of streamlined psychedelic turkeys. An extensive network of well-maintained walking trails leads through the forest to various waterfalls and viewing points. A comfortably rustic resthouse and perfectly situated campsite lie alongside the main road, and the reserve can readily be visited as a day trip from the towns of Butare and Cyangugu. Nyungwe does, however, deserve more time: anybody who wants to track chimps and see several varieties of smaller primate will need two days there - and dedicated birdwatchers might never want to leave!
Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is the largest of numerous freshwater bodies that shimmer in the valleys of Rwanda. Lakes Burera and Ruhondo, close to the gorilla-tracking centre of Ruhengeri, are oft-neglected gems, deep blue waters ringed by steep hills and tall waterfalls, with the nearby Virunga Volcanoes providing a spectacular backdrop. Away from the main resorts, Rwanda’s lakes offer visitors rewarding glimpses into ancient African lifestyles. Here, fishermen ply the water in dugout canoes unchanged in design for centuries, while colorfully dressed ladies smoke traditional wooden pipes and troubadours strum sweetly on stringed iningire (traditional ’guitars’). And, the birdlife is fantastic: flotillas of pelicans sail ponderously across the open water, majestic crowned cranes preen their golden crests in the surrounding swamps, while jewel-like malachite kingfishers hawk silently above the shore.
Hotels in Rwanda with an available website:
KIGALI SERENA HOTEL www.serenahotels.com
HOTEL DES MILLES COLLINES www.millecollines.net
NOVOTEL UMUBANO www.laicohotels.com
ABERDEEN HOUSE www.aberdeenhouse.rw.com
TOP TOWER HOTEL www.toptowerhotel.rw
ROYALE VILLAS www.royalevillas.rbo.rw
ALPHA PALACE HOTEL www.alpha-palace.com
STIPP HOTEL KIYOVU www.stippag.co.rw
HOTEL CHEZ LANDO www.hotelchezlando.com
IMPALA HOTEL www.impalaHotel.rw
HOTEL LE GARNI DU CENTRE www.garni.co.rw
SABYINYO SILVERBACK
LODGE www.governorscamp.com
VIRUNGA LODGE www.volcanoessafaris.com
LE PALME HOTEL www.lapalmehotel.com
VIRUNGA HOTEL www.virungatravel.com
ISHEMA HOTEL www.shyiradiocese.org
LAKE KIVU SERENA HOTEL www.southernsun.com
PEACE LAND HOTEL www.peacelandhotel.com
AKAGERA GAME LODGE www.akageragamelodge.com
