Discover the Land of a Thousand Hills

After a full day of keynote speeches, plenaries and breakouts, the seasoned global convention delegate has become used to fine dining in sight of the familiar landmarks of a world city.

Yet such “conference tourists” are broadening their horizons. Only in Rwanda can the delegate extend their trip to enjoy such life-defining experiences as the chance to lock eyes with a mountain gorilla in its rainforest habitat, or to go night-fishing on Africa’s highest lake, or to trail-walk between the basins of the mighty Nile and Congo rivers.

All these adventures can be discovered within easy distance of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, which is fast becoming one of the great destinations for international conferences.

Variously dubbed as “Africa’s Singapore” and “the Silicon Valley of Africa”, Rwanda, a nation of 13 million people, has emerged as a beacon of prosperity on the continent, with GDP growth of 8.2% last year and a reputation for stability that is a powerful magnet for international conference planners. But it is another of Rwanda’s sobriquets - “the land of a thousand hills” - which truly captures its allure for many business travelers. Its stunning biodiversity promises transformative moments that nowhere else on earth can offer.

Little wonder that Rwanda is winning market share in the valuable MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) sector. Last year it welcomed leaders of 50 nations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Rwanda is a champion of gender equality and hosted 6,000 international delegates for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference. The World Travel & Tourism Council will hold its global summit in Rwanda on 1-3 November.

Rwanda’s innovative approach to staging global events is demonstrated by it being chosen to host cycling’s Road World Championships in 2025, the first time an African nation has staged the race. It has become highly accessible to foreign visitors thanks to its network of international flight connections and a simple system for granting visas on arrival. Kigali is second only to Cape Town as the most popular destination in Africa for international conferences, according to rankings compiled by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

Many business and conference travelers are extending their trips beyond the timeframe of their work commitments in order to explore the culture and natural wonders of Rwanda.

Kigali is one of Africa’s most forward-thinking cities. Clean and green, it operates a public bike share scheme. The Swedish Norrsken Foundation has created a large start-up hub for 600 local entrepreneurs, while Kigali Innovation City, another tech hub, houses Carnegie Mellon University Africa. The city’s cultural life is thriving. Dieuveil Malonga, a German-trained chef from the Republic of Congo, runs the award-winning Meza Malonga restaurant offering an Afrofusion menu. “We have amazing diversity in the restaurant scene here in Kigali,” he says. “Many chefs are learning outside and then coming back to create this new food scene in Rwanda.” Meza Malonga sources much of its produce from its own farm in Musanze, in Rwanda’s northern province, where volcanic soil and plentiful rain make ideal conditions for growing vegetables.

Kigali sits in the center of Rwanda with good road links to the country’s four national parks. The most famous of these is the high-altitude Volcanoes National Park, named after its chain of dormant Virunga volcanoes and home to the endangered mountain gorilla. “Just be ready for the surprise of facing the mountain gorillas because being eye-to-eye with the baby gorillas, or the silverback, is unlike anything you can imagine,” says Prosper Uwingeli, the park’s chief warden.

Only eight visitors at a time are allowed to make this special trek. Rwanda is acutely aware of the fragility of its ecosystem and manages its tourism sector accordingly. “We have to think sustainably,” says Uwingeli. After 23 years at the park he has seen the impact of a tourism revenue-sharing strategy that gives 10% of income to local communities for schools, healthcare and electricity, thereby protecting the habitat of the gorillas. “When I started, people walked barefoot and we had poachers, fighting, tension,” he says. “Conservation and tourism have played a direct role in creating a new society of peaceful co-habitation, both as humans and with wildlife.”

Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is a mix of forest, woodlands, savannah, plains and a “labyrinth of lakes”, says guide Jean Paul Karinganire. “The biodiversity and habitats change as you drive throughout the park.” Akagera is home to the “big five” animals, including elephants and leopards, making Rwanda an unrivalled wildlife destination, he says. ‘The introduction at Akagera of lions, black rhinos and white rhinos meant it became a destination that visitors could combine with the gorillas and chimps in the other national parks.”

The Nyungwe National Park is situated in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests. It is home to more than 1,000 plant species, more than 300 types of bird and 75 species of mammal, including 13 primates. The range of activities available to tourists includes canopy walks, night walks, nature walks alongside giant waterfalls and trekking among colonies of chimpanzees and Colobus monkeys. “When tourists come here, they participate in conservation because the money they pay goes back to protect the forest,” says Jacques Habimama, a Nyungwe guide from Bandar, a village on the edge of the rainforest.

International visitors can enjoy being immersed in the rainforest while living in luxurious surroundings. The One&Only global luxury resort chain opened its Nyungwe House retreat in 2018. It operates a second resort, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, at Volcanoes National Park. “This is our little piece of heaven,” says One&Only Nyungwe House’s Resort Manager, Adielah Misbach, gazing on the kaleidoscopic rainforest panorama. “Look at the amazing colors you see, there are hundreds. You can't be stressed in this environment - it’s just not possible.”

Sited at an altitude of 1,900 meters, One&Only Nyungwe House was built in collaboration with local people and helps to support a working tea plantation that, in turn, serves as a protective buffer around the forest. Guests can learn the secrets of tea production. “When you see the ladies coming through, tea picking, they're from the local community,” says Adielah Misbach. “This is how they make their livelihood and it's a really authentic experience for guests, because they get to interact with the community.”

Nyungwe National Park offers easy access to the delights of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great lakes and, at nearly 1,500 meters, the continent’s highest. Here, visitors can indulge themselves in a huge range of activities including boat trips, kayaking, night-fishing or simply enjoying the orange sunsets while gazing across to the villages of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the opposite bank. The clean water is fine for swimming and supports a population of otters.

“We take care of nature and nature takes care of us,” says Lake Kivu guide Pacifiique Girinshuti.