Rwanda is becoming one of the world’s trendiest luxury holiday destinations.
Can you locate Rwanda on the map? Do you know who you will meet in Rwanda? Or where you can stay?
We love Rwanda because it’s a really adventurous and exotic holiday, with a remarkable collection of luxury lodges. It’s a hyper-exclusive summer destination.
Visit Rwanda this summer and you’ll return home with stories your friends can’t even imagine.
Gorilla Trekking
There are only two countries in the world where you can go trekking with mountain gorillas. Rwanda is the best one.
You don’t see gorillas in the mist. You spend an hour immersed in the rare world of a gorilla troop.
They are the biggest primates and never has a single one of them been in a zoo. Coming eye to eye with gorillas is truly an experience you’ll remember forever. Our guide to gorilla trekking explains what you do.
We recommend doing Rwanda gorilla trekking twice. The experience exceeds any hype and will be nothing like anything you’ve done before.
Chimpanzee Trekking
Rwanda is also the best country in the world to see chimpanzees. And to go trekking with other rare primates, like critically endangered monkeys and mangabeys.
Chimpanzees are our closest relatives. To spend an hour with them is like entering a familiar, yet completely alien world.
You do gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s northwest, in Volcanoes National Park. Chimpanzee trekking takes place in the southwest, in Nyungwe, a part of the Congo Basin Rainforest. It’s just a short scenic flight to combine the two.
In Volcanoes it’s all about the gorillas. Whereas in Nyungwe you can encounter more primates than anywhere else in Africa. It’s a different experience and we highly recommend doing both gorillas and chimpanzees.
Big-Game Safari
Rwanda has achieved what many said was impossible. They’ve reintroduced all the big safari animals that were lost 30 years ago.
Akagera is a lovely destination for a first-time safari. You’ll see famous animals like lions and elephants up close. And you can do unique activities like game walks, boat safaris and nighttime drives.
Akagera is beautiful for two or three days, but it isn’t the best place in Africa for a safari. It’s nothing on the Serengeti in Tanzania or Maasai Mara in Kenya.
Do you prefer to do a longer and more extensive safari, in Africa’s best safari destinations? Easy. You can fly direct from the Serengeti to Rwanda. Or from Nairobi in Kenya to Rwanda.
Getting to Rwanda
Rwanda is an amazing standalone destination for five to ten days. Fly to the capital city Kigali via Dubai on Emirates, via Doha with Qatar Airways, via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, or on KLM via Amsterdam.
Regional flights make Rwanda one half of a two-week East Africa safari holiday.
Do the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. Then a classic big-game safari in Kenya or Tanzania. Some would call this a holiday of a lifetime. But hey, if you have the means, you can do a “holiday of a lifetime” every year.
Rwanda Has Africa’s Best Collection of Luxury Lodges
But isn’t this tiny country in East Africa a little too remote for luxury? Not so. Rwanda’s approach is all about high-end, high-quality tourism. The lodges are remarkable and extremely exclusive.
Bisate Lodge has only six villas, designed in the palatial style of the Nyanza kings, in the cone of an eroded volcano.
It’s one of the best in Africa for sustainability and authentic opulence.
Singita Kwitonda is Africa’s hottest place to stay in 2023.
It’s contemporary African art and design, with Singita’s exemplary service, and gorillas sometimes visiting the hotel grounds.
One&Only Gorilla’s Nest is just as chic and eye-catching, with treehouse accommodation dominated by African art and open vistas.
You won’t have stayed in somewhere like this before.
One&Only Nyungwe House is where you should stay for chimpanzee trekking.
Overall, Gorilla’s Nest edges it for style, but the service at Nyungwe House is like being at an exclusive-use property.
Magashi Camp is a basic yet stylish safari lodge and you’re only realistic option for an Akagera safari. For two nights it’s fine. For longer safaris, Kenya and Tanzania have better camps and lodges.
What Questions Do You Have About Rwanda?
Of course you will have questions about Rwanda. It’s an exotic, exclusive destination in the heart of Africa. It’s nothing like anywhere else in Africa or the rest of the world.
Come to us with your questions, so you can have a better idea of whether Rwanda will be a top summer destination for you.
