Rwanda: Invitation to the Voyage
If it were any other country, even in Africa, the event would pass unnoticed. But in Rwanda, a country still scarred by the 1994 genocide, it takes on quite another dimension: a sign – however small – of recovery in a country that wants to live and prosper again. For the recent publication of the first French-language travel guide since the holocaust of the Great Lakes signals some sort of return to normality.
The cover of the Rwanda's guide published by Petit Futé
As the author of Le Petit Fûté Rwanda, Belgian journalist François Janne d’Othée, explains, the genocide had such an impact on the country’s image and on people’s perceptions that the immense beauty of this country was forgotten: the calm of the lakes, the perfume of the eucalyptus, the grace of the Intore dancers, the majesty of the volcanoes, the occasional contact with our ‘cousins’ the mountain gorillas, the exuberant flora.
True to the genre, Le Petit Fûté Rwanda lists some good addresses for the traveller and suggests itineraries to suit various types of tourists, whose preference may be for hiking, climbing a volcano, watching wildlife or perhaps just being captivated by the voice of the great singer and composer Cécile Kayirebwa. At the same time the guide doesn’t shy away from looking at those darker episodes of recent history. “A difficult country, which deserves better”, writes d’Othée, adding “You do not go to Rwanda on vacation like you go to Kenya or Guadeloupe.” He also recommends a visit to the genocide memorials as a must, simply as a matter of respect.
But as the guide explains, visiting this ‘land of a thousand hills’ is not only a trip for the toughened traveller, it is also for those who don’t mind paying for the privilege. In other words, it isn’t cheap, especially if your itinerary plans to take in several of the national parks. But on the upside, today’s Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa. Even culture buffs have their needs well met with opportunities to explore the many legends of the region, including those of the secret sects of the Nyabingi and Lyangombe.
This well detailed and practical guide sets the record straight about the Rwanda of the 21st century. A new country has emerged. Le Petit Fûté has found it for us.
