Why Rwanda, our friends asked. It started with a meeting with Anita, a travel counsellor. We love Africa and wanted something different from the normal safari. She made several recommendations and we chose the country with a thousand hills. It was certainly different! Four years ago, before the pandemic, we had used an airport hotel before the early morning KLM flight to Amsterdam. This time we had a taxi from home at 2.30am so that we arrived as we had been advised three hours before the flight. The problem was that the staff at the airport had not had the same message and it was another hour before the check-in desks were fully operational. Our fast-tracking through security worked brilliantly and we were soon seated in the waiting area near the gate. All was on time, breakfast was at Schiphol, a bacon & egg panini, and we were soon on our way across Europe and the Mediterranean and heading for the African coast. We took a roundabout route avoiding, I assume, areas of conflict. Straight down the Red Sea, across Ethiopia and Kenya approaching Rwanda from the north east.
Volcanoes National Park 21st – 24th
November 2023
Pancakes for breakfast. What a treat! Eric drove us north
west to Musanze, his home town and then on to Amakoro Songa Lodge on the edge of
the Volcanoes National Park. We were the only guests in this lodge set in beautiful
gardens at the foot of the range of volcanoes that mark the northern border of
Rwanda. After a late lunch and an afternoon rest, we were welcomed by a local
dance group before having another meal and an early night in preparation for
tomorrow’s gorilla trek.
A knock on the door at 5.45am was a rude awakening. A 6am
breakfast was unappetising. Eric collected us at 6.45am and drove us up to the
national park offices where we were briefed and allocated to a six-strong party
scheduled for the shortest walk. Then into the vehicles again for a drive to
the start of the trek passing on the way the Dian Fossey Museum. Porters were
allocated to each trekker and we set off through fields of potatoes and
pyrethrum. A looming dark cloud foretold a wet day ahead of us. We arrived at
the edge of the bamboo forest as the rain arrived and we climbed up steep muddy
and waterlogged paths through the dense vegetation. Porters were on hand to
help us through the most difficult parts. The wooden staffs we had been given
proved priceless for keeping our balance. Trackers had been on the mountain
finding the whereabouts of a family of gorillas, so we had no trouble in
getting to stand with them for a short while. Such was the strength of the rain
however that we reached a consensus to foreshorten our stay and head back down.
In many ways, this was worse than the ascent with porters either side of us
helping us keep our feet. At the edge of the forest, we were lucky to see some
Golden Monkeys before recrossing the agricultural land back to the vehicles. I have seldom felt as
wet and bedraggled as at this point. But salvation was at hand. Eric returned
us to the lodge where we were relieved of our wet raingear and given foot
massages. Our boots and waterproofs were cleaned whilst we were being revived
by another of their splendid lunches. Siesta time and drinks in front of a
petrol-fuelled fire preceded our evening meal and welcome bottle of red wine.
The rain was hammering down on our metal roof all night and
we were unsure as to whether our pre-booked nature walk would happen. But
during breakfast the rain stopped and the skies cleared and the local community
environmental guide, Gratien, arrived on scheduled to take us on a short walk
around the local village. The off-road paths were too muddy so we stuck to the
roads but still saw a profusion of bird life and village children. In the
afternoon Eric took us down to the market in Musanze and we spend a pleasant hour
walking round the fruit and veg market, the like and extent of which we have
seldom seen. The sun was out and the volcanoes appeared in all their glory. The
Christmas Tree and decorations had been put up at the lodge, the bar stocked
both Virunga Gold and Virunga Mist beer and it would have been churlish of me
not to try them both. A last meal and night’s sleep and time to move on.
Lake Kivu 24th
– 27th November 2023
Eric’s arrival next morning was delayed by a broken-down
truck blocking the road. But we soon were saying our goodbyes to Patrick and
his crew at Amakoro and travelling west towards Lake Kivu. In Gisenyi we drove
right up to the Congo border bridge before turning south and stopping at a
lovely coffee shop beside the lake, Migano Café. It started to rain and we had
to move under cover. It then rained all the way down to Karongi where we turned
towards the lake and our fabulously-situated hotel, Cleo Kivu. This had been
built high on the side of the steep slopes above the lake. The view from our
room was spectacular especially when it finally stopped raining and the sun
shone out over the water. A whole Tilapia fish, grilled to perfection was
washed down by more Virunga beer and it was time to relax.
Woke to a cloudy morning and a wedding anniversary, our 51st.
Should we risk a boat trip on the lake? I waded into a full Rwandan breakfast
and the sun was breaking through the clouds. We invited Eric to join us and,
led by our boatman, we descended hundreds of steps that zigzagged down through
the gardens of the hotel to the private jetty 500 ft below, our first port of
call was Cow Island where a group of cow herds were driving their cattle into
the water. The cows then swam across to another island where they would be
milked.. We sailed on to Monkey Island where the alpha male vervet monkey came
on board to claim a banana. Much mirth about the success of having sky blue genitalia.
Peace Island was next, named after a now defunct restaurant and barbeque site.
We went ashore and had a walk to see the nest of the resident Hamerkop, described
to us as a lazy bird that only ate dead fish and followed the fishermen for
easy pickings. The sail home was past Napoleon Island named from its shape,
that of the French emperor’s hat. In bright sunshine we returned to our jetty
and climbed up to the hotel for lunchtime drinks. Then the thunder clouds
rolled in and it hammered down all afternoon, stopping only when we sat down to
our anniversary meal.
The next day was a rest day spend reading and relaxing. We
had a light lunch with Eric whilst planning our pending visit to Nyungwe
National Park and our activities over the next few days.
Rusizi & Nyungwe National Park 27th – 30th
November 2023
It was a three-hour drive to Rusizi and it rained for the
entire journey. We arrived at the Mantis Hotel in time for lunch and we walked
down to the lake in the afternoon, had a buffet meal and got an early night in
preparation for the active two days ahead.
On the Tuesday we had been booked in for a very full day of
trekking. The programme was for the canopy walk in the morning and the
waterfall walk in the afternoon. But having read the details of these
expeditions, the logistics of doing both on the same day were total unrealistic
and would seriously damage our prospects of the chimpanzee trek the following
day. So, at the offices of the Nyungwe National Park, we decided to abandon the
plans for the day and instead take a birding trek with one of the specialist
guides. This turned out to be a very pleasant morning of birdwatching with a
guide who was equipped with birdsong recognition software and a microphone for
attracting the songsters out of the deepest tree cover. Our three-hour walk
took us into the forest and then onto neighbouring tea plantations both
providing opportunities to add to our list of bird sightings. The morning
finished with us all having coffee together and getting help to download the
birding app onto my phone. We were back in the hotel in time for siestas and
drinks by the swimming pool. So early were we for the evening meal that we hit
‘happy hour’, two bottles of wine for the price of one. Life can be very
challenging.
Our alarms were set for 4.30am. As we passed through
reception we picked up a breakfast pack consisting of a boiled egg and a
croissant. Eric had made arrangements to meet our guide at the start of a rough
track leading to the starting point of our chimpanzee trek. The guide had
brought a young pair of Spaniards/Catalonians on their honeymoon. These were to
be our walking companions. Porters were allocated, walking poles were
distributed and off we all set into the tropical rain forest. The descent into
tree was down a steep and muddy trod over tree roots and down slippery slopes.
The porters held our hands and grabbed us when we lost our balance. After what
seemed an age we reached the bottom of the steep sided valley and spend a
leisurely two hours or so searching for chimps. Sightings were rare and
distant. The rain of the previous night had left the primates short of
body-heat and sunlight so they were all in the canopy of the huge trees and
difficult to spot. One female descended onto the path ahead of us. My porter
grabbed my phone/camera and set off in pursuit. This was the nearest we got.
After a short rest on a bench, we started our climb back out of the forest. The
narrow path up an almost vertical slope of roots and mud proved a daunting
challenge. I followed the Spanish couple through the trees and found myself
isolated from Jill. My inclination was to wait but our group only had two
porters as helpers and navigators. They suggested that we push on and leave the
remaining porters and guides with Jill. On reaching the forest trail at the
top, there was no sign of the others and it was a full 20 minutes before Jill and
her support team finally pulled themselves over the edge and into the light.
She was near her limit and it was some time before she recovered her
equanimity. The 800ft scramble would have tested any seasoned walker and was way
outside the comfort zone of a casual holiday stroller. In the wet season, this
was not for the faint hearted. More beer and relaxation were on the programme
for the rest of the day and we still had that second bottle of wine to finish.
Kings Palace Museum & Kigali 30th November
– 1st December 2023
The trekking was over, the sun was shining and we were
heading for a warmer dryer part of the world. Legs were recovering, a lie-in
was welcome and there was time for a proper breakfast before we set off on the
long drive back to the capital. The first 90 minutes of the trip were a
crossing of the entire Nyungwe National Park, a high-level route with fabulous
views down into the rain forest below. The road was patrolled by border
security guards as this was the nearest road to the unmanned Burundi border. At
Butare, the main trunk road north from Burundi was joined and the volume of
heavy traffic increased significantly. We had time for a coffee and carrot cake
at Stafford Coffee, a lovely roadside café near Nyanza. Then we turned off the
main road and into the delightful village of Nyanza and onto the grounds of the
Kings Palace Museum.
A guide dressed in tradition clothes took us on a brief but
fascinating tour, first to the reconstructed old palace for the kings of Rwanda
and then round the rear to see examples of charcoal making and the herd of
royal cows. We finished with a tour of the modern palace, a rather unprepossessing
building full of photographs and mementos of the last king. We had at last
gathered a glimpse of the history of this beautiful country. Then it was back
to the vehicle for Eric to battle through the rush hour traffic of Kigali on
our return to the Retreat Hotel. It was like a homecoming as we met the
friendly staff again and enjoyed our second visit to the Heaven Restaurant. I
indulged in a chicken curry and a carafe of red wine, not the most
sensible thing to do before an early start tomorrow morning.
Akagera National Park 1st – 4th
December 2023
As we were departing before the breakfast room was open, we
were given a packed breakfast as we climbed into Eric’s vehicle at 6.30am. We
just got out of Kigali before the morning rush got going, but the breakfast
crepe and croissant were awful and the coffee was undrinkable. So, we poured
our drinks away at the earliest opportunity and moved on eastwards towards Kayonza
where we paused only for a potty stop and an ATM. The main road north was
excellent and we made good time until we turned off onto a bumpy track towards
the exit gate of Akagera National Park. By 10.30am we were at the park gates
where Isaac, our game drive guide from Zambia, met us and took us to Magashi
Camp. This was operated by Wilderness Safaris, ia a remarkable setting on the
side of a lovely lake set among beautiful verdant savannah-covered hills. We
had a lunch before being shown to our tent which involved a seemingly endless
walk along a boardwalk raised above the lakeside wetland, the hippo highway.
Before we could settle in, it was time for afternoon coffee
and cakes prior to the evening game drive. At 4pm we departed on one of the
most remarkable game drives we had had in a very long time. Isaac drove us out
along the lake, well outside the concession land that Wilderness had negotiated
in the national park. On a large area of grassland, we were stunned to see a
black rhino and her cub walking towards us. Pausing to wallow in some wet
marsh, the two then walked right past our vehicle and away towards the lake.
The male rhino was keeping at least half a mile away as a lone bull elephant
came through and passed us by. After a stop for a sundowner drink of wine and beer,
Isaac rigged up his powerful light for our night ride home. Within minutes he
had located a leopard in the dark and we followed it whilst it tracked a herd
of impala and sat on a termite mound surveying the scene. We finally moved away
and left the leopard to his hunting. It was time for us to return to camp for
our meal.
The next two days went by in a blissful flash. On Saturday
we went off in search of lions and witnessed a lioness have an unsuccessful
dash after a young waterbuck. We then spent some time with some giraffes before
returning to camp for a late breakfast and lunch. A relaxing boat ride on the
lake was our afternoon activity. The trees along the banks were lined with
birdlife, especially pied kingfishers and fish eagles. The shallow waters were
heaving with hippos and crocodiles and buffalo grazed on the lakeside meadows.
After a sundowner on shore watching a wonderful sunset, we returned across the
lake in the dark, heading for an open fire that demarcated our camp. The next
day was all about elephants with an early drive out of camp only to find that a
large elephant herd was passing through the camp in our absence. So back we
drove and had a magical moment when a female elephant and her calf approached
our vehicle and Isaac calmed it and deflected it away with his hands. Then we
jumped into the boat again to cross the lake and get closer to the group as
they passed along the water’s edge. Our wonderful time in Magashi came to an
earth-shattering halt when we received an e-mail from KLM: our flight home
tomorrow was cancelled.
The Journey Home 4th – 5th December
2023
We contacted Eric our guide in Kigali and Anita our tour
company’s representative in England. Between them they worked out an
alternative flight out of Africa. Snow in Europe had closed Amsterdam Schiphol
Airport and a later fight via Dubai had been organised. As we were now
departing in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Anita had booked a day room
for us at the Retreat in Kigali. Isaac took us back to the park gates where we
said our farewells and Eric arrived spot on time to take us back to Kigali. We
stopped at one last coffee shop on the way, then enjoyed a relaxing few hours
in a luxury room at the hotel, Jill taking the opportunity of a complementary
massage. Yet another visit to the Heaven Restaurant before Eric drove us to the
airport. It was a sad parting as we had grown very fond of our drive guide and
he had become a good friend. The meet and greet service operated brilliantly as
before and speeded us through the check-in and security. At 00.30 we were on a
RwandAir 737, rattling down the runway and into the African night sky.
The passage through Dubai was not as smooth as it might have
been. There was no agreement in place with RwandAir for baggage transfer and
Emirates demanded a significant fee to ensure our bags got onto the Manchester
flight. Then we had a six hour wait for an afternoon flight giving us lots of
time for a late breakfast and perfume shopping. The A380-800 airbus was superb.
On the upper deck for our flight home, it was sheer luxury, like a travelling
cinema and entertainment hall. Emirates is a cut above most other airlines and,
perfectly content, we dropped into Manchester and a cold winter’s night. First
off the plane, we raced through passport control but had to wait an age for our
bags. Then we hopped into a taxi and were home
in little over an hour after landing. We seemed to have squeezed an
awful lot into the last two weeks.
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