Lake Kivu
Swimming, boats out to the islands, and the fishermen rowing home at dusk.
Where a quarter of a million people are buried, and the country tells its own story.
The people of Rwanda embrace peace and reconciliation, and are committed to fighting the ideology of genocide. The memorials found throughout the country are moving testimonies in memory of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the people who lost their lives.
Inaugurated in 2004, the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims. It also serves to educate: its exhibitions trace how the Genocide against the Tutsi took shape, and set it alongside other genocides of the twentieth century.
The wall of names is dedicated to those who died, and is a work still in progress. Many of the victims' names have yet to be gathered and documented, and many of those who rest in the graves are unknown.
The memorial gardens are a place for quiet contemplation, and for reflecting on the personal responsibility each of us carries to prevent discrimination and mass atrocity. The centre also supports survivors, in particular orphans and widows.
The genocide touched every corner of Rwanda, and there are memorials throughout the country — some no more than a quiet garden, others holding relics, remains and exhibitions of their own.
Words and photographs on this page: Visit Rwanda · credits
Swimming, boats out to the islands, and the fishermen rowing home at dusk.
Gorilla and golden-monkey trekking in the Virungas. Permits go months ahead.
227 km of lakeshore track. Walk a morning of it or ride the lot in five days.
Rainforest, chimpanzees and a canopy walkway sixty metres above the valley.
Stay on the lake and drive out from here — most of this is a day trip from your room.