A Week Down in the Thousand Hills

 

Day 0 : Arrival

Day 1 : Kigali Genocide memorial, the campaign against the genocide museum and the cultural Village in Musanze

• After breakfast, you will go to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and learn about the most recent and deadliest event of humanity. You will respect the 300 000 souls who rest in the backyard after an hour of experiencing the day per day genocide period. After this historical experience, you will visit the campaign against genocide located in the current parliament building. You will learn about the resilient and commitment of the current Rwandan leaders to make this tiny country one of the fastest economies in the world.
• At lunchtime, you will go to the local restaurant and test the Rwandan cuisine.
• After lunch, you will drive toward the north and go inside the deepest village at the feet of the giant volcanoes which suck the sky and vomit greenery and scenic vegetation, the home of the rare mountain gorillas...You will get in the cultural village for the experience of the Rwandan culture,  Lifestyle, traditional wedding, dance, and entertainment. Villagers are very welcoming and happy to receive new faces. The INTORE dancers are beautifully adorned, with spears in their dance, their hands, shoulders and hips in rhythm from one side to another following the rhythm and sound of the drums, beads, and bells around feet and necks to welcome you as a groom or a bride. You will surely enjoy participating in such a spectacular dance. 
• Over the evening, you will retire in the Nirvana Hotel above the Lake Kivu shores. You will get your dinner fire while contemplating the beautiful lake Kivu downstairs.

Day 2: Rubavu Hiking, Congo Border and kayaking in lake Kivu. 

• After breakfast, you will drive to Gisenyi in the height of thousand hills. You will go for a short hike in Rubavu garden hill. Time to watch birds! But most importantly the overlook! You will project your eyes in Goma the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo city from above the pleasant blue lake. 
• You will hike down and go for lunch in Gisenyi city.
• After lunch has a relaxing afternoon and go for chilling at the beach and get in the pedalon for diving or Kayaking and if you want to swim that will be the right time.
• Over evening Retire in Nirvana Hotel and smell the lake freshwater from your room.

Day 3: Traditional massage in Hot springs and go to respond to the calling islands in Karongi.

• After breakfast, go for a meditation moment at the hot springs, put out your shoes and step in natural hot springs for your health the hot sand beach will suck the tiredness from the previous day. After what you will start driving along the lake Kivu belt. The way is fully panoramic, passing through thousands of hills enveloped by green tea plantations and colored by the village trails above the peaceful lake shores until Karongi city.
• At Betania Hotel, you will be welcomed as a king with a cold juice and a grilled fresh fish for your lunch.
• After lunch, you will get in the local boat, time to explore splendid Rwanda. You will visit pass through islands and islets but mainly you will visit three of them: Napoleon Island, the Blue monkey Island, and the peace island
• 1. You will firstly stop at blue monkey island and visit the one and only family of blue monkeys who live there. Here you will get out the boat and for grabbing the fruits in the islands(guava, mangoes..) those fruits will be your snacks to Napoleon Island another small but tall hill inside the lake. 25 minutes are enough to get at the top where you will have the nicest selfies of the country in front of the thousands of hills.  
• After the hike down you will ride back to Amahoro Island(peace island)  and stop at the open peninsula for a local beer.
• After this experience, you will retire at Bethania Hotel near the shores.

Day 4 : Canopy walkway in Nyungwe 

• After breakfast, drive some 3 hours through the lake Kivu belt road and get got in the bottom of the largest dark forest of east Africa, Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will arrive at lunchtime and after lunch start walking in the bottom of the dark and rain forest under the old and giant trees, the flying monkeys, paradise birds and start the challenge of the day: after some 25 minutes walking in the forest, you will be challenged by stepping on the 200 m extended on two hills bridge. Above the forest at 70 m, on a shaking bridge, this will be the time to test your balance resilience. From there you will have an incredible endless view of the Lake Kivu and the green forest which makes this trip very photogenic. later afternoon, drive o Kitabi Eco center and stay in the king styled room in the middle of the tea plantation.

 

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and King palace museum

• You will weak up early morning and go to meet one of the most closer to a human being animals in their natural habitat, the chimpanzees. The trek takes between3 and 6 hours.
• You will be out of Nyungwe at lunchtime. After lunch, drive some two hours to Nyanza, where Rwanda takes its roots. Where the famous and majestic Rwandan kings were staying. You will get that chance to enter the king palace and learn about the royal style, the smartness and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda. The famous Long Horns Rwandan Cows are also in the palace backyard. their permanent keepers who pass the long days singing and interacting romantically with them are very styled to discover. You will experience how animals and human beings are closer friends beyond imagination.

 

Day 6: One Day game drive in Akagera National Park

 

• Early morning, drive some 2.5 hours to Akagera National Park and start a day game drive in the big five habitats. You will see savanna mammals like elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, lions…you have the look inside the lakes too. You will see the crocodiles, buffalos, monitor lizards…
• After, drive to Kigali, buy a souvenir and transfer back to the airport for your night flight.