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    • TravelerStage Rwanda
      1
      Day 59

      N-W-Z Rwanda

      November 10, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      We zullen eens beginnen in het Kinyarwanda (locale taal) hé.

      "Bite",
      De schoolbezoeken zitten er allemaal op, ruim 50 interviews achter te rug. Dit ter zijde heb ik zo ongeveer heel het land gezien samen met mijn persoonlijke chauffeur. Van prachtig gestructureerde theeplantages tot het onherbergzame wondermooie en koudere noorden van het land.
      Het schitteren van de gigantische groene bananenbladeren in de ochtend blijft elke keer opnieuw iets magisch hebben... Over groen geluk gesproken 😉.
      De komende maand zal druk analyseren worden en tussendoor wat ontspannen uiteraard!
      Voor de rest ga ik de foto's hun werk laten doen haha.      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerSoutheast Africa
      21
      Day 39

      Exploring the jungle of Nyungwe

      March 5, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      The day started out with us getting surprised by a gigantic baboon trying to break into a fridge in camp. He didn't succeed and was soon shoo'd off by the camp security. But that was quite a sight in the early morning.

      Fortunately, we didn't trust my rebel instincts. We had heard from the camp manager that we'd have to present negative covid tests for the entry to the national park we planned on visiting today. My plan was to just take some of the self tests I carry with me and do them on site. Ultimately, the decision was taken to go to the health center some five minutes away and get the tests done there. Testing was as uncomplicated as always, they were just really slow in administering them. Luckily they offered to send the results to us via text message, so we didn't have to stick around for the results.

      Since breakfast was served late (most of it we only managed to get for takeaway since they had messed up the schedule) and the testing was also late, we ended up in yet another race against the time. We were told that all trips from the park headquarters start at 08:00 sharp. It was a wild 50min drive to make it there on time, with a fairly challenging road that was winding through the rainforest. No chance really to go faster than 40km/h at any point in time.

      Soon after we entered the general park area we spotted the first few primates. Some cute velvet monkeys, as well as a whole platoon of baboons. Nyungwe is known for the many types of apes populating it, most famous of them the chimpanzee. None of the rare mountain gorillas live here, though. Something else that caught our attention was that there were military patrols everywhere! Like, literally everywhere. Some of them were walking along the road, others were standing next to the road, spaced out some 50m to the next person. Each patrol had one person with a gigantic radio, several people with rifles, and one person with a huge machine gun.

      We later found out that the military patrols were instated because reckless drivers kept falling off the road and disappeared in the jungle below. It would sometimes take weeks to discover that someone had wrecked there. Their role was to be first responders and alert for more help with their radios. Another unofficial reason is most likely that the border to Congo is not far, and a fair amount of goods transportation happens along that route. As well as some illegal border crossings, we would imagine.

      We made it to the park headquarters at 08:00 sharp. The first thing we were asked for was our covid test. They wouldn't have accepted our self tests, so we dodged a bullet there. We then, however, got a big fear confirmed. At the lodge they had already advised us that there would be a 100 USD fee to be paid per person to be allowed into the park. This annoyed me a lot, as before that I had checked a lot of different resources and it wasn't mentioned anywhere that were would be a fee like that. The previous night I had done even more research, and nowhere on the web was any mention of this fee, so I had figured the lodge guy had just made it up - he was dodgy anyways...

      Turns out he didn't lie. To make matters worse, the 100 USD only included the permission to enter the park. On top of that, we were charged 40 USD per person to be allowed to use the famous Canopy Walk of Nyungwe, and an additional 25 USD per group for the obligatory guide without whom we would not be allowed to go anywhere. We ended up paying 305 USD for the two of us for a "walk in the forest". Now, that really soured my mood. But we had traveled far for this experience and neither was I willing to go back now. So onwards we went.

      Only five people entered the park on that day, a group of three and the two of us. Two guides were assigned to the groups, so we had a private guide. Our chosen tour included the canopy walk and an approximately six hour long hike to five picturesque waterfalls. The hike was beautiful. The canopy walk was... nice, but nothing special that would warrant a 40 USD pp price tag. So we really took our time there and even blocked the other group from advancing for a bit. Though that of course wasn't our intention.

      The remainder of the hike was also great, as we really got a chance to immerse ourselves in the jungle. There were gigantic mahagony trees, some 200-300 years old, that really put everything to scale. We didn't manage to spot any chimps, but heard them once or twice. The ground was quite muddy, and we had to apply some careful balancing acts to not lose our footing in many places.

      Both Anne and I are pretty fit when it comes to hiking, and we did the 6h hike with the canopy add-on in 4h30min total. After yesterday's chaos we decided to head back to our camp for another night and relax overlooking the tea plantations during sunset.      Read more

    • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
      Day 55

      Birthday Chimps for Katie

      November 9, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      We wake up at around 4am for a Birthday treat for Katie- today we're going to try and see the Chimps in Nyungwe forest in the south of Rwanda.

      Bleary-eyed, we climb into the car for the drive through the park to the meeting point. We only managed to find out where we are meeting yesterday, by calling about 4 different people in the National Parks agency. When we bought our permits online, there was no mention of when or where to actually go to see the Chimps. It basically just said "Chimps". It really feels like Rwanda isn't so geared towards independent tourists.

      We head into the outskirts of the National Park, but we soon get lost, as there aren't many signs, and it's pitch black out. We come across a large group of heavily armed soldiers patrolling the border with Burundi and ask for directions.

      When we finally find the meeting point, we're told that we have to drive another 1h30 in the opposite direction to where the chimps actually are. To do so, we must follow a tour group, whose local driver seems to have a death wish. He drives well over the speed limit, aggressively overtaking every other vehicle, and often on blind corners around the steep hairpin turns that are so common in Rwanda. We have no choice but to keep up, and drive hell for leather to keep up.

      Eventually, we arrive at a spot in the middle of the dense jungle, and we proceed on foot. We navigate a small path through the forest, with the rangers cutting back the overgrown foliage. We've been told not to get our hopes up too much, as the chimps often stay high up in the trees, so we can only spot them from a distance, if at all.

      Not long after we start walking, however, we hear the hoots of the chimpanzees. It builds up to a cacophony of howling and screeching, seemingly from all sides. The forest is full of noise and activity. The sun streams through the leaves into our eyes, temporarily blinding us. The screaming gets louder and louder, echoing from all sides, disorientating us. "Look!" say the rangers "Up in the trees!". And we see them. The forest canopy is busy with primates, both chimpanzees and the smaller owl-faced monkeys.

      The rangers explain that the owl faced monkeys live around the chimps for protection, chimpanzees being the most feared animal in the forest. It's strange to use the term "mutually beneficial relationship" here, as the chimps often turn on the owl-faced monkeys in times of scarcity, and eat them.

      We watch these huge beasts clamber through the trees, when all of a sudden there's a crash behind us. We turn to see a chimp walking through the bush, metres away from us. Then, we hear a rustling behind us, and a small family- mum, dad and baby- descends from the canopy to the forest floor, just in front of us. It's a real treat, and proof that they got the message that it's Katie's birthday, which is nice.

      After saying goodbye to our new primate pals, we head to the other side of the park. We are staying on the top of a tea plantation, with panoramic views over the forest. It's beautiful, and a little odd. The bar area is described as a Karaoke Bar, complete with mini booths for group sing-a-long sessions. However, there is no evidence of microphones, screens, speakers, or anything required for a half-decent Karaoke jam. We settle on a game of Ring-of-Fire, eating pizzas from the giant oven they've built here.      Read more

    • TravelerSoutheast Africa
      1
      Day 40

      Malaria?

      March 6, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

      The previous day ended with me negotiating with the lodge operator over the price for our extension night. We were not really happy with what we got for the price we paid, and several advertised amenities were not delivered, such as towels or warm water. But we were in a pretty desolate area, so didn't have much choice. I ultimately got him to agree to a rate of 40 USD for the extension night, though he was really guilt-tripping me into feeling super bad afterwards for ever approaching him. Oh well, I've got a thick skin, so I didn't let his comments get too close to me.

      Anne had had an annoying headache for a few days now that never really went away, and after we left camp this morning nausea was added to the mix as well. Before we could really think about our next steps, our car got pulled over by a military patrol. They stopped us, told us to get a man they shoved into our car to the closest hospital some 20km away, and sent us off. We just barely managed to check if he is going in for something contagious or not (he wasn't), then we were off. I guess that's another role of the military patrols everywhere 😉 There is a different level of authority between a hitchhiker with a pained expression in his face versus someone in uniform with a big rifle.

      The guy didn't say much during the trip, and after we dropped him off we continued on our own way, Anne did some more research into her symptoms. It turned out that there was a large overlap with malaria, and the incubation period from our Namibia camping adventure (where she got bitten very often) until now aligned with malaria as well. So, change of plans. Instead of aiming to make it to a good spot and spend the day working from there, we rerouted to the next hospital to get her tested for malaria.

      I had made some experiences with rural hospitals previously in Guatemala, and I knew we were in for an interesting experience. Anne got all her documents ready and in we went to get her tested for malaria. While we were waiting for the reception to see us, a big list on the wall caught my eye. It was a pricing list for every single service the hospital offered. The most expensive thing was a knee replacement, priced at 60 USD. At least if I managed to decipher the French correctly. The most macabre thing I spotted was the cremation service, priced at 35 USD per cubic meter. One of the receptionists then took it upon herself to guide us through the entire hospital process, and the first thing we had to do was to pay 10 USD for the VIP service. We weren't really sure what that meant, but it appeared as if we skipped all the queues. It did make us feel a bit bad, but we weren't really given a choice. Pay this, present that document, come here.

      She was then seen by a doctor and had her blood taken - through poking her vein with a needle and then waiting for gravity to do it's thing! No syringe, no vacuum vessels, just letting it drip into a dish. First time I had ever seen it done like that. Then we were told it would take four hours for the results to come in, and our next challenge was how to spend the time until then. We were in a little village at the southern shore of Lake Kivu, and even though the hospital was pretty large (they even had two ambulances), we couldn't find a single restaurant to sit down at to get some work done. We also couldn't find any lodge nearby, but there was an unrated guesthouse not too far away.      Read more

    • TravelerSoutheast Africa
      Day 40

      Car mechanics on a construction site

      March 6, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      After we drove around aimlessly looking for a nice spot to work from, we headed toward the unrated guest house. The access road to it was rather dodgy and very steep. When we arrived at the guest house it turned out to be a construction site. I left the car to see if I can find anyone to talk to, but no such luck. I had already begun turning the car around in the steep dead end road when someone who seemed to be in charge approached our car from the side.

      He was the owner of the guest house and invited us in. There was a construction site all around us, and there was no internet, but he could prepare a table with chairs and some drinks for us, which is all we needed. I backed into the driveway, parked the car, and we set up office inside, away from the blazing heat of the sun.

      Seeing how there was no internet we had to Hotspot from my phone, which was sufficient for Anne to have her first call of the day, and I managed to get some work done as well. However, after a bit more than an hour, the connection suddenly dropped dead. It appeared as if the closest cellular tower was malfunctioning in a way, because it worked fine in one moment and not at all in the next. All of the people at the construction site had been eyeing us curiously, and now we were just making it even more interesting for them.

      Two muzungus (white people) show up out of nowhere, whip out their laptops on a construction site, have a few calls, and pack up again an hour later 🤣

      Since we couldn't work anymore due to lack of signal, we packed everything back into the car. I got into the drivers seat, turn the ignition, and... Nothing! Our second car had died as well. At the very bottom of a very steep hill, at the end of a private driveway, and we had no signal to call anyone ourselves. After laughing and despairing at the same time for a second or two, we managed to communicate with our host (who only spoke French and Kinyarwanda) that our car had broken down and we needed some mechanics. We couldn't reach the rental agency either (due to lack of signal), so we were entirely depending on his help. He placed a call and said something about ten minutes.

      Surprisingly, after around ten minutes, a super run down car blasting very loud music pulled up to the driveway. The initial surprise at the timeliness quickly got surpassed by the surprise when three greased up mechanics jumped out of the car and immediately got to work. We had no languages in common but the problem seemed obvious to them and they jumped into action immediately. They first tried to jump start our car, but to no avail - our car wouldn't start, but some lights lit up, which hardened our suspicion that it was a battery issue - again.

      Ultimately, they had to remove our battery and swap it with theirs, which finally did the job. Our car was still a bit shaky on its legs and constantly lost the charge to stay turned on. They said we'd have to stay there at the bottom of the hill pressing the gas for the next twenty minutes until our battery has had a chance to recharge a solid amount. We paid them the equivalent of 15 USD for their quick help and off they went. After some ten minutes or so of mindlessly pressing the gas every five seconds we managed to put the car into gear and whip it up the steep hill, back toward the hospital.

      Once we had reached the hospital, we were too afraid to turn off or even idle the engine, so I remained in the car and continued to mindlessly press the gas pedal while Anne went inside to find out about her results which were more or less due. Long story short, the results were not ready, but they offered to call us with the results. An offer we would've appreciated to receive three hours earlier 🙄 Instead of waiting around any longer we decided to continue onwards to our destination for the next few days - Kibuye, at the Eastern shore of Lake Kivu.      Read more

    • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
      Day 54

      Lake Kivu

      November 8, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      To Lake Kivu now, a huge lake which almost completely forms the western border of Rwanda.

      We take a boat ride out on the lake to visit some of the islands. The first we visit is called Monkey Island, so-called because of the solitary Blue-Balled Monkey living on the island. We have no idea how it got there.

      Next up on the island itinerary is named Napoleon Island, after the distinctive hat-shaped hill. They should have called it Bat Island, as it is home to a huge colony of fruit bats. As we walk up the hill, you pass thousands of bats, hanging upside-down in the trees right next to the paths. The views from the top are amazing, and our guide also points out the next island over, which is a prison island for kids who have problems with substance abuse. Exiling them to a prison island- a la Alcatraz- seems a little heavy handed to us.

      On our boat tour is a German girl. We get chatting, and we ask her why she decided to come to Rwanda. She explains that she wanted to come somewhere warm, where she could swim. So, nothing to do with the history, mountains, wildlife or anything like that. Unfortunately for her, all freshwater lakes in Rwanda (and much of East Africa) are said to be infested with Bilharzia, a terrifying parasite that crawls into your skin before colonising most of your body, including the spinal cord and nervous system.

      We decline our guide's offer for us to have a dip.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017
      1
      Day 9

      Chimps at the crack of stupid o'clock

      July 8, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      This was the early morning we knew was coming! As chimpanzees build a nest to sleep in each night, the plan was to arrive in the forest just after they wake up and observe their morning rituals... so the alarm was set for 3.30am for a 4am departure.

      We had about an hour to drive to the start of the trek, then up to an hours' walk to where the chimps were likely to be - a number of trackers go out early to locate the group, then a guide with radio communication leads us to them.

      There was a mix up with the meeting time with another group we were joining up with, so we waited on the side of the road for about an hour before we headed to the Cyamudongo Forest. This forest is only 5 square kms and is separated from the main forest by farm land, so this chimp population is isolated. The long term plan is to reposess land in between to build corridors of native vegetation so the animals can commute freely between both areas, and avoid problems with inbreeding.

      We had quite a steep walk down the valley, at one point taking a shortcut through the vegetation to get to the next path, before the chimps moved on. We heard them in the distance before we saw them, so our first sighting of 2 chimps sitting on the path ahead, grooming each other, was rather surreal. They were much bigger than we expected and not quite as docile as we believed - about 3% of their diet is meat, so they occasionally kill smaller monkeys, or other chimps for food. They have also been know to kill humans, if they are threatened.

      There was plenty of movement in the bushes around us, with calls from both sides, then all hell broke loose as a younger male challenged the alpha male, in the bushes just above us. Teeth were bared, branches ripped as a show of agression, and screeching galore as the 2 males fought. It was a reminder that these are wild animals, and we were in their territory. Everyone remained calm and did as we were told (stay still and don't run, even if you think you should!), and the heart quickening moment was over in about 30 seconds. Carla has been observing chimps in the wild for 20 years and had never seen males fighting like this, so it was more special than we first realised.

      We moved around the corner and observed the rest of the group for a while, then moved away and ate our packed breakfast (boiled egg, jam sandwich, cheese and fresh fruit).

      We left the forest via a local village, had an impromptu demonstration of how to tie a baby sling, African style, and headed to the Gisakura Guest House for lunch (buffet of rice, potato chips, beef in tomato gravy, peas, and fresh pineapple)

      As it was the first time we have arrived in Kamembe in daylight, we drove the scenic route to the hotel, and witnessed wedding photos being taken up the road from our hotel. The bride struck a pose for us and we obliged as tourists do!

      As we came into the hotel, the reception staff suggested we order tea now to avoid waiting later - we were happy to oblige! (matoke (plantain) with peanut sauce for me, vegetarian lasagne for Oliver). We did some much needed washing, then tea and drinks on the deck.      Read more

    • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without Jobs
      Day 99

      Nyungwe Forest National Park

      August 13, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      Traveled through stunningly beautiful countryside ranging from tea estates, to rice paddies to rainforest. When we arrived at the park in the early afternoon, we joined a canopy walk that went into the forest and visited a very high and long canopy walk that had been built by the Canadians in 2010. Being afraid of heights, Christy was quite proud to have made it across – albeit very tentatively. Unfortunately we didn’t see any monkeys on the walk as it was packed full of teenage Rwandans who were so excited and busy taking selfies that it would have scared away any critters. Still, nice to see young locals enjoying their amazing parks. Fortunately we camped in the park and were able to see a few different kinds of monkeys in the morning – the forest monkey and blue monkey. Unfortunately we didn’t get any good photos – just a few from the iphone.Read more

    • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017
      Day 8

      Nyungwe Forest, Waterfall Hike

      July 7, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Cereal and fruit for breakfast this morning and a civilised 8.30am departure for the Waterfall Hike in Nyungwe Forest. The weather is a couple of degrees cooler in this area, but still pleasantly mid 20s and no rain.

      After a briefing at the rangers station we drove with our guide Christophe to the start of the trail. After tucking our pants into our socks to avoid getting ants up our legs, we set off through the tea plantations, but then the going got tougher once we entered the forest. The path was well marked, but had some steep sections, so the walking poles they provided came in handy. The valley was thick with lush rainforest undergrowth, but only a few birds spotted (and some toads).

      The walk to the waterfall took 90 minutes, so we were looking for a rest and snack. The return journey took a little longer.

      Lunch was at the Gisakura Family Hotel - buffet of beef in tomato sauce, cooked plantain, rice, spaghetti, potato chips and steamed pumpkin.

      After lunch we went in search of Black & White Colobus monkeys. The guide was in contact with some trackers who had located a group of about 30 near the edge of the forest, so we only had a few minutes walk. We spent almost an hour watching them jumping from tree to tree along defined "roads", playing, grooming and looking after the 3 youngsters in the group (about 3 weeks old, all white). Also spotted Dent's Monkey and a Blue Monkey, who was acting as lookout from the top of the tallest tree.

      Arrived back at the hotel after dark, had dinner in the hotel restaurant after an African "short wait", ie 90 mins! - whole tilapia for Oliver, chicken and maize for me.

      Bed just after 10pm in preparation for an early morning tomorrow.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017
      1
      Day 10

      Uwinka Overlook

      July 9, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

      A luxurious lie in until 7.30am, breakfast of cereal, fruit and toast and departed for the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest at 8.45am. The canopy walk, officially known as the Uwinka Overlook on the Igishigishigi Trail, is a 200 metre walkway suspended 90 metres above the forest floor, which affords spectacular views across the valley and is supposedly a good spot for bird watching.

      We were joined on the tour by 5 local Rwandans and 5 Chinese nationals who live in Rwanda (Chinese companies manage a lot of the road building in Rwanda), so we were a group of 15. The Rwandan government is trying to encourage locals to visit tourist spots in their own country by offering discounts to locals - the tourist price for this walk is $60 USD, but locals only pay 5000 Rwandan Francs ($6 USD).

      It was a pleasant 45 minute walk down to the start of the canopy walk, then single file across the suspension bridge. We took our time making the crossing and loitered on the platforms for quite a while, but disappointingly only saw one Blue Monkey in the distance, and no birds for the entire journey.

      On the way back to the hotel for lunch we spotted a couple of L'Hoest monkeys (formerly known as Mountain Monkeys) near the road who hung around long enough for a few photos (lunch was Caeser Salad and a beef burger).

      We had a free afternoon so took up Aloys' offer of a lift to the centre of Kamembe for some shopping. Being Sunday afternoon not much was open, but we had some interesting chats and made a few small purchases.

      We had a briefing in the lounge in preparation for our trip to the DR Congo tomorrow, then dinner was in the hotel restaurant (fillet pepper steak and potato croquettes x2).      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Nyamasheke District, District de Nyamasheke, Akarere ka Nyamasheke

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