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Connecting With Nature In Rwanda, Africa
The atmosphere was surcharged with excitement as we embarked at the Kigali International Airport. The sun was yet to rise as we quickly finished the immigration process and entered the city of Kigali, the capital of the tiny nation of Rwanda in East Africa. This was our first time in the African continent, and what we saw in Kigali blew all the myths of Africa out of the window. As we drove towards our hotel, the first rays of the sun illuminated a city that was beautiful, roads lined with trees, spick and span without a speck of trash. A city which was obviously maintained and administered as per international standards. We looked forward to an immersive experience of nature in Rwanda. Peering out of the window in this new land was like a dream. We were far away from home, the language was strange, the people looked different, everything was new to us. In this new place, suddenly we saw a board with a familiar logo, the logo of Airtel, and suddenly the miles that stood between Kigali and our home country seemed to melt away. We felt strangely connected to our own country and home.
Romancing Nature In Rwanda
We traveled around Rwanda during our week-long sojourn. The country is blessed with some of the best and varied landscapes in the world. At some places, we were reminded of the vast green meadows of Switzerland, while some places were reminiscent of the emerald tea gardens that you find in Darjeeling or the Nilgiris in India. Volcanoes, mountains, rain forests, lakes alternate in the country to enthrall visitors with their magic. Before we embarked into the interiors of the country to experience its wildlife and rain forests, the first thing our guide did, was to take our group to a shopping center to pick up local sim cards. We accompanied them and watched with interest, as we were already connected through our Airtel International Roaming. Hence we did not have to go through the hassles of the process of acquiring a SIM card in a foreign country.
We spent some unforgettable days in the enchanting country of Rwanda reveling in the magic of nature. We made some unforgettable memories that connected us deeply with nature in Rwanda.
Encounter With The Big Five In Akagera National Park
The thrill of Africa lies in its wildlife. We experienced that very special feeling that you get when you watch wild animals in the raw at the Akagera National Park. The park is home to the Big Five which consists of the Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Elephant, and Wild Buffalo. As we drove in our safari vehicle across the vast grasslands of the Akagera National Park and saw huge herds of wild buffaloes, cavorting Zebras, graceful Giraffes and much more, we felt as if we had entered a scene from one of our favorite National Geographic programs.
Rendezvous With The Mountain Gorilla In Volcanoes National Park
One of the unique experiences of Rwanda is coming face to face with the endangered Mountain Gorilla. This is a rare animal and also a symbol of an ecological and conservation triumph of the country. The Mountain Gorillas that inhabit the forests covering the volcanic Virunga mountains spread across Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There was a time not too far in the past when the numbers of the unique species of Mountain Gorillas had dwindled to less than 500. But sustained conservation efforts by the Government and other stakeholders slowly changed the situation. The population of the Mountain Gorillas is in the range of around 1,000 today.
Cutting through impregnable and thick forest. Forest rangers with AK47 by our side, we trekked deep into the jungle in search of these Mountain Gorillas. We were advised to be silent, switch off our mobiles as we approached the place where a Gorilla family had been spotted. As we looked at our phones we were surprised to see full connectivity to our Airtel network international roaming service. We smiled to ourselves as we switched off the phones.
In a matter of minutes, we stood bang in front of a Gorilla Family. The silverback as the head of a Gorilla family is known as, looked at us and let off a loud cry, thumping his chest with both hands. We froze in our tracks, we had seen this only in movies and television before. But this was happening right in front of our eyes, just a few feet away. That moment remains entrenched in our memory for posterity. After spending an hour watching the almost human-like behavior of the Gorilla family in the interiors of an Amazonian jungle we walked back to our own world, the complicated world of humans.
Walking A Dream in Nyungwe National Park
One of the surreal and dream-like experiences that we had in Rwanda was in the Nyungwe National Park. The Park is rich in biodiversity and teeming with many species of primates. These include Chimpanzees and Colobus Monkeys. Numerous exotic species of birds make the place a Birder’s paradise. One of the beautiful attractions in the Nyungwe National Park is the Canopy Walk. After walking down a steep and at times slippery path you reach a hanging suspension bridge.
The bridge stretches across the valley and offers magnificent views of the rainforest. From this vantage point, colorful birds, monkeys prancing about in the trees can be seen. As we hung on to the swaying bridge, suspended, 60 meters above a deep ravine and stretching for 200 meters, the thrill of adventure coursed through our being. And as if this experience was not enough, when we turned westwards, a visual treat awaited us.
The sun was setting amidst gently floating clouds. The sky had burst into myriad shades of red. One could see ochre, pink, orange, mingle with the blue of the skies and the white of the clouds. The sky looked like a canvas on which an artist had put his brush strokes after dipping the brush in multiple colors. The scene was sheer magic. And the best part was that the latest technology and advances in telecommunications enabled us to share the spectacular views almost in real time with our family back home in India.
Those moments on the swinging Canopy walk. The birds chirping incessantly and the wind gently caressing our faces is alive to this day in our memories.
Rwanda for us was indeed a trip of a lifetime. An opportunity to experience the pure form of nature at its best. A dream that we lived and a reality which now has become a living dream in our memories.
Which destination that you have visited has left indelible memories in your mind? Are you on international roaming when you are traveling? What is your experience with internet speed when traveling? Which do you feel is the best network whose mobile network you have used on your travels? Do let us know your thoughts through the comments section, we always await eagerly for your inputs.
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I live in Tanzania, which is neigbouring Rwanda and it has always been a dream of mine to visit, especially to see the mountain gorillas. It must have been an incredible experience to be so close to them and such good news to hear numbers are on the rise. I am not sure I would have been brave enough to walk across that suspension bridge though! Thanks for sharing your experience, it really has made me want to go even more!
Wow your trip to Rwanda seems like it was amazing! I would love to visit here someday. I also use my Airtel international roaming services to stay in touch with family, when I travel abroad.
It’s been a dream of mine to visit Rwanda and check out the national parks. I love your pictures and descriptions – it’s enough to satisfy my wanderlust as I sit at my desk, longing to be also connecting with nature. That suspension bridge looks amazing!
What a wonderful read! When travelling overseas, I usually switch to a local Sim with international calling or use Wifi for third-party based video and voice calls.
Rwanda has been on my wishlist for a while, so it’s wonderful to read of your wildlife experiences there. Your itinerary looks like a really good one to give a wide impression of the different habitats around the country, and the wildlife you can enjoy. The big one for me is seeing the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, what an incredible moment. I’m also awed by that bridge in Nyungwe but perhaps too scared to cross it myself!
Beautiful place guys. Nothing like an inspired jungle anywhere on earth to make you feel alive. Something to do with the green; life.
The gorillas are such magnificent creatures. I saw some in a neighboring country of Rwanda. It is our duty to protect them. You blog paints a vivid picture of Rwanda. The canopy walk at Nyungwe National Park is my kind of thing. The narrow suspension bridge must have been fun to walk on! I agree with you. The tea gardens of some African countries are so similar to the tea gardens of India.
I would so much like to have a week long experience in Rwanda. Interaction with nature teaches us how to be a responsible human, and that’s seem to be lost in modern cities. I would love to get back to nature soon. Seeing the mountain gorillas will be a lifetime experience, indeed.
Wow… It looks you had an amazing experience at Rwanda. After seeing your post I would also love to visit this place some day with my family.
I can only imagine how special your Rwanda trip was! I would love to see the Gorilla families in person. I bet the silverback beating his chest was both thrilling and fearful at the same time, but wow what an experience! I want to see the Big 5 badly. Also, interesting that parts of the land reminded you of Switzerland!! I wouldn’t have thought that!
We’ve been seriously considering a trip to Africa next summer. I’d love to bring the kids to experience a safari like the one in Akagera National Park. It would be such an incredible experience to actually see the big five in their natural habitat.
I still haven’t been to any of the African countries and I really need to make some plans.
Airtel in Rwanda?? That’s gonna make me too feel so very happy!
I totally love the way you’ve compared it to familiar places like Swiz or Nilgris! That gives a much better idea of a place unknown!
The suspension bridge looks surreal. So glad that you got to see Giraffes and Zebras in the wild. I haven’t seen one so far!
Africa is still part of our bucket list. It would be awesome to see wildlife. My boys are crazy about zebras and lions (after watching Madagascar) and since then, they have been dreaming to go to Madagascar or Africa. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us.
Your stories of Mountain Gorilla were really very intriguing. I have read a lot about Akagera National Park and wish to it. And so perfectly you said it the moment we see some familiar Indian brands, the distance between home and foreign land just melts away. It was all the more interesting to read the mention of Airtel because I quit my job as telecom engineer, I used to take care of network of Airtel in Africa.
It looks like you had a really good trip! My wife is from South Africa and has been trying to convince me to travel to Africa since we’ve been together! This article is pushing me towards buying some plane tickets!
I loved reading your article, especially how the narrative told a story. The photos are beautiful and really made me want to consider Rwanda as our next destination. Its so lush with wildlife!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
It really does sound like you had such a wonderful time in Rwanda. Seeing the Mountain Gorillas sounds like a once in a lifetime experience, esepcially when you heard them pounding their chest 🙂 I use Skyroam whever I travel internationally and it’s awesome. It keeps me connected with my personal wifi wherever I go.
It is a dream of mine to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. But now I also have to experience that bridge over the jungle in Nyungwe National Park … it sounds simply incredible.
Oh, how I’d absolutely LOVE to witness these gorgeous creatures in their natural habitat like this. It’s hard to imagine what other destination you’ll visit that could ever top this! ~ Sage Scott, the Everyday Wanderer
I’ve never considered going to Rwanda, but you certainly had an amazing experience! I can’t imagine what it would be like to see a wild mountain gorilla up close and personal! And Nygungwe looks so beautiful!! Guess I’ll need to add Rwanda to my list!
I really enjoyed reading this post as I don’t know much about Rawanda. Such a beautiful country and that canopy walk would be fun but also nerve-wracking! How cool you got to see mountain gorillas!! I would have been surprised to get aconnection too.
Rwanda certainly sounds like a bucket list adventure. I would love to see the gorillas but not a fan of other monkeys, though they are my husband’s favorites. The landscape appears to be amazing. I can see why you experience so many magical moments. 😉