Updates for Gitarama, Butare, Gikongoro, Nyungwe, Kibuye, Gisenyi, Ruhengeri

Gitarama

-Artificial lake and rice fields near Genocide Memorial invite for a walk

 

-Nice Cathedral

Butare

–Omuganda Day: Shops opened very late around 1 or 2 pm and not as we thought at 11 or 12 am

–National University Campus has  nice cafeteria (buffet for 1000 Rfr),and the main auditorium has Music and Football (Premier League) in the evenings (we saw it on Saturday and Sunday)

–Nice walk: start at the Genocide Memorial, go up to the “forest” and follow the road for a long time. At some point you pass a barrier, we kept going and suddenly saw a big group of Vervet Monkeys.



Gikongoro

–it took us a long time to find cheap accommodation, but it does exist. We stayed here: Ear Kigeme Diocese, UBUMWE CENTRE, Tel: +250 252 535 425,  7000 Rfr for a twin room with shared facilities, 5000 Rfr for one person, unmarried couples are not allowed to stay in one room

–Murambi Memorial: nice walk, a bit less than 1 hour from the city centre, follow the main road (direction Cyangugu) up the hill and turn right at a signpost (Murambi 2,5 km), go downhill and turn left at the roundabout, then turn right into a dirtroad, follow the road for a long time

–the Murambi Memorial Centre will open a museum in the end of May – it’s worth a visit



Nyungwe National Park

–Gisakura Guest House: double and twin-B&B for 30000 Rfr, Supper 5000

–There is another Guesthouse in the Village nearby on the mainroad (left hand side after a bend)

–Chimpanzee tracking in Cyamudongo Forest: disappointing, we hardly saw the chimps, make sure to leave in time (4.30 am), we left to late and it was the ranger’s fault



Kibuye

–Three guesthouses next to Banque Populaire in a parallel road of the road with petrol station and shops

–Peace Lodge in City Centre: 6000 Rfr for a double room

–Internet at Business Development Centre only 300 Rfr per hour, pass by hospital, walk another few hundred metres, white building on the left side, the only one around there

–We couldn’t find the market, we assume it’s not there anymore



Gysenyi

–Presbyterian Church Centre d’Accueil: now 8000-10000 for a double room

–If you want to go to Rubona, tell the Driver to drop you at “Brasserie”…we said “Rubona” and they dropped us far to early



Ruhengeri

–we couldn’t find Home d’Accueil de Virunga

–CINFOP Lodging: rooms are now 10000 for a double with shared facilities, not 5000 as they told us on the phone. We asked of he also has a room for 5000, so we stayed in a shabby, smelly room, with mouldy walls. Apart from that, the bathroom-door didn’t lock properly, I managed to look myself in and couldn’t get out anymore without help