Tag: offbeat destinations

Insider’s View on Rwanda

By Muyindo 

What makes Rwanda a good travel destination?

Rwanda has a rich history and culture that makes it a good travel destination coupled with very good securing

Tell us something that every traveller should know when travelling to Rwanda?

Rwanda is an all year Rwanda destination, no time is better than the other.

Any essentials that one needs to carry when they travelling to Rwanda?

Rwanda is warm – sometimes hot but often cold in the hilly and mountainous areas. Layered clothing, a rain jacket, heavy sweater and boots are essential for higher altitude stays

Can you tell us a little about the life of the locals in Rwanda?

Everything in this country has changed. People own businesses, and the majority here are tea farmers. At least everyone has income. There’s peace, and neighbors now love each other.” the regeneration of the Rwandan economy and the normality that has returned to everyday life is nothing short of remarkable given how deep were the rifts inflicted on the social fabric here.

What are the local delicacies/drinks which one must try and wherein Rwanda?

• Brochettes-Meat on a stick!
• Fish being a landlocked country, Rwanda isn’t really stockpiled with fish but, being close to Lake Kivu and Lake Victoria, some fish finds its way here.
• Michopo
• Akabenz It’s a pork dish that you’ll find in a lot of local places around town but mostly in Remera
• Nyama Choma… is roasted meat in general or if it refers specifically to roasted goat meat.

Where can one get vegetarian food in Rwanda?

• Heaven Restaurant and boutique hotel
• Brochette restaurant
• Khana Khazana restaurant

Q What is a must try dish in Rwanda?
Ugali (or bugali) is a paste made from maize and water, to form a porridge-like consistency that is eaten throughout East Africa. Isombe is made from mashed cassava leaves and served with dried fish.

Q Can you please list the top 3 Indian restaurants in Rwanda
• Khana khazanA Resturant
• Zen Resturant
• Soko Resturant

Q Where should one go to get the best of the Nightlife in Rwanda?
• Black and White Club

Q Best clubs to visit in Rwanda?
• Black and White Club
• Club Next
• K club
• Legacy Lounge

Q What are things which one must buy when in Rwanda?
• Imigongo Paintings
• Clothes and Fabric
• Books
• Baskets
• Art

Q Which is the most romantic places to visit in Rwanda?
• Bisate lodge in Musanze

Q What are the local festivals which one must visit when in Rwanda?
• Kwita Izina (Gorilla Naming Ceremony)

Q The things guidebooks will not tell anyone about?
• Rwanda is the tiny heart of Africa

Q According to you what is the best thing about Rwanda is?
Rwanda is one of the Safest Countries in the World

Q How can one spend 3 days in Rwanda?
• Gorilla tracking
• Visit the genocide memorial
• Cultural visits

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An Insiders view on Amazon, Ecuador

By Charles Cumella 


Ecuador is an amazing place, full of natural and man-made wonders. Ecuador has some of the most unique landscapes in the world, including the Highland region (Sierra), the Coastal region (Costa), and the Galapagos. But there’s no way to forget the Amazon region (Amazonia), and its enormous amount of fauna and flora. There are a few national parks and protected areas in Ecuador’s Amazon region, including the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve, the Yasuni National Park, and the Limoncocha Biological Reserve. There are 2 species of animals discovered every day in the Ecuadorian Amazon, this demonstrates that Ecuador is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world!

What makes Amazon in Ecuador a good travel destination?  

The Amazon is an amazing travel destination because of all of the flora and fauna that can be found there, the passengers will be amazed of everything they can see; from 10-foot snakes to dolphins in the middle of a river.

Tell us something that every traveller should know when travelling to the Amazon?

Every  person that travels to the Ecuadorian Amazon should know that they are in for a huge surprise with everything they’ll see, and that they’ll have one of the most relaxing and impacting trips of their lives.

Any essentials that one needs to carry when they travelling to Amazon?

Insect repellent, sun block, sunglasses, light clothing and water resistant ponchos are all indispensable things to have with you in the Amazon. Also indispensable, is the desire to learn about the ecosystem and communities that call this place home.

Which are the most surreal places to visit when in Amazon?

The Cuyabeno is one of the most surreal places to visit in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It has the highest amount of flora and fauna in the Ecuadorian Amazon, having 12.000 species of plants, and 320 species of animals. It’s a wildlife lover’s dream!

Can you tell us a little about the life of the locals?

The local communities that call the Ecuadorian Amazon home are very diverse, some like the Siona community in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, are very used to visitors and even welcome tourists to partake in their daily lives. Others, like the Taromenani tribe located in the Yasuni National Park, do not welcome visitors and are very violent. The communities are very different and very comfortable living out of our “normal” society.

What are the local delicacies/drinks which one must try and where Amazon?                                

The Ecuadorian Amazon has many strange local delicacies, one of the most polarizing ones is the Chontacuro grubs, these are large insect larvae that live in trees, these are then grilled and served. The “chicha de jora” is a drink you will most likely find in the Amazon, it is a fermented corn flour drink that the locals drink like fruit juice, but once it is sufficiently fermented, it becomes an alcoholic beverage.
Yucca is a type of root vegetable used as a base in almost every local food and is grown everywhere in the area.

What are things which one must buy when in Amazon?

The best things to buy in the Amazon are souvenirs, supporting the local communities, such as things made with Tagua, a special seed used for manufacturing jewelry and others.

Which are the most romantic places to visit in Amazon?

Cuyabeno is the most romantic place in the Amazon, it has white and black water lakes which is an amazing place to enjoy a beautiful sunset with your loved one.

What are the local festivals which one must visit when in Amazon?

In Archidona, there is the festival of Chonta, which is a tradition in order to celebrate the region’s success over the invading Spanish forces. This is held during April.

The things guidebooks will not tell anyone about Amazon?

Sadly, there is a lot of oil exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. This is something that may not be in many guidebooks but it is also a necessary insight into local life in the area.

According to you what is the best thing about Amazon?

For me, the best thing in the Amazon is the huge amount of wildlife and the rest and relaxation you can have while there. It’s an unforgettable experience.

Check out our latest package on the Amazon.