A country that was more popular for its days of horror, regret and abject misery caused by the climax of the 1994 genocide in which between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Rwandans are reported to have been killed, is undoubtedly today the prime location for sumptuous luxury safari holidays in East Africa. Rwanda now steadily sets the pace for other Nation States in the East African region along “the path called development”. A visit to Rwanda only confirms the statement that the word “impossible” shouldn’t really hold a position in the Oxford dictionary.
Since the end of the terrible massacre in Rwanda, her story has continued to unfold with blossoming hope, and “people who have been fortunate enough to live here since the aftermath have witnessed a country sail from turbulent tides to a beautiful present and continue to see it heading towards an even livelier tomorrow”. Rapid modernization, enhanced government efficiency, her anti-corruption reputation, improved infrastructural development, and access to social amenities have been a few factors that have all played an integral part in leading this country progressively towards the president’s vision 2020.
For any dream holiday and vacation it is not a surprise that particular underlying baseline qualities and factors must prevail in the destination, and Rwanda has done a very good job in ticking some very many important boxes to allow her visitors experience everything that makes her remarkable and everything that makes her “Remarkable Rwanda”.
She boasts of a smart urban area with clean streets, rich biodiversity, graceful people (who have a very fascinating history), rolling hills that gain her the deserved name “Land of a Thousand Hills” and high on the to-do list is the opportunity to see the playful mountain gorillas in their natural home, an encounter that arouses the emotional sentiments of each and every visitor to this young nation. Rwanda is the place to visit for cultural tourism, gorilla tours, sports tourism experiences such as cycling and you can still get to see the Big Five safari animals on the same trip.
A country that had been reduced to mere shingles merely a decade ago, Rwanda is today proudly dubbed the “Switzerland of Africa” and has beat all odds to become the leading destination for all luxury travellers searching for tours in East Africa.
Below are a few reasons why many travelers today find Rwanda to be the best place in East Africa to enjoy absolute luxury while on a trip to East Africa.
Of course the prevailing security in the country plays a central role in ensuring that all tours and safaris in Rwanda are run smoothly and in 2017 Rwanda was voted the safest country on the entire continent of Africa and the ninth safest country to visit in the whole world. But it’s possibly the higher quality of basic and tourism infrastructure and supporting amenities as well as developmental initiatives set up by both the government and private investors that continue to set Rwanda apart as the first place to go to in pursuit of a true luxury holiday in East Africa.
Night and day, tourists can enjoy the freedom of taking a sip of that favorite cocktail at one of the city restaurants or use their gadgets with very little fear that their tech or properties will be snatched by the locals. Thanks to the government, the crime rate is now at a record low and the people are always willing to help.
1- Africa’s Cleanest City
Visit Rwanda and you will get to see Kigali through your own eyes. To start with, plastic bags were banned in 2008 so you will not see polythene littered along the streets as in most African towns and cities, actually you will find a warning at Kigali International Airport against plastic bags and they are confiscated from all travelers at this point.
Dropping litter on the streets or in an undesignated place can get you a huge fine or a couple of years of jail service. The tarmac is clean, you might think it is scrubbed every morning. A clean city, very well coordinated transport system, perfectly planned developments; Kigali is a city like no other in Africa and it is the well-deserved capital city of Rwanda.
2- International Luxury Hotel Chains and Restaurants
Days of low quality hotels and the absence of decent eating places are far gone. High-end accommodation options are now only a matter of counting. Rwanda has attracted and continues to welcome huge hotel brands to her capital city including the first Marriot property in sub-Saharan Africa, the famed intercontinental brand Serena Hotels; and the 292-room luxury property launched in the heart of Kigali by the pomp Radisson Blu hotel group in 2016. Restaurants offering high-class environments like The Heaven Restaurant & Boutique Hotel are very accessible and a night at the historical Hotel des Milles Collines that formed the muse for the movie, “Hotel Rwanda” will make you feel like a Rwandan celebrity.
Luxury lodging continues to crop up attracting many frill lodging options in around her national parks at premium rates per night that rhyme very well with the amazing architecture and VIP service by the beautiful people of Rwanda. A few of our favorite properties include the new Bisate Lodge, the immaculate Nyungwe House, the relaxed Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Volcanoes’ Virunga Lodge; not forgetting the stunning Serena Hotel right at the bank of Lake Kivu. And more awesome news reads that “the kings of luxury lodging in South Africa”, Singita, will be launching the Singita Kwitonda which will feature eight luxury suites and one villa. These are all flagship luxury lodge properties that are respected in not only the East African region but Africa at large.
3- Well established air connections
We are glad to announce that there is an even greater convenience to travel luxuriously to Rwanda through a direct air route from Brussels to the country’s capital or from London Gatwick straight into Kigali International Airport using Rwanda Air. But there is an even greater level of extravagant VIP treatment by the reception at the airport, the smooth visa procedures and the availability of daily helicopter rides to the national parks adds a luxurious meaning to a Rwanda safari and tour. Our teams of safari consultants at Lets Go Tours are hands-on to help book your domestic flights, get you a VIP treatment at the airport and book any other add-ons that you may need for your luxury holiday or vacation.
4- An Exclusive Gorilla Experience
Recently the price for Rwanda’s gorilla tracking permit was doubled to $1,500 per person per day to communicate two main statements; that Rwanda has decided to limit the numbers of visitors to Volcanoes National Park so as to protect the fragile unspoiled wild places (a high value, low-impact strategy) but also to set her apart as the prime destination for superfluity and luxury travel in East Africa. Tours range from 3 Days Rwanda gorilla safaris integrated wildlife and nature tours to offer an exclusive experience and the price that this activity commands translates in the premium level of service that all visitors are accorded on each and every trip.
5 – Loved by celebrities
Who else enjoys the luxury of travel than a celebrity on a vacation in Africa? Thanks to the country’s political stability, Rwanda has already attracted many musicians, film stars, government heads, and with the new Kigali Convention Center it has hosted many high-level meetings. The most recent of similar visits was a holiday by the amazing US based comedian Ellen DeGeneres who also recently launched a wildlife fund to protect the mountain gorillas, the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund. Rwanda’s exclusivity continues to attract more public figures.
The president is also a tour guide
We thought you might use a bonus point. Rwanda’s president sometimes guides the safaris. Okay maybe this is just humorous, but President Kagame is a huge supporter of tourism and just a few months back he hosted and guided Peter Greenberg on an all exclusive tour of Rwanda branded “Rwanda: The Royal Tour. Feel free to watch it here https://petergreenberg.com/2018/04/26/rwanda-royal-tour/
Rwanda is not only East Africa’s success story in terms of economic transformation but also a model nation for “tourism growth headed towards the right direction”; and she has swiftly evolved into the pivot of high-end travel in the region attracting many luxury travelers on African vacations and holidays into her pristine environments and her pomp city. Welcome to East Africa’s best new luxury destination.
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