Category: Tourism

{{ Today, June 22, Rwandans will celebrate the birth of 12 baby gorillas at “Kwita Izina”, the annual naming ceremony to be held at the foothills of the Virunga mountains in Kinigi, Northern Rwanda.}}

The event will bring together more than 5000 residents of Musanze District and visitors from all over the world under the theme “Celebrating Nature, Empowering Communities.”

Acting CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Ms. Clare Akamanzi said that this year, RDB will recognise the community’s role in the conservation of the mountain gorillas as well as other protected species in all of Rwanda’s national parks:

“At the 2013 Kwita Izina, we will name 12 baby gorillas and one new gorilla family. We will also show our appreciation to all those who take care of them, including rangers and veterinary doctors as well as the surrounding communities who continue to play an indispensible role in protecting Rwanda’s rare mountain gorillas.

Rwanda’s community led conservation efforts have led to a 26.3% growth in the population of gorillas since 2003 and Kwita Izina has been key to this success.”

Kwita Izina this year is more than a one day event. Several exciting events were planned leading up to the big day.

These include the launch of a women’s community project near Nyungwe, a four-day touristic caravan from Kigali to Musanze as well as “Igitaramo”, a concert to be held Friday night at Ubworoherane stadium featuring Rwandan artists including Knowless, King James, Rafiki, Jay Polly, Tanzania’s Alikiba and Jamiaica’s Kevin Lyttle. All Kwita Izina activities are open to the public.

Kwita Izina is inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born.

In the nine years since the event was established, 161 gorillas have been named in a celebration of nature and the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorilla.

This year’s Kwita Izina has attracted over 460 international guests from different countries including Kenya, Guyana, Jamaica, Nigeria, India, Netherlands, US, Zambia and Uganda among others.

List of designated 2013 gorilla namers:

1. Mr. Rifai Taleb – Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

2. Isaiah Washington IV – American actor

3. Ms. Lieke van Lexmond – Dutch model, actress and TV presenter

4. Mr. Mark van Eeuwin – Dutch actor, TV and film producer

5. Cyprian Chitundu – Managing Director of ZESCO Limited, Zambia

6. Dr. Paula Kahumbu – Executive Director of the Kenya Land Conservation Trust and Wildlife Direct, and chairman of the Friends of Nairobi National Park

7. Mr. Paul Dalgleish – Director of Sales and Marketing – Middle East- African Continent- Marriott Hotels International, Inc

8. Jeffrey David Sachs – American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University

9. Mr. Ramsey Tokunbo Nouah Jr – Nigerian award winning actor

10. H.E. Kazuya Ogawa – Ambassador of Japan to Rwanda

11. Kidumu – Burundian musician based in Nairobi

12. Ms. Elizabeth Nyirakaragure – Rwandan veterinary officer who has worked at Volcanoes National Park for the past 25 years.

13. Ms. Chantal Nyiranyenzi – Rwandan farmer, member of Twisungane-Gatare Cooperative in Nyungwe, Southern Province since 2007

{{In line with the cerebration of the 9th Gorilla naming ceremony “Kwita Izina”, Rwandans and many other people from around the world have started a “Caravan tour” which is an opportunity for them to learn more about Rwanda’s beauty and discovering some of Rwanda’s most beautiful sights and natural wonders. }}

The Caravan also visits some of the activities conducted by local communities.
About 60 caravan guests have visited local cooperatives in Musanze District of the Northern part of Rwanda.

Just at their arrival, they witnessed Arts and crafts from local producers which are on sale at the Cultural Exhibition, among exhibitors there were Rocks Cultural Centre, Agasozi Arts Centre and more on display!

The Caravan is also an opportunity to let investors know where they can put money so as to increase the socio-economic progress of Rwanda.

The Guests visited Ituze Cooperative which is a home of Agaseke-a tightly woven papyrus basket; interwoven with sisal thread using tiny needles.

The Cooperative groups women who have been facing socio-economic problems but today they able to earn money from their handcrafts.

The Cooperative also plays a significant role in promoting Rwandan culture among tourists who stay in Musanze during their recreational activities.

Karangwa Anaclet, Community and Cultural Tourism Officer at RDB, says that the caravan is helping guests to know more about Rwanda.

“There were so many people who knew Rwanda because of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. People should change this perspective and know the real and new image of Rwanda” Karangwa said.

Apart from the mountain gorillas, there are also many varieties of species that are attractive including community activities, lakes, Rivers and mountains as well a Rwandan culture.

Today, 21 June 2013 the caravan guests are visiting the ancient Musanze caves – home to a large bat colony.

{{It has been almost 20 years since the infamous genocide in Rwanda, where nearly one million ethnic Tutsi’s lost their lives .}}

Nyungwe National Park, where visitors now hike hillsides to glimpse of troops of chimps, was a refuge for Tutsis who hid in the vast shadows of forests in fear for their lives, waiting for 100-day slaughter to end.

Since the genocide’s end, this nation has established a solid democracy and worked tirelessly to reunify the nation, and it has become one of Africa’s safest and cleanest destinations as well as one of its most stunning and biologically diverse.

Shortly after the genocide, however, the extremely divided nation was faced with abject poverty and as a result, Nyungwe – one of Africa’s last remaining mountain rainforests — nearly faced its demise.

Impoverished local villagers and a rapidly growing population surrounding the park depended on the wood for cooking and keeping warm.

Many of the animals in the park were hunted for food. Surrounding farms encroached on the park.

Since 2010, Strengthening Sustainable Ecotourism has been working in and around Nyungwe National Park (SSENNP) with a program known in Kinyarwanda as “Nyungwe Nziza” or Beautiful Nyungwe.”

It has been working with the park to promote and sustain Rwanda’s ecotourism and conservation while promoting cultural awareness and stimulating the local economy through tourism.

Thus far, the project has worked closely with local communities and schools to raise environmental awareness and help generate local jobs by bringing tourists from all over the world to visit Nyungwe National Park’s spectacular rain forest canopy.

Nyungwe, Africa’s largest protected mountain rain forest, is a birdwatcher’s paradise with more than 280 species of birds. It also boasts thirteen species of primates including what is possibly the world’s largest concentration of colobus monkeys and, most notably, its containment of one of Africa’s largest populations of chimpanzees.

Nyungwe offers several guided hikes at varying skill levels along well-maintained trails. Hikes feature rivers, waterfalls and wildlife and are lead by outstanding locally hired, multi-lingual guides. There are specific guided tours for viewing colobus monkeys, exquisite birds and chimps.

A visit to the model Kitabe Cultural Village at the park’s entrance gives guests a glimpse into the pre-colonial traditional life of Rwandans.

The village, funded by the Nyungwe Nziza Project, engages local community members in dancing, singing, and costumed historical re-creations.

In 2010, the Nyungwe Nziza Project (NNP) helped open a 90-meter long (nearly 300 feet) canopy walk.

At 50 meters (164 feet) above ground and only the third of its kind in African (others can be found in South Africa and Ghana), this canopy walk offers visitors an unrivaled and otherwise unachievable way to experience the rain forest canopy.

Thanks to the canopy, more revenue was generated for the park and local communities as it brought in thousands more visitors.

The Project continues to work with both the public and private sectors to find more ways to introduce the world to what is one of Africa’s most overlooked and outstanding National Parks.

By attracting more visitors to the Park, the project has helped generate more jobs and thereby increasing local household revenues.

Over the next two years, NNP is working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Jane Goodall Institute to habituate more chimps in the northern section of the park thus allowing visitors more opportunities to track the chimpanzees.

They are also working with the US National Park Service to create self-guided trails for visitors seeking their own adventures, as well as establish more campsites for backpackers trekking across East Africa.

They run programs to educate local guides on the bird populations and habitats in an effort to make Nyungwe a premier international bird watching destination.

{{ Staying in the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda}}

Guests have three options for accommodations when visiting Nyungwe. The Nyungwe Forest Lodge offers luxury in a quietly elegant lodge that all but disappears into rain forest. It has hosted its share of celebrities at its perch on the edge of a tea plantation.

Rooms here, each with balconies that back right up to the rain forest, offer guests plenty of opportunity to observe the park’s playful monkeys from their comfort of their own surroundings.

The Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel offers reasonable rooms with outstanding views of the park. The Gisakura Guest House is the most affordable offering small rooms with shared bathrooms.

With the ceaseless efforts of the Nyungwe Nziza Project, Nyungwe National Park has embraced this challenge head on by counting on the resilience of its surrounding communities to restore and preserve the park, making it an inviting, awe-inspiring and life-changing experience for its visitors and making a better life for the people who call this part of the verdant country home.

With increasing numbers and draws like the Canopy Walk which increase the park’s attendance exponentially, the park employs more than 100 locals and continues to educate more and more, enlisting them as guides and hiring them to build trails and sustain the park proving that, when preserved, the park is of significantly greater value than if it were gone.

{{Traveling to Rwanda}}

Turkish Airlines now offers non-stop daily flights from LAX and JFK to Istanbul, Turkey and flights from Istanbul direct to Kigali Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

{The washington times}

{{The site at which alleged vivid footprints of King Ruganzu of the ancient Rwanda Kingdom will soon be transformed into a touristic site.}}

Located in present Rulindo District, the mysterious giant footprints on hard rock have surprised many Rwandans and foreign visitors to the site.

Rulindo district {2013/2014} development plan seeks to also elevate the footprint site into a touristic site that would attract more foreign and domestic visitors all aimed at promoting Rulindo’s tourism potential.

The District Mayor Justus Kangwagye said the works on the footprint site are expected to help in the preservation of Rwanda’s rich history.

Also Shyorongi town is expected to undergo modernisation. Already 450 plots have been earmarked to host modern housing and support infrastructure.

{{Renowned international marathons that are annually staged in different cities around the world such as Paris, New York, Beijing, and London regularly attract more than 20,000 participants.}}

Further highlighting the potential to which an international marathon has in boosting tourism.

Rwanda intends to position herself as a tourist destination and the question that came to mind during the Kigali marathon was whether Rwanda is really ready to host such international events.

The recently concluded Kigali International Peace Marathon that took place on May 19, attracted more than 500 participants from 24 countries worldwide.

The marathon was divided into three groups; the half marathon, the full marathon, and finally the 5 Km race for those who wanted to run for fun.

Typically, Kenyans and Ethiopians occupied the podium at the end of the race. Rwandans who came in first positions were 4th and 5th for men and 5th position for women in the half marathon race.

As a local spectator I was particularly intrigued to know if the organizers of the Kigali International Peace Marathon had met the expectations of international participants.

After the race, I approached several international participants to gain some insight on their experiences and thoughts regarding the organization of the marathon.

I have to admit that I received mixed responses that demonstrated that Rwanda still has a lot to do to stage international events in order to meet the expectations of our visitors. I am not intending to paint a rosy picture, however, I will be pointing out a number of concerns that were raised by various athletes.

I believe that these concerns need to be seriously addressed in order to attract more international visitors and ultimately making such an event more successful.

Before and during the marathon, one would wonder if the city is really going to host an international marathon due to the lack of advertising. Mme Catherine, a 51 year old participant from France who had formally taken part in the 2005 Kigali marathon was expecting to see improvements in the organization of the event.

She was surprised to see that there were no billboards around the city indicating that an international marathon is going to take place in Kigali.

“When they talk about an international marathon, they should secure enough resources for a good preparation. They needed to publicize the marathon and have a website that provided detailed information. “For example this year, I did not know that they changed the marathon course”.

Despite these let downs, Mme Catherine is happy that at least every year there is a marathon in Rwanda and appreciated the way an ambulance quickly came to her rescue when she got an injury.

She further went on to urge the ministry of sports to seriously prepare and organize the marathon to meet international standards.

The Kigali international peace marathon attracted many athletes from Kenya, a country that is famous for long distance races. Elisabeth Ebenyo from Lodwar in northern Kenya finished 8th place.

She found out about the Kigali marathon through her friend. She protested that during the race, some athletes were misled by volunteers and missed the way.

“Next time they have to take care of runners, we are just visitors that need to be shown the way otherwise we easily get lost”, said Elisabeth.

Rebecca Nakuwa, a compatriot to Elisabeth Ebenyo completed in 10th position, although she was satisfied by her performance she was disappointed to know that her finish time had not been recorded.

“When we come to take part in the marathon we are more interested to improve our time and when officials don’t tell you the time you used at the end of the marathon it is disappointing.”

Rene Wallesh, a 40 year old athlete from Germany learnt about Kigali marathon when he was in Kenya visiting his wife’s family. “Rwanda is not yet a famous country for tourism, it is the marathon that pushed me to come here”, said the German national.

He was full of praises for Rwandans. “People here are friendly and honest; it is not like in Kenya where everybody is trying to get money from the white man”.

However when it comes to the marathon itself, the German observed that it was not complete- a view shared by Maciej Rakowski from Poland. They commented that it was a pity that organizers lost three to four kilometers.

I spoke to the organizers of the marathon. Mr. Nkezabo Jean Damascene, the President of the Rwandan federation of athletism. In responding to requests made by international athletes, He noted that the organizers haven’t yet secured enough funds to advertise the marathon effectively.

He pointed out that technically, organizers would like to see everybody involved in the marathon to know exactly what to do in order to meet the needs of the participants as well as the public.

He calls upon the attention of the Rwandan public that hasn’t yet grasped the true meaning of the marathon. “The public in Rwanda thinks that the marathon is something for professional athletes. But marathons unite people who like sports and enjoy running.

You don’t have to compete in the marathon; you can run or walk just for the sake of fun and for your health.” said Mr. Nkezabo.

When it comes to sponsorship, it is a pity that the Kigali International Peace Marathon still lacks the support of sponsors.

The private sector in partnership with the public sector should seek funds to support this event that has the potential to annually bring in thousands of visitors into the country.

It is my hope that by next year’s Kigali marathon, great measures would have been taken to implement the changes needed and meet international standards.

It is these changes that will contribute to an increase of tourism levels in our country, the land of a thousand hills.