Mount Kigali

Kigali Hub

The Beautiful city of Kigali built on Mount Kigali, is the largest in Rwanda known for its clean and safe environment.

It was chosen over the established cultural city of Butare as the capital city since 1962 when Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium.

It has grown quickly and now it is the major political city of Rwanda as well as the economic and transport hub of the country. Situated in centrally within the country, it provides a convenient gate way to the country by gate way or Air.

Mt Kigali has an Elevation of an impressive 1850m, the highest in the area with the surrounding mountains averaging just 1600m

The commercial centre of the city is Nyarugenge, while the government and administrative centre is further east in Kacyiru.

Kigali offers healthy concentration of Hotels and conference facilities look out for a new conference center.

Thanks to its altitude, Kigali enjoys a moderate climate, despite its tropical location. It is also known to be one of the safes and cleanest among African capitals

Centrally located, the Kigali hub is the convenient location from which to access all tourism sites and provinces.       

Dining and Entertainment

Dining, The Continental city of Kigali offers a verity excellent restaurant to enjoy a good meal. For popular European cuisine head to heaven Restaurant or Cactus in Kiyovu, Select in Kicyiru or Sol e Luna in Remera. For great African cuisine. Go to the republika of Lounge in Kiyovu, Africa bite in Kimihurura or Lalibela, also in Kimihurura who offers to class Ethiopian food. For Delicious Asian Cuisine, try Flamingo in Kimihurura for chainese food, Khana Khazana in Kiyovu for Indian dishes, Sakae in nyarutarama, for Japanzese and Chanese food and Fklavours.

Bar-lounge, there are a number of excellent bar-lounge to go out for a drink in the evening, head to republika Lounge in kiyovu legacy wine Bar and Lounge in Hotel des Mille collines, in Kiyovu or Pypyurus Lounge in  Kimihurura. Other great watering holes are shooters in Kacyiru, Sounowner in Kimihurura or Virunga Sports Bar in MTN Center, Nyarutarama. For live performance and DJs head to Whitehorse Pub in Kiyovu 

Sound owner 

in Kimihurura or the Virunga Sports Bar in MTN Center, Nyarutarama. For live performance s and DJs head to Whitehorse Pub in Kiyovu.

Coffee Shops, Grab a cup of coffee at Bourbon Café, the trendy coffee shop at the union Trade Center, MTN Center or International Airport. Shokola and Shokola Lite in Kiyovu and Kicyiru offer North Africa Cuisine and some of the best coffee shops found around. There are many other coffee shops to be found in the city center like Camilla tea house in Kiyovu and Magda coffee shop in kicyiru

Clubs, There are a few spots in Kigali where it is possible to dance the night away. Enjoy live entertainment and salsa dancing at Pasadena, VIP, the Intercontinental or the Milles Collines, or Put on your dancing shoes and head for New Codillac in Kimihurura, Next in Muhima or Planet Club in kacyiru at Kigali Business Center (KBC) which are vibey places to spend a Friday or Saturday Nights.

Museums and Memorials

Camp Kigali Commemorates the massacre of 10 Belgian UN Blue Berets on the first day of the genocide in 1994. The camp hosts a small museum and a memorial which displays one stone pillar for each soldier with their age marked as a line.

The International History Museum

Also known as ‘Kandt House’ is dedicated to Richard Kandt a German Doctor and explorer who embark on exploration of Rwanda in 1897, searching for source of the Nile. The Museum showcase his work and many natural wonder of the country.

Nyamata and Ntarama Genocide Memorials are the scenes of some of the most brutal massacres in Rwanda. Both are located about 30km south of Kigali, in the Begesera region. These churches and their contents are reminder of the violence that took place during a Rwanda’s 1994 Genocide.

Gisoke / Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, A joint partnership between the Kigali City Council and the egis trust, was inaugurated in April 2004, for 10^th Anniversary of the beginning of the Genocide. Three permanent exhibitions are on exhibit, the largest of which documents the history of genocidal violence around the world. The Center is built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried.

Presidential Palace Museum, located 40km from Kanombe Airport. The Residence of former president of Rwanda, J. Habyarimana (973-94) this museum is mainly known for the flight debris which are the remains of the president plane that went down on the 6^th of April 1994.

Librarie Ikirezi Is the first public library in Rwanda and aims to become the statuary of knowledge and forum for the free exchange of ideas’. It also houses the largest selection of books written on the Rwanda genocide.

Remera Heroes’ Cemetery Is another site connected to the genocide in Rwanda. Three Particularly Noteworthy grave populate this cemetery on Kimironko Road, past the Amohoro stadium: the grave of the co-founder and leader of the RPF, Fred Gisa Rwigyema, who was killed on was on 2 October 1990 trying to invade Rwanda; Uwilingiyimana, Prime Minister at the time  Unknown Soldier standing as memorial for all victims of genocide.

Nyaza Geneocide memorial Commemorates the killing of 10,000 Rwandans that took place at the Ecolo Technique Officielle. The museum documents the massacre and emphasizes the desertion of the international community

Activities

Enjoy birding Watching at Nyarutarama Lake. Nyarutarama is an affluent are “Love’s Lake” in “Nyarutatarama” valley, at the boarder of Kigali Golf Course, is most attractive. The lake is surrounded by a track of which offers excellent nature walk and birding watching opportunities.

The Nyabarongo Wetlands have remained untouched by tourism, but also offers walking paths and good bird watching. This protected area covers 142.62km² with two lakes – Lake Mirayi and lake Rumira.

Practice your swing at Nyarutarama Golf Course;  this challenging course offers an invigorating golf experience over a topographically rich landscape.

Book an afternoon pampering at one of the many spas the city has to offer including Maisha spa at Serena, Country Inn, Sals spa Manor

Go for a swim at the Mille Collines Hotel. This famous hotel was refuge during the genocide and also the setting for the famous Novel “Un dimanche a la piscine a Kigali”, by Quebecre Gil Courtemanche, and Hotel Rwanda

Go Mountain biking in or out of town. The fine road network, of dirt track around the city with little traffic, offers wonderful opportunities for bicycle trip.  

Handicraft and shopping.

A wide range of handicrafts are produced in rural Rwanda, ranging from ceramic and basketry to traditional wood carvings and contemporary paintings. Rwanda’s traditional Agaseke baskets have become famous around the World. You will find a good selection of painted and handcrafted artifacts in craft villages, shops and craft galleries around Kigali.

Rwanda Nziza was created to allow artists to access the local Market and give them direct exposure on the tourist Market. Also known as The Rwandan Fair Trade Artist’s Association (RFTAA), offers a variety of high quality products that are 100% Rwandan. The artisans, from all over Rwanda have direct access to customer and earn 100% of the profits. On arrival at the store, you will hear local music, and enjoy complimentary coffee and relaxed retail experience.

Gahaya Links Gifted Hands was founded in 2004 by joy Ndanguste and Janet Nkubana. This company was the first traditional handcrafts export company. It was initially started in the remote village of Gitarama where the sisters recruited about 20 women and taught them to weave or improve their skins with new techniques. Today the company manages a network of about 4000 weavers across the country. Their belief is to achieve sustainable peace and development in Rwanda.

Ivuka Arts Kigali is a group of established Artists trying to introduce Rwandan contemporary Art to the International scene by discovering and nurturing young talent.

RwaMakondera (Rwandan Horns) Children’s dance troupe is a program integrated in Ivuka Art Kigali. The troupe aims at empowering disadvantaged Children by teaching them Rwandan dances and performing for international Audiences.

Caplaki handcrafts co-operative, Situated near the Cercle Sportif, was created as a result of the relocation od street shops that had to move away from the city center. Some of these craftsmen weregranted a piece of land by the Kigali City council near the Gikondo/Nyenyeri minibus-taxi route and before long some 30 stalls emerged.

Other excellent places to view and purchase traditional and modern art work in Kigali are, Ingonzo gallery, ATRAC craft Village Studio.

You will find other souvenirs at the shops like Africa Gift Corner and Mode Savane. More artists, exhibitions and Music performance can be found at places like Bushayiji and Ingonzo Art Gallery, Shokola and Laico Umubono Hotel 

As for shopping, try to visit the area covered by Boulevard De la Revolution, Avenue des Milles Collines, Rue de I’Epargne and Avenue du Commerce. If you are looking for an African market then your best bets will be Kimironko Market, the Gakinjiro Market or the Nyabugogo Market. The latter is the largest in Rwanda.

And if you are looking for a mall experience, head for the biggest mall in Kigali: the Union Trade Center, Situate at the eastern side of Boulevard de la Revolution. Also referred to as Nakumatt Center,  It offers a wide range of imported goods, bakeries, coffee shops and banks