After breakfast you will depart for Butare the second largest city of Rwanda and is regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda. Along the way, make stops at places of interest including local markets, the traditional palace of Rwanda’s Former King in Nyanza. Drive past green fields of tea scattered
across the hillsides and the small wooden houses unique to the areas surrounding Nyungwe Forest. In Butare, visit the Botanical Gardens and a cultural museum. Butare hosts the National Museum, several academic (University) and research institutions. On your way to Butare you will visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka's palace of Buganda. You will visit the National Museum which is one the well set-up if not the finest ethnographic museum of East Africa. It's a good source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda and the region.
The National Museum in Butare was donated in 1989 by the Belgium government and gave back a part of the ethnographic collection acquired during the colonial period. The design and concept of the museum was realized in co-operation with the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren, Belgium. The modern building has different sections and displays a wide collection of monochrome pictures, traditional artefacts and objects, tools and different craft products. Ethnographic objects are grouped together according to theme giving excellent information on the daily life. Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the finest handicrafts of the region. The National Museum remained surprisingly untouched during the civil war of 1994.
Depart for Nyungwe Forest National Park.
[Approximate driving time: 5 hours]
O/N: Nyungwe Top View Hotel for Mid range,
OR: Nyungwe Forest Lodge for high level (B, L, D)
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Nyungwe Forest National Park