Page 13 - Rwanda

Rwanda’s capital is a green, clean city that is fast becoming the envy of cities across not
only Africa, but the world. Visitors often describe Kigali not only as Africa’s cleanest
city, but also its safest. It’s a truly modern city just begging to be explored.

An obvious reason to visit Kigali is its role during in the infamous genocide of 1994,and
there are numerous sites within the city to commemorate the darkest days in the nation’s
history including the Genocide Memorial Centre and a number of massacre sites.

There’s so much more to Rwanda’s capital than its dark past however, from its diverse se-
lection of galleries to bustling markets and its growing Muslim quarter. World class restau-
rants, quaint cafes, walking tours, and the all-important wheels of government can also be
experienced.A perfect place from which to launch day tours to nearby towns or even Akag-
era National Park, Kigali is a charming city with a lot to love about it.

KIGALI ACTIVITIES

Presidential Palace Museum Kandt House Museum of Natu-

The former home of Habyarimana Juvenal, ral History

the Presidential Palace today offers visitors a Built by German explorer, Richard Kandt,
chance to see how the president lived and died the Kandt House Museum of Natural
– as his plane crashed into his own compound History has special significance as the
in the hours before the 1994 Genocide.
first modern house built in what is today
Visitors can tour the former state house, see Rwanda.This historic home is also home to
the wreckage of the fateful plane crash that an exhibition that aims to document the
was one of many triggers for the Rwandan
natural beauty of Rwanda from its geology
Genocide, and learn more about post-monar- all the way to its flora and fauna.
chy Rwandan history.

Genocide Memorial Millennium Village

No visit to Rwanda would be complete without For those wanting a window into the
paying a visit to the Genocide Memorial. Part 1994 Genocide and the repercussions of
heartfelt tribute and part educational experi- the tragic event, a visit to the Millennium
ence, this memorial recounts the tale of the Village offers a window into both Rwan-
infamous 1994 Rwandan Genocide, discusses da’s past and present.You’ll start your day
paying a visit to the Nyamata and Ntaima
Food & Craft Market Tour Churches, both of which were sites of true
horror during the Genocide.
Learn more about contemporary life in Rwan-
da by taking a tour of the local food and craft You’ll then visit the Reconciliation Village,
markets. You’ll see local produce as residents where the perpetrators and victims of the
practice their bartering skills. 1994 Genocide live side by side as a part
The Kigali Craft Markets are an excellent way of the
to familiarize yourself with traditional Rwan- healing process. You’ll not only speak with
dan arts and crafts, as well as being a great these brave individuals, but also learn
place to do some souvenir shopping. the work about how they manage to co-exist de-
being done to heal the country today, and spite their tortured pasts.
offers a window into the people whose lives
were irreversibly changed by the Genocide.