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Kwita Izina- Rwanda’s Gorilla Naming Ceremony

Prepare to witness one of the most significant natural celebrations in history and meet Rwanda’s newborn baby gorillas.

Kwita Izina is based on a long-standing custom in which Rwandans name their children in front of friends and relatives. In what has grown into a worldwide celebration of nature, mountain gorillas were first given official names in Rwanda in 2005. We surely give these magnificent animals the value they merit by giving them names.

The ceremony is a chance to express gratitude to the local populations that surround Volcanoes National Park, our research collaborators, veterinarians, and the devoted conservationists, rangers, and trackers who look out for the gorillas. There have been 328 mountain gorillas named in the past 16 years. More than 350 mountain gorillas have been given names in the past fifteen years. Kwita Izina is now a part of an ambitious plan to protect Rwanda’s natural heritage and increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s development. Following the naming ceremony, Rwandans from all walks of life now recognize the intrinsic worth of gorillas and their relevance to the nation’s economy. Rwandans now guard the gorillas.

Since 2005, RDB has given more than Rwf 7.9 billion to more than 880 community-based projects. The impact of these projects has yielded in : the communities residing near the four national parks—Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Rwanda’s newest national park—Gishwati-Mukura National Park—have benefited from these projects by receiving access to clean drinking water, milk, health centers, classrooms, and housing.

The Cyarubare Industrial Workshop, a community initiative created and sponsored by the Rwanda Development Board as part of the program, will be unveiled by RDB this year in the Kayonza District.

This year’s Kwita Izina-Naming Ceremony will take place on the 2nd of September as announced by the Rwanda Development Board.

Travel Update July 2022

Covid-19 testing is no longer required for arriving passengers at Kigali International Airport. However, regular testing is encouraged.
All tourists visiting primates must present a negative PCR test. Those visiting other national parks are required to present a negative rapid test.
People are encouraged to wear masks indoors/closed spaces. In additions, the public is urged to get frequently tested while continuing to observe preventive measures including social distancing and hand hygiene.

Travel Updates June 2022

Arriving passengers at Kigali International Airport must present a negative Antigen test taken 72 hours prior to departure.
An additional Covid test is no longer required upon arrival at Kigali International Airport.
The Passenger Locator form is no longer a requirement before departure.
Wearing a face mask is no longer mandatory. However, people are encouraged to wear face masks indoors.
All visitors going to see primates in Volcanoes, Nyungwe, or Gishwati- Mukura National Parks must take an RT-PCR COVID-19 test. Tourists who have scheduled no more than two consecutive visits must produce a negative RT PCR COVID-19 test for the first visit only.
A Covid test is no longer a requirement to depart Rwanda by air. However, Covid testing(at own cost) is available for all travelers whose final destination requires one at health centers and other designated cites.

The Great Wildebeest Migration

What is The Great Wildebeest Migration?

The annual migration of massive herds of grazers across Northern Tanzania and Kenya, known as the Great Wildebeest Migration, is a truly stunning occurrence. Over two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles migrate in a predictable rhythm through the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems in search of lush pasture. This is without a doubt one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

How can one see the great Migration?

The Great Migration is visible all year in Tanzania; the animals travel in a round fashion around the Serengeti National Park, therefore it is a year-round event. The Great Wildebeest Migration rarely visits Kenya’s Masai Mara; the herds only go there as an extension of their grazing fields in Tanzania’s northernmost region if they are in need of fresh pastures. The migration is only visible in Kenya for a few months of the year, when the herds are on their way to the border, and even then, most of the herds are still meandering around the Serengeti’s northern regions.

Why do the Wildebeest migrate and why does the Great Migration happen?

The main goal of the wildebeest migration over the Serengeti and into the Masai Mara is to follow the rain. From December through March, they always start their calving cycle in Ndutu’s Southern Serengeti area and follow where the grass is greener… While we have a fair understanding of where the wildebeest should be at any particular time of year, where the rain falls is a big factor. The wildebeest are famously unreliable because, while they all migrate from the south to the north Serengeti and back, they frequently zigzag along the way, making it difficult to forecast where the large herds will be at any particular time.

When is the best time to visit for the Great Wildebeest Migration?
The wildebeest herds are always in Tanzania throughout the year. Some of the herds visit Kenya for a brief period each year. The wildebeest are always crossing the Mara River in Tanzania between Kogatende and the Lamai wedge between July and October (the land between the Mara River and the border to Kenya). The herds cross the Mara river from one side of the Masai Mara to the other on occasion (all in Kenya). As a result, Tanzania is the most likely place to view the famed river crossings.

Where to stay for The Great Migration:
The best way to experience the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra is to schedule a safari at one of the Serengeti’s iconic mobile camps. The mobile camps are put up at certain sites throughout the year, and they frequently move two or three times a year, depending on where the herds are at the time.
These are the two genuinely movable activities that will be found close to or among the herds at any time of the year as they move between more than two locations (which is the standard route of most of the other mobile camps).

On your Tanzania safari, the Serengeti features a number of permanent lodges that will provide you with all of the creature amenities you require as well as a good location to view the herds. Here’s a downloadable Itinerary to get a feel of what your trip would look like.

Download

Travel Update-Rwanda

Travel Update

Latest Entry and Departure Requirements for Rwanda

COVID-19 test is not required for children under the age of five who an adult accompanies. Arriving visitors eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination (those aged 12 and up) are recommended to get completely vaccinated before they travel.
A Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) will be performed upon arrival at its own cost.
Departing Passengers must present a negative Rapid or RT-PCR test (depending on requirements of arrival destination).
All visitors arriving in Rwanda must fill out a passenger locator form and upload a copy of their COVID-19 Rapid test certificate taken within 72 hours of their arrival. Please consult www.rbc.gov.rw for a passenger locator form.
Tourists visiting Rwanda’s national parks must now fill out a guest registration and indemnity form ahead of time and submit it to the park electronically.
Tourists visiting the country’s national parks, including children over the age of 5, will be needed to submit a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within 24 hours. All visitors going to see primates in Volcanoes, Nyungwe, or Gishwati- Mukura National Parks must take an RT-PCR COVID-19 test. Tourists who have scheduled no more than two consecutive visits must produce a negative RT PCR COVID-19 test for the first visit only.