A couple safari in Rwanda

Comoran Lodge, Lake Kivu

Rwanda is well suited to active couples whose idea of shared quality time entails forest hikes, game drives, engaging in cultural activities, and so on. It is not particularly suited to quiet romantic beach getaways, though lovely Lake Kivu provides a fair substitute for a bona fide beach resort.

Highlights

The top highlight for couples - as with most other travellers to Rwanda - is tracking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Other highlights include chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park and safari activities in Akagera. For very active travellers, the hikes up Mount Bisoke and the other Virunga Peaks in Volcanoes National Park are fantastic, but hard work. The beaches of Lake Kivu offer couples the opportunity to unwind for a few days after all the hiking and safari activity.

Travel tips

Most couples are happy to spend plenty of time alone together, but it can be fun to break things up with the odd night at a more sociable venue such as a backpacker hostel or intimate private lodge.

Rwanda in July

Highlands and medium-altitude regions, for instance Kigali, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks, are warm to hot by day, and comfortably cool by night. Low-lying Akagera National Park is hot by day, and warm by night. July falls within the long dry season and monthly rainfall in most parts of the country is low (well below 50mm). July is an excellent month for…

At your lodge in Rwanda

Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Akagera National Park Never walk unaccompanied after dark in the bush or an unfenced camp or lodge. Don’t feed the wildlife – not only does it encourage it to become dependent on handouts to survive, but it may also foster problem animals. Don’t leave cash or other valuables lying around in the room. Do cover up in the evenings, spray exposed skin with…

Big Five safari in Rwanda

Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only Big Five destination, which means that it hosts populations of lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino and buffalo. It is also at present a rather underrated safari destination, but rapidly recovering from years neglect following the reintroduction of lions in 2015 and black rhino in 2017. Big Five aside, the park offers great general wildlife…

Languages in Rwanda

Unusually for Africa, Rwanda is essentially a mono-linguistic state, with the first language of practically all citizens being Kinyarwanda. In addition, most Rwandans speak a little of at least one international language. Historically, French was the most widely recognised European language, thanks to almost 50 years of Belgian colonisation. These days, however, English probably has the…

Rwanda in August

Highlands and medium-altitude regions, for instance Kigali, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks, are warm to hot by day, and comfortably cool by night. Low-lying Akagera National Park is hot by day, and warm by night. August is a dry month but the short rains may start towards the end of the month. Monthly rainfall in most parts of the country is low (under…

Rwanda vs Kenya

The Great Migration Mara river crossing in Kenya Rwanda offers several attractions not found in Kenya or indeed in most other safari destinations other than Uganda. Foremost among these is the opportunity to track mountain gorillas in the Virunga mountains and chimpanzees in the Nyungwe National Park. Rwanda offers far greater diversity than Kenya when it comes to forest primates,…

Rwanda vs Uganda

Golden monkey in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda and Uganda host a broadly similar set of attractions. Foremost among these mountain gorilla tracking, and while neither country could be said to offer a definitively better tracking experience than the other, our experience is that the more open nature of the forest in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park makes it slightly more reliable…