The Best Hiking Trails in Rwanda
The Best Hiking Trails in Rwanda: Rwanda popularly known as “the Land of a Thousand Hills” is the dream holiday for hikers and nature lovers. The terrains in the country extend from the towering volcanoes to forests and rolling opener country and this makes the trekking activities to various degrees of difficulty. You can get mountain hiking if you are up to that or take nature walks on any of the numerous trails in Rwanda’s lovely countryside. Below are some of the Best Hiking Trails in Rwanda.
Mount Bisoke: A Volcano Hike with a rewarding view
Another very famous Rwandese trail is a climb to the top of Mount Bisoke an active stratovolcano that forms part of the Volcanoes National Park. With a height of 3,711m, Mount Bisoke is one of the volcanoes in the Virunga Mountain range with many sloping through the park’s dense rainforest as they undertake the worthy cause of the climb.
It was about a six-hour round trip, and the track begins at the park headquarters at Agum and then through bamboo regions and alpine pastures. During the hike, one will be likely to meet different kinds of wild animals such as golden monkeys together with different types of birds. The climax of the activity is getting to the top in which tourists can see a crater of a volcano and a small lake at that. On clear days the view stretches across to the Virunga volcanic range and the countryside.
The hike to Mount Bisoke is reasonably strenuous, however, the scenery and the ability to visit Volcanoes National Park make Mount Bisoke hike a worthy adventure in Rwanda.
Mount Karisimbi: The Ultimate Challenge
As for more individual experience, ole Mount Karisimbi is here inviting tourists to increase this number and take a two-day trek up to the Rwandan highest point. It being the highest peak with a height of 4,507m, the Karisimbi is one of the hardest terrains to trek in the entire country.
The ascent is along a trail through the natural habitat that includes tropical rainforest, bamboo forest, Moor, Alpine BC and the vegetation that you will pass through is a natural power showing categorized change from tropical power to bamboo power, Moor power, and at the end is the Alpine power. The hike as a way is tiring steeped with sluggish inclines and rough surfaces yet there is no better feeling than reaching the top. When on top of the Karisimbi Mountain, hikers obtain visual perception of other mountains including the Nyiragongo Mountain and the Mikeno Mountain in the nearby Democratic Republic of Congo.
This trail is quite challenging physically and is long; it may be best to get a guide to help with both mapping and carrying gear along the trail. A good time to hike Mount Karisimbi is during the dry season from June-August and December-February as it is not very hot for hiking.
The Congo Nile Trail: A Scenic Walk along Lake Kivu
The trail can be hiked or biked, although many hikers choose to do very small parts of the trail at a time since most people don’t hike the entire trail in one or even a few days. En route, the visitors get to cross densely covered tea estates, steep slopes, and some of the rural Rwandan villages. There are also many chances to see the great landscape of Lake Kivu, which is clear and surrounded by hills.
The Congo Nile Trail is one of the easiest and can be done by anyone with little or no hiking experience at all. It is also favorable for those who have little time to hike and for those that prefer an easy hike but with cultural practices and natural beauty encounters of Rwanda.
Nyungwe Forest National Park: A Biodiversity Haven
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a perfect park for tourists who like nature and especially hiking since it features one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. The park hosts a variety of plant and animal species; among them the chimps, the colobus monkeys, and over 300 species of birds. Hiking in Nyungwe is without much competition for one’s skills because there are easy trails and there are hard trails.
The easiest of all the Nyungwe trails that are worth undertaking is the Igishigishigi Trail which leads to the canopy walk over the forest at 50m. From the located walkway, there are magnificent views of the general tropical rainforest, as well as bird watching in the tree canopy.
The Bigugu Trail on the other hand leads the trekker to the highest point of the park, Mount Bigugu about 2950m. This has become one of the most fascinating hiking experiences since it affords views over the forest land with an occasional glimpse of Lake Kivu in the far distance. During the hike, tourists may be privileged to meet some of the Nungwe’s animals such as the monkeys, the butterflies, and different unspecified feathery species.
Nyungwe Forest also has those long hikes for individuals willing to spend a couple of days in the rainforest. The Kamiranzovu Marsh Trail and shortly the Congo Nile Divide Trail are two longer treks that give hikers an even better view of what the park holds in terms of fauna and flora.
The Twin Lakes: A Peaceful Hiking Destination
Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo are secondary tourist attractions situated close to the town of Musanze in Rwanda, and it is a quiet place for hiking. These two lakes are in the middle of rolling hills and terraced farmland; therefore, the path will be a perfect place for a relaxing stroll.
The trials by the latter involve the Twin Lakes which has moderate difficulty hence it can be conducted by anyone. When strolling along the beach you will be able to see the water and hills around and even the peaks of Virunga Mountains far in the horizon. It is also a home to bird watchers, as the water” birds and other species of birds are easily sighted in and around the lakes.