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The Kigali City Tour offers one an in-depth view
of Kigali, past and present, assuring that one feels the genuine heartbeat of
the city. Kigali is the capital city o f Rwanda, blessed with a year round
moderate climate. It is also the country’s vibrant commercial center. Kigali is
particularly beautiful at night as the lights glimmer over a few of the
country’s “one thousand hills”.
The Kigali City Tour begins as a historic journey
through the city with a guided tour from the first modern building from which
the capital city was first founded, to the rapidly growing neighborhoods that
are changing the face of the city. Kigali is one of the friendliest, cleanest
and safest of Africa’s cities attracting numerous visitors and investors to the
capital.
Kigali City was founded in 1907 as a small
colonial outpost by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first German colonial resident of
Rwanda. His residence at the base of Mount Jali and Mount Kigali in the heart
of the city has been converted into the Natural History Museum in honor of Dr.
Kandt’s work, and is one of the first stops on the tour.
Along the tour, visitors will pass by Kigali’s
older commercial “quarters”, business and residential areas, visit historic
sites commemorating the 1994 Tutsi Genocide, take a guided tour within the
Gisozi Genocide Memorial, and learn about the city’s diverse neighborhoods and
local attractions.
Coffee shops, bars and local and international
restaurants ranging from Chinese,
Italian, North African, East African, Thai and Greek cuisine can be
found around the city. Resto-bars are a favorite among Kigali’s residents as
people enjoy a delicious meal early on and stay to enjoy the music and drinks
afterwards. Kigali’s growing nightlife is sure to entertain any visitor to the
city.
Rwanda has variety of museums where you can
experience the Kigali city cultural excursions and are:
National Museum of Rwanda launched on September
18th 1989 and located in Huye, the National Museum of Rwanda is the most
well-known museum in Rwanda and houses perhaps the finest ethnographic and
archaeological collections in East Africa with more than 10,000 artifacts.
Absorbing displays of traditional artifacts are illuminated by a fascinating
selection of turn-of-the-century monochrome photographs, providing insight not
only into pre-colonial lifestyles, but also into the subsequent development of
Rwanda as a modern African state.
Nyanza
Royal Palace, Rukari, under the reign of King Yuhi
V Musinga in 1899, Nyanza became the royal capital of the country. The court
became the home of the artistic and intellectual activities and was also a
place for economic exchange. Today, a replica of the traditional Royal Palace
sits at Rukari. The impressive, enormous domed structure is made entirely with
traditional materials, has been painstakingly restored to its 19th century
state and is now maintained as a museum.
Museum
of Rwandan Ancient History, once the residence of King
Mutara III Rudahingwa, this museum also sits at Rukari near to the Royal
Palace. This Palace has been restored and offers a glimpse into Rwandan life as
it once was. On the neighboring hill of Mwima, King Mutara III and his wife
Queen Rosalie Gicanda are buried.
Rwesero
Arts Museum, located across the valley from the
Museum of Rwandan Ancient History and the
Nyanza Royal Palace, the Rwesero Arts Museum
displays contemporary artwork which testifies to the originality of Rwandan
creativity, while not overlooking either tradition or national history. The
museum was originally built as a Palace for King Mutara III Rudahingwa but he
passed away before occupying it. Both the Museum of Rwandan Ancient History and
the Rwesero Arts Museum are located 2km from Nyanza town.
Museum
of Natural History, the Nyarugenge residence in Kigali
City once occupied by German Richard Kandt has been turned into the Museum of
Natural History. A scientist by profession, Richard Kandt was the first German
Imperial resident in Rwanda and this museum is homage to his work.
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