Category: Tourism

{{USAID/Rwanda Mission Director, Peter Malnak, officially handed over the new Nyungwe National Park trail guides to Ms. Rica Rwigamba, Head of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).}}

The trail guide was developed by USAID’s Nyungwe Nziza project, implemented by Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), in collaboration with RDB.

The Nyungwe Nziza project began in 2010 and builds upon the investments USAID has made since 2006 in the park’s infrastructure and conservation.

The trail guide offers a wealth of information on Nyungwe’s history, trails, wildlife, and attractions with beautiful accompanying photos.

The guides are a part of the project’s efforts to strengthen sustainable ecotourism in the park by improving and maintaining park infrastructure, training park guides, generating employment opportunities for local communities, and leveraging private sector investment for management and maintenance of the park.

The trail guide will soon be available for purchase in Kigali at RDB as well as in Nyungwe National Park at the park visitor centers.

Kigali: Rwanda has reassured people travelling of safety in all parts to the country, in response to the current war and insecurity situations in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), RNA has learnt.

Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Development Board (RDB) assured tourists and the business community that, the Government of Rwanda guarantees peace and security in all tourist destinations across the country.

The situation in Eastern DRC has resulted in two isolated skirmishes on Rwandan territory which were rapidly contained and border security has been reinforced to prevent recurrence.

“We would like to reassure visitors that it is business as usual at all our tourism destinations,” Akamanzi stressed.

She added that travellers to Rwanda continue to enjoy the magnificent scenery, pleasant climate, rich culture and diverse wildlife in the national parks, including the rare mountain gorillas.

Akamanzi noted that tourism has been successful over the past years and continues to be Rwanda’s number one foreign exchange earner:

“While ecotourism remains the key attraction for visitors coming to the land of thousand hills, we are working to increase conference and events tourism, a goal that will be facilitated by newly registered hotel investments such as Marriott, Radisson Blu and most recently Sheraton.”

{{Rwanda’s largest national park Akagera is threatened by agrowing number of human activity encroaching onto the home to the wild game.}}

Jes Grunar, the Park Managing Director, said poaching has been on the increase in the last few months.

“We want good relations with neighbouring communities which is why we are committed to help them get water for their cattle. They should help us in guarding the park as well,” he said.

“Poachers, smugglers, marijuana traffickers, etc are a menace to this park…even the electric fence does not scare them. We need to train about 42 game rangers to control our borders”.

The Governor of Eastern Province Odette Uwamariya said,“We are going to work around the clock to help park authorities put away poachers…all stakeholders must own the issue to find lasting solutions. This will go along side sensitisation programs.”

October 30, a one-day tour of 110Km long electric fence was conducted.

The fence is under construction to separate the park from neighbouring communities.

{{The tourism department at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has confirmed that around 1990s no lion fled Rwanda’s territory due to fear of gunfire.}}

The department was responding to questions at Rwanda’s parliament explaining whether Rwanda has these kinds of treasuries.

Though no exact number of lions that Rwanda has, in 2005 citizens were complaining about such animal attacks and this shows the evidence that until 2005 these animal were present in the country.

{{A number of wild animals that had been promised to be restocked into Akagera National Park have never been delivered.}}

RDB’s Clare Akamanzi says the ‘Akagera Management Campany’ which was charged with collaborating with the Tourism department at RDB never delivered the said Lions and other animals.

While appearing before a committe in Parliament, Akamanzi October 24, said Rwanda had worked with South Africa and Botswana to secure the beasts but till today there has been no progress made.

Akamanzi called upon ‘Akagera Management Campany’ to speedup the restocking process.

{{DRCongo wildlife authorities have rescued two baby gorillas from traffickers.}}

The rescued gorillas are being protected by the Dian Fossey Fund awaiting transfer to the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) centre in the DRC’s North Kivu.

Clare Richardson president and CEO of Fossey Fund noted, “We are committed to saving gorillas in Congo in every way, primarily by supporting law enforcement in combating poaching and monitoring of gorillas the way we have done for 45 years with mountain gorillas in Rwanda.”

“We have been caring for confiscated gorillas in temporary facilities since 2003, and the continuing problem of gorilla trafficking in this region requires us to focus both on prevention and on making plans for their future,” Richardson added.

{{On September 9 2012, Nyungwe Forest Lodge owner, Dubai World Africa together with associates, representatives of government, tour operators and valued guests came together to celebrate Nyungwe Forest Lodge’s most notable achievements since opening its doors for business in March 2010.}}

The property recently received 5 star grading, making Nyungwe Forest Lodge the only 5 star lodge in Rwanda and the celebrations have continued with the announcement that Nyungwe Forest Lodge received the prestigious “Best International New Small Hotel – Construction & Design” award for 2011 – 2012 at the highly respected International Hotels Awards event, held on the 18th January 2012 at The Savoy Hotel in London, beating other regional and continental winners and entries from 73 countries.

At the ceremony held to unveil the award plaques, Nick Webb, Managing Director of Dubai World Africa recalled “when I first visited the site, I was overwhelmed by its beauty and tranquility but also by the obligation to develop the site with extreme care, ensuring that the lodge would in fact complement the magnificent forest which gave rise to this once in a life-time opportunity.

Webb also noted the extreme logistical challenges involved during the construction of the lodge “there were no services or infrastructure to speak of on the site and all materials, furniture and equipment had to be transported over great distances to this remote and spectacular project location.

He also reminded the gathering that the lodge was built through a period of recession and its completion was at times at risk.

“For all these reasons and more, the lodge is a great achievement and a tribute to the creativity, sacrifices, dedication and perseverance of many.”

Nyungwe Forest Lodge is set in Rwanda’s mountainous southwest Gisakura region and lies in a tea plantation on the edge of the Nyungwe closed-canopy rain forest.

It is a 250 km drive from Kigali City Centre or a 30 minute scheduled flight from Kigali to Kamembe airport followed by a 30 minute scenic drive to the lodge.

Lodge facilities include an outdoor heated infinity swimming pool with uninterrupted views over the forest, a boma area, an indoor restaurant flowing out onto an undercover terrace overlooking the tea plantation, a private dining / conference room, a tea lounge where guests can enjoy daily tea Ceremonies, bar area, a spa with two treatment rooms, a fitness centre and a helicopter landing pad.

All 20 luxurious rooms and the 2 spacious two bedroom suites offer private decks affording views of the vast forest terrain which is home to innumerable tree species, flowering plants and over 13 primate species including chimpanzees and colobus monkeys.

Other room amenities include; air-conditioning, en suite bathrooms, flat screen TV with satellite, wireless internet access, mini bar.