Overview of Day Experiences

The contrast between the two images we feature — a Batwa Today community chat and a Kigali walk — demonstrates the scope of what our experiences can be. The walking sections of these activities are easy enough that almost any person will enjoy them.

The experiences are grouped by where they happen, in alphabetical order. A highlighted note at the top of a section points to trips further down the list that are within easy reach, no more than 2 hours away.

📍Kigali /Rwanda/

Fancy a day trip north? Just 2 hours away from Kigali, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park awaits; find its experiences under 📍Musanze (Ruhengeri).

Kigali Walking Tour (5 Hours in the Capital)

• marvel at sweeping views of Kigali
• understand the government’s vision for the city
• explore the main market with stuff from everywhere
• take a Kandt House trip into Rwanda’s history
• use a city ferry that few know about
• find peace at the extraordinary Genocide Memorial

📍Kisoro /Uganda/

Got a free day? Two more locations are within reach: 📍Lake Bunyonyi, 1.5 hours away, and 📍Musanze (Ruhengeri), just across the border in Rwanda (bring your passport).

Coffee Blast (2 Hours Near Lake Mutanda)

• let coffee facts blow your mind (have you been doing it wrong all along?)
• spend quality time with a lovely local family — growing, processing and roasting coffee
• add unique stuff to your Instagram collection with a beautiful lake in the background
• get a free gift, a little bag of coffee

📍Lake Bunyonyi /Uganda/

Touch of Bunyonyi (2-Hour Canoe Trip)

• ride in a traditional dugout canoe
• listen to the tales from the lake
• walk through the beautiful nature of Bushara Island
• appreciate great views of Punishment Island and Bwama Island
• step into the peculiar life at Edirisa

Bunyonyi Dugout Dining (3-Hour Food Tour by Canoe)

• get picked up from your hotel by a knowledgeable guide in a traditional dugout canoe
• discover the intriguing world of Edirisa
• see how the lake’s famous crayfish are caught and prepared
• enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal in a treehouse (you can even help make it, if you fancy learning how to cook local dishes)

Culture on the Crest (5-Hour Hike & Canoe)

• take in spectacular views and island stories
• have fun at a nursery school
• get anything healed by a traditional healer
• learn how to make crafts
• step into the peculiar life of Edirisa

Batwa Feast (6 Hours & Local Food With the “Pygmies” of Bunyonyi)

• get to know the stories of all major islands 
• visit Kyevu Market on the western shores and hear about its transboundary economy
• invite the Batwa into your motorboat for a singing ride to Mama Bena’s
• step into a reconstructed traditional home of the Batwa
• try archery and making fire from just two sticks

Islands of Miracles (1-Day Canoe & Hike)

• take in spectacular views and island stories
• have fun at a nursery school
• get anything healed by a traditional healer
• learn how to make crafts
• have delicious lunch with a local family
• get close to Punishment Island
• visit Bwama Island, a former leper colony
• do a walking safari on Kyahugye Island
• enjoy a hearty final meal at Edirisa

Provia’s Homestay (Overnight on a Bunyonyi Island)

• become a cherished guest of an island family
• enjoy a traditional dugout canoe ride to Habukomi Island and back
• tour a beautiful off-the-beaten-track island
• gobble down a delicious local dinner enriched by crayfish, Lake Bunyonyi’s speciality 
• camp on the island — or return by motorboat by night

📍Musanze (Ruhengeri) /Rwanda/

Got an afternoon after gorilla tracking, or a free day? Don’t miss the offers in 📍Rubavu (Gisenyi).

Musanze on Foot (5 Active Hours Near Volcanoes NP)

• get to know the remarkable work of Gorilla Doctors
• visit Rwanda’s only chocolate factory and taste its sweet fruits
• chat with a tailor and a second-hand sock seller  
• dive into African hairstyles, wigs and other embellishments 
• appreciate high-quality fine art and top-notch creative solutions
• walk the beautiful compound of an amazing international school

Trans-African Braai Party (3 Tasty Hours Near Volcanoes NP)

• eat your fill from Musanze’s best kitchen, hands down
• help with cooking and food preparation (optional)
• delight in campfire storytelling
• make friends with a Rwandan-expat team
• take a recipe card home

📍Rubavu (Gisenyi) /Rwanda/

Kivu Beach Stroll (1 Day on the Congo Nile Trail)

• head for the most picturesque beach of Lake Kivu
• encounter fascinating remote villages and spectacular views
• walk through family coffee plantations
• experience Rwandan daily life like it exists nowhere else
• gaze at the international business of sand
• chat with a traditional healer

Roz Carr’s Gardens (4-Hour Road Trip From Musanze)

• hear Roz Carr’s life story on the drive to Mugongo, or talk through the details if you’ve read the book recently
• visit the museum covering the orphanage she founded and her previous pyrethrum business, built on a natural insecticide
• pay tribute to Roz at her grave, accompanied by her staff
• treat yourself to a tasty meal in her gorgeous creeper-clad house

Roz Carr’s Royal Circuit (1-Day Road Trip From Musanze)

• everything from Roz Carr’s Gardens
• laze by the fireplace with Roz’s photo albums and books in hand
• walk along the beautiful Gisenyi beach, past Roz’s emergency orphanage location and on to the border with DR Congo
• delight in a superb fish dinner
• optional: add a stop at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Kinigi