Get an insider’s introduction to Musanze, a booming African town whose appearance is like nothing you might have assumed … Overlooked by a string of volcanoes you will get it all: from a fascinating rural shopping mall to awesome gorilla defenders.
Highlights
- get to know the remarkable work of Gorilla Doctors
- visit Rwanda’s only chocolate factory
- chat with a tailor and a second-hand sock seller
- dive into African hairstyles, wigs and other embellishments
- appreciate high quality fine art and topnotch creative solutions
- walk the beautiful compound of an amazing international school
Facts
duration: 5 hours; difficulty: easy
area: central and western Musanze
departures: daily at 8am and 1pm
price per person:
8+ people: USD 25
6–7 people: USD 35
4–5 people: USD 40
2–3 people: USD 50
1 person: USD 90
included: guiding, a cup of coffee, all entries, tips, contributions and fees
You are reading one of our growing number of day experiences in Rwanda and Uganda. Click for an overview of these experiences or check out our multi-day treks.
Itinerary
A shopping mall as a start of a tour? It might sound boring but this is not your typical buying spree … GOICO Plaza is the microcosm of Musanze, a world by itself. Your guide will arrange a date with a young tailor, a chat with a seller of second-hand socks (!) and a chance to get great views of the surrounding area, but that’s just scratching the surface. You might get lost in GOICO’s wonders for hours … Like, do you know the purpose of big decorated metallic boxes and what they are made of? And do you have enough warm clothes for this cool area?
Across the street works a welcoming hairdresser who might blow your mind. Are you aware of the fact that very few female hairstyles you have noticed around are made of natural hair?
GOICO doesn’t include fresh food items but don’t worry, we have it all covered! You are already moving towards the town’s modern vegetable market — if you haven’t experienced the whole collection of fruits and vegetables available in the Gorilla Highlands region, this is the place and the moment!
As you stroll past the main hospital, you will hear about Rwanda’s interesting health insurance scheme. People’s contributions are based on their economic prowess, estimated by local leaders (who are sometimes tempted to inflate their area’s progress).
After the excellent Inshuti Arts Centre, you will take a sharp turn towards the Gorilla Doctors office. Mind you, we won’t disturb the doctors for long, as they are literally saving (hairy) lives!
The following stop is the unique chocolate production team that also makes all kinds of packaging for local businesses. There will be some sweet tasting and you will certainly not leave empty-handed!
Walking through Musanze’s poshest quarters, Kizungu, you will then reach the Irebe Baskets Collection and a very special combination of a coffee shop and a school — both brought to Musanze by the same American family. The locally sourced Crema latte will round up your day.
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