{{Rwanda’s tourism sector has continued to register phenomenon growth. And one particular spectacle that has become a must-see for any tourist visiting the country is the now revered Rwandan trademark; the mountain gorilla. The forthcoming Kwita Izina ceremony is just but one of RDB-Tourism’s strategies to draw more tourists into the country. IGIHe.com sampled the adventures and experiences of a New Zealand tourist LOUISE HEALY. The article was first published by the Dominion Post.}}

“Crouch down and don’t move a muscle,” the guide said with steady unease as the silverback charged towards us, beating his mighty fists against his chest.

Squatting down in the thick vegetation of the Karisimbi forest in northwest Rwanda with nowhere to run and absolutely nowhere to hide I began to question why I had come here, and paid to come here at that.

Thankfully, our guide Francis, knowledgeable in the ways of gorillas and particularly the famous Susa family that reside in this massive forest bordering Uganda, made some awkward howling and grunting sounds and averted disaster.

When we finally got the courage to raise our heads and breathe easy we saw a family of eight gorillas chomping on the greenery ahead of us.

The sheer size of them was an awesome sight. The 160-kilograms blackback (mother) was nursing her five-year-old twins (Byishimo and Impano – one of only five sets of twins to survive in the history of the Susa family, totalling 41) while their brothers and sisters played on the mounds of leaves and wood as their (now pacified) father glanced between them and us.

It really was like a throwback to Gorillas in the Mist, the famous film about the life of gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey who went to Rwanda over 40 years ago to work with and protect endangered gorillas from poachers and elements of a corrupt government on a macho killing spree.

And while the poaching of gorillas has been somewhat curbed, it is just a small part in a bitter past that Rwanda is still trying to recover from.
Genocide on an unfathomable level hit the country in the early 90s and resulted in the massacre of more than 900,000 people. The core of it was civil, between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes, and stemmed from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favouring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus).

But when things got complicated and the government backed the Hutus (with the collaboration of the French, in part), thousands of people were butchered in massacres that plagued the whole country. This climaxed in 1994 and, 17 years on, the country is still getting back on its feet.
Rwanda has an image problem. Say its name and people instinctively think of two things: genocide and Hotel Rwanda, the graphic Hollywood movie about the events of 1994. Contrary to what people may think, however, Rwanda today is an extremely safe country to visit. Tourism is still being developed, and as a result the Rwandese people still see travellers as a relative novelty, and in turn will give their time and help and impart advice to visitors, expecting nothing in return.

As part of political efforts to overcome divisions that led to the genocide, the Rwandan Government does not collect data on ubwoko (ethnic groups) and banned its inclusion on identity cards. From the locals I spoke to, it is clear that the effects of the horrendous events that took place almost two decades ago are still at the forefront of most peoples minds, but despite this most Rwandese are trying to put the past behind them. Travelling around the country felt safe and there were definitely no overt signs of ethnic or civil tensions.

Kigali, the capital, is a hub of activity and is slowly but surely regaining its reputation as Rwanda’s party town. Its main attraction, however, is Rwanda’s genocide museum, the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which is a must for any tourist as it outlines in detail the events that unfolded to result in one of the most vicious genocides in history.

The museum is especially worthwhile for those intending to go south to visit memorials at Ntarama, Nyamata or Murambi (the site of one of the biggest massacres – 80,000 people were killed there over two days in April 1994).

A ride to the museum, which is on the outskirts of town, on a boda-boda (a motorcycle taxi and a tourist attraction in itself) costs about 30 cents. Apart from that there are no other real sights and activities as such to see in Kigali, which makes it an excellent place to soak up the atmosphere and relax before embarking on any trip around rural Rwanda.
It’s rural Rwanda where the real essence and beauty of the country lies. Known as Les Pays des Milles Collines (Land of a Thousand Hills), Rwanda is a country full of tumbling hills where almost every unprotected piece of land is cultivated; even the sheer mountainsides are edged with countless terraces full of beans, potatoes and millet.
From a distance, the landscape resembles a large patchwork quilt of deep browns and greens, making it look like something straight out of a Tolkien novel.

And nowhere are the mountains more vast and stunning than the magnificent Virunga volcanoes in the northwest, where hidden in the dense forests are some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.
The Parc National des Volcans – a chain of seven volcanoes that border with Congo and Uganda and the definitive place in Rwanda to track these endangered animals – was closed for a time in the 90s due to rebel activity; as a result many travellers chose to see the gorillas at the Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks in Uganda.

It re-opened, however, in 1999 and in the last 12 years the number of visitors coming to see some of the world’s 780 rare mountain gorillas has steadily increased.

Rwanda is a relatively cheap country to visit, but tracking the rare mountain gorillas is not. The cost of a day trip to see the gorillas in Rwanda is US$500. And while that may sound like a high price to pay, the chance of encountering one of these gorillas in all their glory is a once in a lifetime opportunity which no tourist visiting Rwanda should miss. The bonus of visiting the gorillas in Rwanda rather than neighbouring Uganda is that tours in Uganda have to be booked a couple of months in advance, whereas in Rwanda a gorilla tracking tour can be booked just a day ahead through the local ORTPN, Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks. And that was exactly what I did.
OUR GROUP managed to catch a glimpse of the Susa family within an hour of trekking into the Karisimbi forest (some tours can take up to seven hours to find the gorillas). After the short but gruelling hike through mucky undergrowth with rain spilling from the heavens, we came across the creatures that became Dian Fossey’s obsession.

And it was clear to see why. It was a wet day but when the early morning sun finally broke through the clouds and suffused the sky with gold that shimmered against the surrounding landscape, these creatures looked invincible.

They playfully bounded over the broken trees and thick vegetation, all the time hollering to each other in ambiguous howls and squeals. Gorillas from the pack encircled us from the sides and behind, but mostly just out of curiosity.

And the silverback that had been so territorial ended up sitting down and covering up his face from the prying eyes and camera lenses in an act of defiance -obviously put out by tourists invading his homestead.
As we made our way back down the mountain there was a still silence all around as we contemplated the beautiful sight we had just encountered.

Even sitting at the beachside resort of Lake Kivu at Kibuye, Rwanda’s new Mediterranean, it was hard to get the image of some of the world’s last remaining gorillas out of my head.

Rwanda may still be recovering from a bitter past but a visit there will make you feel, at times, privileged to be one of the few tourists exploring the country for the first time.

It’s the hidden gem in east Africa that hasn’t yet been exploited by mass tourism.

Get there quickly.

{{This article was first published by the Dominion Post}}