Rwanda by motorcycle

We will meet at Heathrow Airport, from where we will fly to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Unless there are any changes, the flight will take off at 8:30 p.m. We will have an 8½-hour direct flight, during which dinner and breakfast will be served (flight not included). Upon arrival in Kigali, we will go through customs, obtain visas, exchange currency, and make phone calls. A bus will pick us up and take us to the city center, specifically to the Nyamirambo neighborhood, where we will have lunch and continue our visit to the Mirironko local market, which sells handicrafts and fresh local produce. After the visit, we will head to the hotel, where we will rest and enjoy dinner.

This is where our “Rwanda by Motorcycle” adventure begins. After breakfast, we will pick up the motorcycles at the hotel door, and our luggage will travel in a support vehicle driven by the expedition mechanic. We will be accompanied by a second support vehicle, in which the riders’ companions can travel for all or part of the stages.

As in any good African city, the traffic is chaotic, but we will quickly adapt. We head northwest, traveling along impressive mountain roads until we reach Colline Gatete. We will encounter sections of dirt road, all in very good condition and without any complications, which run through rural areas and the surroundings of Lake Burera. Our stage will take us to the volcanic area, where the Silverback Gorilla Park and Nature Reserve is located.

Once at the hotel, we will rest, spend some time relaxing, have dinner, and enjoy the evening.

Today’s stage will be entirely on asphalt, a short route, so we will take it easy. The day takes us to Gisenyi, next to Lake Kivu, which covers an area of 2,700 km2, with a maximum depth of 500 meters, and is shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Another unique feature of Lake Kivu is the concentration of methane in its depths, which causes a mass extinction of its inhabitants every 1,000 years.

We will have lunch by the lake, where we can sample the local cuisine. Once at the hotel, we will have time to enjoy the wide variety of leisure activities on offer in the area, from a peaceful boat trip to jet ski rental, spa, swimming pool, and various sports.

At this stage, participants who wish to do so can visit Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park*, which is not included in the price of the trip. Participants who want to visit will depart with our local guide Vicent, who will accompany them at all times during the visit and on the journey to the next hotel where we will all meet again. *Important to read in Information

After breakfast, we will start the stage on paved roads, flanked by dense vegetation and tea plantations. We will reach the Gishwati Forest, with a large amount of wildlife that is very easy to observe, such as golden monkeys, blue monkeys, and countless birds. We will have lunch at our destination, after which we will board traditional Lake Kivu boats to visit some of the small islands that dot the vast lake. There we will be able to observe the dense population of wildlife that inhabits them. We will visit Napoleon Island, where we can climb to the top, which offers magnificent views of the lake.

We will return to the hotel where dinner will be served.

After breakfast, we will leave Gisenyi on our bikes and head south. We will travel along the eastern shore of Lake Kivu until we reach its southern tip. The paved road crosses part of Nyungwe National Park, home to one of the best-preserved rainforests on the planet and, therefore, an impressive diversity of birds, primates, and other wildlife.

We will arrive at our accommodation in the afternoon, just in time to rest a little and meet again to enjoy dinner in the hotel’s dining rooms.

Accommodation: Hotel Mater Boni Consilii

Today we start early, not because it is a long stage, but because of the intensity of the planned visits. The first of these will be to the Museum of the Palaces of the Kings, where we will learn about the history and traditions of this country. During the approximately one-hour visit, we will see recreations of dwellings, clothing, household items, and weapons that have been used throughout Rwanda’s history.

The route continues to the Genocide Memorial in Nyamata, which was built to ensure that one of the darkest episodes in African history is never forgotten. It is a difficult visit due to the cruelty (unfiltered) with which the events are presented, so the visit is entirely voluntary.

Our destination, much more pleasant, is Akagera National Park, located in the east of the country. Our hotel is located at the very gates of the National Park, with spectacular views of Lake Ihema.

After breakfast, we will be picked up by the typical 4×4 safari vehicles to visit Akagera National Park (a small part, as it represents 10% of the country’s surface area). We will spend the day on safari, touring this vast park that borders Tanzania to the east and covers large areas of savannah, numerous lakes, including the largest protected wetland in Africa. We will enjoy seeing the great African mammals: lions, rhinos, giraffes, leopards, and elephants, as well as zebras, crocodiles, antelopes, and wildebeests. After the visit, we will return to the hotel, where we will have time to rest and share our impressions of the experience.

The last stage begins. We have a half-day ride to Kigali, where we will have lunch. The route is flat, passing through rice fields and banana plantations. In the afternoon, we will have some rooms available to change and get ready to go to the airport.