Rwanda is a mountainous area which lies in the central part of Africa and is divided by the Rift Valley. There is an extensive mountain range extending from the north to south. There are many attractions in Rwanda which are spread throughout the country. Rwanda attractions mainly include national parks, museums, falls and lakes. Kigali, the capital does not have many tourist attraction spots.

The Parc des Volcans is one of the last sanctuaries where one can find the mountain gorilla. This region also has two active volcanoes. Lake Kivu is another popular Rwandan attraction which provides the opportunity for a variety of water sports and excursions on the lake. The Rugege Forest has some rare species of wildlife animals.

The other Rwandan attraction is the Akagera National Park which is located on the eastern part of the country. The national park comprises of a variety of wildlife animals and is the home of more than 500 kinds of birds. It comprises of Lake Mungesera and the Rusumo Falls.

The surrounding city of Butare also a host of Rwandan attractions and one can find some interesting craft shops, a botanical garden and museums. Beaches also form an essential part of Rwandan attraction. Tourists can visit an extensive range of beaches in Rwanda and have lots of fun.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in the scenic country of Rwanda and was officially recognized as a national park in the year 2004. Nyungwe Forest National Park is situated at a distance of 225 km from the capital city of Kigali, 50 km from the southwestern coastal town of Cyangugu and 90 km from Butare.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is located at an altitude of 1600 to 2950 meters and the area experiences an average rainfall of 1800 to 2500 mm every year. Nyungwe Forest National Park is the biggest mountain rain forest which is still present in the continent of Africa. Some important things to visit in the Nyungwe Forest National Park includes: Mount Bigugu: The mount Bigugu is situated at a height of 2952 meters, Kamiranzou: The Kamiranzou marsh extends over an area of 13 square kilometers and Lobelias and orchids: More than 1100 species of giant lobelias and orchids are found here.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is a home to a wide variety of wildlife and some of them are striped jackals, marsh mongoose, African civet, serval cat, golden cat, red tailed monkey and Olive Baboons. Nyungwe Forest National Park is also a favorable place for over 275 kinds of bird species and some of them are Blue headed and regal sunbirds, the red throated alethe and the Ruwenzori Turaco.

Some of the activities where the tourists can participate in the Nyungwe Forest National Park are photography, mount climbing at Mount Bigugu, primate watching and bird viewing.

Rwanda Lakes

Rwanda is situated in the region of Great Lakes and has many beautiful and serene lakes bordering it. Tourists from all over the world come to have a view of these serene Rwanda lakes. There are five volcanic lakes which lie on the border of Congo and Rwanda and have their own attractions. The major Rwandan lakes include Lake Kivu, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera, Lake Burera, Lake Muhazi and Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park.

Lake Kivu is the biggest of the numerous freshwater bodies that are there in Rwanda. It is an outstanding beautiful inland body of water which is enclosed by vertical, green terraced hills along the border of Congo. There are three resort towns namely, Gisenyi, Cyangugu and Kibuye which are located close to Lake Kivu.

Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo are the two most neglected lakes of Rwanda. These lakes are surrounded by steep hills and large waterfalls with a backdrop of the Virunga volcanic mountains. These twin lakes are great spots to be visited after watching the gorillas in the Rwandan mountains.

The lakes in Rwanda offer ample scope for water gliding, swimming, canoeing and water-skiing.