Besides the attractions in the three popular National parks of Rwanda; Akagera, Nyungwe Forest and the Volcanoes, there are a lot to see and enjoy while in this land of a thousand hills. Some of these Include;
Eastern Province
(Best Known for the Akagera National Park)
The Rusumo Falls
These waterfalls are situated on the Akagera River on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania. It was these falls that saw the first arrival of Europeans in Rwanda.
Lake Muhazi
This is a long and shallow lake situated 30km from Kigali, the Rwanda Capital. People around this lake are mainly farmers and fishermen. However, the Lake is particularly included among one of the top untold attractions in Rwanda due to its large population of Spotted-necked Otters and a number of bird species around including the African Fish Eagle, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Swamp fly catchers among others.
Imigongo Art
Art and craft is one of the top attractions in Rwanda. The Imigongo art that is popular for beautiful paintings applied to crafts like wooden plates is a place to visit if you are a true lover for art and design. These are made by the Kakira co-operative that was inspired by the top 19th century prince of Rwanda called Kakira.
Kakira was the son of Prince Gisaka living in the province of Kibungo. He invented the art of decorating houses, using a popular art by then using cow dung. The dry dung used to be mixed with colors made from organic material like plants to create black, white and red paints. This paste was then applied to walls, pottery or canvas in spiral forms or geometric design.
Western Province
The western Province of Rwanda is specifically known for the Rubavu Tourist Destination in the Rubavu district with a capital of Gisenyi bordering the North Shores of Lake Kivu at the foot of the Virunga Mountains.
Here are the major attractions in the Rubavu Destination.
Lake Kivu and the Gisenyi Beaches
Lake Kivu is shared between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and is one of the contributors of the Great Lake region. It lies within the Albertine Rift Eco-Region and the Great Rift Valley covering 89km long and 48km wide with an average depth of 220m and 485 maximum.
The Lake has 3 sandy beaches with palm trees boasting several hotels and community campsites. Visitors to these beaches go for swimming, boat rides and other water sports as well as sun bathing.
The Nyamyumba Hot Springs
The Nyamyumba Hot springs are found about 7km from the town Centre of Gisenyi on the way to Kigufi. These hot water springs are believed to have multiple medicinal and curative virtues and visitors take it as a great place to unwind and taking a swim.
The 1918 First World War Graves
These historical graves are located 2 kilometers from Gisenyi city Centre along the main of Kigali-Rubavu Road. They were the burial place for the Belgian soldiers who died during the First World War.
The Dancing Pots
These are one of the Natural Regalia of the renowned Pygmy tribe of Central and Eastern Africa, the Batwa who still represent about 0.4% of the population of Rwanda. The Dancing pots is a pottery project for this tribe that is particularly renowned for their skills as potters, dancers and musicians.
Visitors to this project get an experience and opportunity to learn and interact with this community of the Batwa like in Pottery, cooking, among other daily way of lives.
The Busasamana Caves
Just about 8km from the main Rubavu – Musanze road, there is another wonder that you should miss while on your visit to the Western Province of the Land of a thousand hills.
The Busasamana cave that I about 1km long leads to a naturally set wonder of a system of several caves including the Mugongo that are great for caving, Bweza and Kabari caves in the sectors of Kanzeze, Mudende and Busasamana sectors.
Most of the Rwandan caves are developed from Cenezoic Volcanic rocks formed from million years ago.
The Mugongo
Other attractions along the Rubavu Musanze road include the Ikikombe cya Bunyongwe, a natural crater lake deeper than 200m, Ibere rya Bigogwe, a rock resembling a woman’s breast with spectacular views of the valley ideal for biking and hiking, School of Art of Nyundo among others.
The Congo Nile Trail
The Congo Nile Trail is a magnificent scenic 202 km route stretching along the shores of Lake Kivu in the Western Province from Rubavu district through Rutsiro, Karongi, Nyamasheke to Rusizi districts. It bridges the western corridor from Volcanoes National Park to Nyungwe Forest National Park and three sub trails (Pfunda and Gisovu tea routes and the Shangi historical route)
Congo Nile trail scene scenery is geographically spectacular and ever changing. You will explore villages on top hills, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, reefs and sandy beaches. The experiences are diverse – hiking, community interaction, historical tales and a magnificent scenic walk along the Lake Kivu.
The Congo Nile trail can be explored either foot (hiking), bicycle (bike) or a 4X4 Vehicle. It takes 10 days to walk this journey from the Northern shores of Lake Kivu to southern part through the famous Congo Nile divide watershed that is suitable for a wide range of fitness levels.
This adventure is being aimed at encouraging local communities to fight over poverty by developing tourism initiatives while at the same time allowing the country to diversify from Gorilla tourism.