RWANDA Hotel


volcanoessafaris.com i Reviews, page 120


THE RETREAT BY HEAVEN: In the heart of Kigali, this eco-resort houses 20 rooms across three categories: Deluxe King Rooms, Superior King Suites and Luxury Pool Villas. Guests can immerse


VJGOUGNXGU KP 4YCPFCP EWNVWTG D[ UCORNKPI NQECN ƃCXQWTU at the Fusion restaurant, trying their hand at crafts such as banana-beer making, or exploring the capital during a private tour. Rates start from $500 per night based on two people sharing a Deluxe King Room in low season. theretreatrwanda.com


MANTIS AKAGERA GAME LODGE: Set at the southern tip of Akagera National Park, this mid-range property boasts 60 comfortable rooms, the most spacious of which are the Presidential Suite and Family


Suites. It’s ideally located for game drives or exploring Lake Ihema. Prices lead in at £180 per room per night, including breakfast, based on two people sharing a Standard Room. mantiscollection.com


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VIRUNGA LODGE: Incredible views of the Virunga Mountains and Lake Bulera, paired with impeccable service, make this property a knock- out. Featuring just 10 bandas (the traditional house of central Africa),


guests are attentively cared for, and returning from a day of gorilla trekking feels like coming home. Rates start from £845 per person per night on an all-inclusive basis.


As we wave goodbye to our distant kin and descend the mountain – a much more manageable journey – the silence among the group tells me everyone feels just as overcome with awe as I do.


Resilient nation Rwanda’s beauty belies its strikingly recent history of adversity. Though many scars remain from the 1994 genocide, which claimed around one million lives and devastated countless more, the country has since undergone an incredible transformation. Few Rwandans were untouched by the horrors, so a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial is an important stop for travellers. Recommend clients start their trip by spending a couple of nights in the capital to visit the site. It is harrowing but also incredibly grounding, instilling an understanding for the resilience of this remarkable country and its people. Tourism has played a pivotal role in Rwanda’s


recovery. Investment in the sector has spurred the development of an increasing number of high-end hotels, lodges and restaurants, making an enticing selling point for luxury travellers. However, it’s the government’s commitment to sustainability that ÌÀÕlÞ >m«liwià ,Ü>n`>½Ã >««i>l° Ƃ Ãi}niwV>nÌ Ãh>Ài of tourism revenue is reinvested into community projects, biodiversity conservation and protecting the incredible wildlife across the nation’s four national parks. With the country enjoying an increasing amount of attention, it seems to be paying off. In 2023, Rwanda welcomed 1.4 million tourists – nearly three times the 521,000 who visited in 2021 – marking an impressive bounce-back from the pandemic, when visitor numbers plunged by 70%. By 2028, Rwanda hopes to attract 2.2 million tourists. To support this growth, this Þi>À ,Ü>n`ƂiÀ inÌÀo`ÕVi` `>ilÞ `iÀiVÌ yi}hÌà vÀom i>ÌhÀoÜ Ìo i}>li q > Vli>À ÀiyiVÌion of the rising demand from the UK market.


Wider wonders


While the mountain gorillas are undoubtedly Rwanda’s most famous inhabitants, the country has


80 ASPIRE NOVEMBER 2024


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CREDIT: Gael Ruboneka Vande Weghe


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