Six Reasons to Go to Rwanda

After traveling to Rwanda on numerous visits and leading groups of travelers on our Indagare Journeys, I can say with certainty that a trip here delivers so much more than an encounter with gorillas. In fact, this central African country delivers an incredible amount of inspiration and promise—two things that are too scarce in the world today. Three decades after the Rwandan genocide, during which one in 10 people were killed, the country has emerged as a beacon of hope. Its positive progress is drawing everyone from luxury tour operators and wildlife lovers to world leaders and conservationists, all of whom are visiting to learn lessons and get a dose of inspiration.

1. Go… To be Inspired

There is so much good news in Rwanda that visitors cannot help but feel the country represents one of the world’s greatest comeback stories. Read A Plane Ride to Inspiration. Since the genocide of the 1990s, Rwanda has come together in a spirit of openness and healing—the resilience of its people is palpable, and visitors cannot help but feel humbled and inspired by the triumph of spirit that prevails. For example, on the last Saturday of every month, Umuganda takes place in the country and is a national holiday and a community cleanup day. The country shuts down for four hours and every citizen comes together to take part in community service. There is a smile on every person's face you walk by as they take part in this national day of celebration—the streets, stores and restaurants are all closed.

2. Go… To Meet Your Ancestors

Gorilla viewing is unlike any other wildlife experience you will have thanks to the species’ close connection to humans (we share 98 percent of their DNA) and their comfort with our presence. You can be feet away from intimate family interactions: an alpha male may sit chomping on bamboo shoots and then stand up and beat his chest, as he did when we visited, to signal to his family that he wants to move to another resting spot; babies may clamber over moms; and teens may scoop fire ants for a snack and then roll around in the leaves to stop the stinging—all within inches of you. I have been on safari a dozen times and gorilla trekking is one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences I have ever had. Part of the magic lies in the physical proximity, but there’s also the physical familiarity that cannot be denied, a recognition of shared traits. There is nothing quite looking into the eyes of our ancestors.

3. Go… Because Rwanda Excels in Luxury Travel

Rwanda has a variety of incredible luxury lodges, some of the best in the world. In the North, in Volcanoes National Park where you go to see the Endangered Mountain Gorillas, a few favorites include Wilderness Bisate and Sabyinyo, One & Only Gorilla’s Nest and Singita Kwitonda. In the rainforest of Nyungwe National Park, known for its population of chimpanzees, you have One & Only Nyungwe, and in the south east, you have Akagera National Park, which is home to the big five and where Wilderness has their second lodge in the country, Magashi Camp. And, of course, in the capital of Kigali, the boutique property The Retreat by Heaven is an Indagare favorite, with eight beautiful pool villas.

4. Go… To Meet the People Making a Difference

Many inspiring individuals have been swept along with the country’s progress and are pitching in with their own projects and making an impact. During the Rwanda Indagare Journey, we always meet with artists, conservationists and educators, as well as Josh and Alissa Ruxin, the American couple who founded the popular restaurant Heaven in Kigali and opened the first boutique luxury property, the Retreat. Another inspiring initiative is the Inema Art Center, which houses more than a dozen resident artists and teaches dance and art to children, and the Gashora Girls Academy, which has inspired girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and math studies. And then there’s the talented Joselyne Umutoniwase, who returned from a successful film career in Europe to create the country’s first fashion company, the Rwanda Clothing Company. One Rwandan powerfully summed up the resolve powering these creative new endeavors post-Genocide: “We were put so low that when you survive, you have to stand up.” And in Volcanoes National Park, visiting The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is an absolute must, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the researchers and the conservationists who are leading the charge in gorilla conservation. The campus reopened after a major renovation in early 2022.

5. Go… To See Biodiversity Far Beyond the Gorillas

Nature lovers will be wowed by the country’s diverse flora and fauna. Nyungwe, in the southwestern part of the country, is part of the largest montane forest in Africa and is the true source of the Nile. The most floristically rich in the country, the forest is home to more than 13 species of primates including chimps and black and white colobus monkeys. It is also where the Wildlife Conservation Society has been focusing on creating a model for community conservation with innovative education and training programs. Plus, in Akagera National Park, you can see the Big Five.

6. Go… To Understand an Important Piece of Humanity's History

I think back to one experience I had after trekking to see the gorillas—rangers and tourists united by the high of the encounter—I kept thinking of a scene in the documentary Virunga, where one of the rangers speaks about the gorilla orphans that he cares for: “They must not feel that they are abandoned. They must feel that they are part of a family.” Wasn’t that the message of the Genocide Memorial and of all the reconciliation and healing initiatives that Rwanda has undertaken since that dark time? That we are our brother’s keeper. Or at least we should be. I say, go see for yourself how a country can rebuild after a massacre—you cannot help but feel hope for humanity.