Ruhengeri Flights:
Flights to Ruhengeri
Ruhengeri also goes by the name of Musanze, and is a city in northern Rwanda. It is a short drive to the borders of either the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda. Travellers who come to Ruhengeri do so in order to see the natural sights around the city rather than for attractions within the city itself.
The Ruhengeri Airport (airport code: RHG) does not accept any international flights to Ruhengeri, but the larger Kigali International Airport (airport code: KGL) is only about 70km away for more options. There you can get a one-stop flight with Kenya Airways that connects in Nairobi, or with Ethiopian Airlines for a stop-over in Addis Ababa. South African Airways also has a flight to Ruhengeri that has one transfer in Entebbe.
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The Tourist Attractions of Ruhengeri:
Volcanoes National Park
The Volcanoes National Park is just a short drive to the west of Ruhengeri and it crosses the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo as the southern tip of Virunga National Park. The main draw of this park is the easy access you will have to the large gorilla populations. There are guided gorilla tours where you can hike near where their groups live and see these impressive animals up close without any fences. You can also explore the rest of this rainforest park on your own by taking one of the many other marked trails.
Gishwati Forest Reserve
The Gishwati Forest Reserve park is just to the south of the Volcanoes National Park, and it is another forested region though not quite as heavily treed as Volcanoes. Chimpanzees are found here, as well as several other species of smaller monkeys.
Lake Ruhondo
Actually, there are two lakes near Ruhengeri, and they are often referred to as twin lakes: Lake Ruhondo and Lake Burera. They are both a short distance to the east of town, and will provide beautiful scenery and several places to go walking along the lakeshores. Small boats can be rented for trips out onto the water, to several of the smaller islands within the lakes. Pack a lunch and enjoy a little peace and quiet.
Akagera National Park
Much larger than the others is Akagera National Park but you will have to head across Rwanda to the east to get there. Plan on a few hours by car at least, particularly because no main roads head straight to Akagera from Ruhengeri. This park borders Tanzania and includes regions of open grassland, mountains and some wetlands which makes it an impressive change in scenery from the two parks so far mentioned. Animals found in Akagera include lions, buffalo, elephants, hyenas and zebras.
When Should You Visit?:
The weather in Ruhengeri does not change a lot from one month to the next in terms of temperature but there are some periods with heavier rainfall than others. In terms of heat, it is usually very warm in Ruhengeri but the temperatures do not reach extremes. Most days will be around 23C (73F) and drop further in the evenings. For the driest weather, plan your trip from June until the end of August.