Explore Gatsibo City in Rwanda

Explore Gatsibo City in Rwanda: Gatsibo is a district of Rwanda’s Eastern Province, and its headquarters is Kabarore. It is situated in the Gatsibo and Kageyo districts. It takes around 1 hour and 50 minutes to get there from Kigali.

The district encompasses lands in northern Rwanda, between Kayonza and Nyagatare. Both the German Gatsibo stations and the modern Gabiro military post were located here. The district’s eastern half is in Akagera National Park, and the district’s border with Tanzania is formed by the Kagera River.

This is one of seven districts that make up the Eastern Province. The 14 sectors are Gasange, Gatsibo, Gisozi, Kabarore, Kageyo, Kiramuruzi, Kiziguro, Muhura, Murambi, Ngarama, Nyagihanga, Remera, Rugarama, and Rwimbogo. It is further subdivided into 69 sectors and 603 “Imidugudu” villages. It has a total size of 15,853 km2. The district is bordered to the east by the Akagera National Park, to the north by the Nyagatare District, to the west by the Gicumbi District, and to the south by the Rwamagana and Kayonza Districts.

The entire population increased from 283,456 in 2002 to 433,997 in 2012, according to preliminary 2012 National Census statistics. Gatsibo District has a population density of 275 persons per square kilometer. Between 2002 and 2012, the population rose at a rate of 53.1 percent every year. Males make up 48% of the population, while females make up 52% of the population.

Why you should visit Gatsibo in Rwanda?

Pastoralism is one of Rwanda’s ancient civilizations that has perished in the face of modern development, although it may be traced by visiting the Gatsibo region in the country’s eastern province. Cattle are merely animals until you visit Gatsibo, where cattle are second in value only to people. This region is known for the last remnants of Rwanda’s old pastoral lifestyle, as well as flat landscape and lush greenery.

A tour to this area will expose you to the rural life of the countryside, which is gracefully and traditionally organized, thus offering a very unique experience on the culture of grazing in addition to introducing tourists to the rich history and value of cattle in this country. Gatsibo village in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, around 124 kilometers from Kigali.

A Rwanda safari expedition to this area, in particular, will introduce you to the Inyambo, the attractive calm cows that play a vital role in many traditional ceremonies and are raised by “Kigwa,” a descendent of Gihanga.

Cattle are very significant in Rwanda and other pastoralist communities because they are used to pay dowry and strengthen friendships and families. The beauty of the Inyambo Cow is displayed in Rwandan cultural dances, and a visit to this pastoralist site will allow tourists to see and participate in various cow traditions such as cattle grazing, making personal traditional raincoats out of grass, and milking cows traditionally with hands rather than machines.

Following milking, the staff will demonstrate the various calabashes used in milk preservation, as well as how to handle and drink milk from them. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you should add to your Rwanda safari vacation bucket list.

Do you understand how yoghurt is made? This site’s tour will take you through some of the procedures used to make traditional yoghurt from fresh milk. Not only that, but you will get the amazing experience of making ghee, which is often used in food preparation, and you will be able to try cuisine made with ghee if you are interested.

The tour to Gatsibo benefits tourists because they can learn about pastoral life firsthand, but it also benefits locals because it directly benefits over 30 pastoralists and their families, in addition to the entire community benefiting from the existing Tourism Community Development Fund.

Other Activities to do during your Rwanda Safari.

Track Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

Rwandan gorilla trekking has become the most popular tourist attraction in the country. Volcanoes National Park is part of the greater Virunga massif region, which also contains Virunga National Park in Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, all of which are well-known for gorilla trekking.

The technique of traveling the jungle in quest of massive mountain gorillas is known as gorilla trekking. When you come into touch with the gorillas, you will participate in a range of activities with them, such as photographing them and learning about their daily lives. You will leave the jungle after the gorilla walk and return to your accommodation.

Chimpanzee Trekking

The Nyungwe Forest National Park is where you may go chimp trekking. Going into the bush in search of chimps and other forest monkey species such as Black and White Colobus monkeys is part of the activity.

You engage with the chimps after locating them before returning. Combining this exercise with a visit to the Canopy walking bridge, a 50-meter-long swing bridge hung between gigantic trees, is advised. Before returning to your accommodation for the evening, you will be able to observe the beautiful rainforest from a bird’s eye perspective, watching wildlife moving about below you.

Game Drive Safaris in Akagera national park.

Visitors to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park may embark on wildlife drives in the morning and evening. Morning game drives begin at 6:30 a.m. daily, while evening game drives begin at 4:30 p.m. The park also offers night game drives, which are perfect for seeing nocturnal animals like as lions, hyenas, and leopards, among others.

Boat Cruise Tours in Akagera National Park.

Lake Ihema is the most popular spot in Akagera National Park for boat cruises. Boat rides are accessible at the park both on a regular and unplanned basis. Boat tours depart from the park at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m., respectively.

Hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, monitor lizards, and bird species like as the shoebill stork, papyrus Gonolek, African jacana, pied kingfisher, hadada ibis, squacco heron, and malachite kingfisher may all be seen on an Akagera boat tour. The boat tour lasts around an hour and a half, but you may also lease a private boat and cruise at your leisure.

Canopy Walk

Canopy walk is another intriguing thing to undertake while on a Rwanda wildlife tour or Rwanda wildlife safari; it takes place in the Butare district of South Rwanda at Nyungwe forest national park. Walking on suspended walkways above the canopy of Nyungwe Forest provides a full 360-degree breathtaking and picturesque perspective of the forest. When visiting the national park, a canopy walk is occasionally paired with other activities such as chimp trekking or a guided nature tour.

Finally, a visit to this cultural place would let visitors to learn about the great historical monuments left behind by former Kings like as Rwabugiri, Musinga I, Ruganzu, Mutara III, and Rudahigwa.