The Jewel(s) Of Africa

The Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition’s second section, from Kigali to Nairobi, is called ‘Jewel of Africa‘ but perhaps we left out an ‘s’ in that title. The ride takes cyclists through 3 of the continent’s most scenic and historic countries – Rwanda, Uganda & Kenya. Each one should be considered a ‘jewel’ on its own, allowing visitors to experience their unique sights, traditional cultures and national cuisines.

Here are a couple highlights from each of East Africa’s 3 jewels:

Rwanda

The Mountain Gorillas

The Tour d’Afrique makes a stop in Musanze, Rwanda for a couple rest days, giving the cyclists an opportunity to see Mountain Gorillas up close and personal. It is a unique experience – there are only around 1000 of them left in the wild and the country of Rwanda strictly limits the number of daily permits. While these are not inexpensive, it is important to remember that the proceeds go back into gorilla conservation programmes, hopefully increasing the number of Mountain Gorillas in the future while protecting their habitat from human activities.  In 2024, one of our field staff who was lucky enough to book a spot, wrote, “We heard voices, voices and grunting. We stood still. The tops of the trees moved, rather, they were moved and rounding a corner suddenly, a silverback gorilla stared at us.”

>>Related Post: The Mountain Gorillas Of Rwanda

The Kigali Genocide Memorial

Everyone should consider taking a visit to the hillside Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda. Opened in 2004, it includes a Visitor Centre which explains the tragic circumstances and historical context surrounding the horrific events of 1994. The Memorial area also provided a place for families to bury the remains of the genocide’s victims which were scattered across the country. A sobering and important educational experience.

Uganda

The Lakes Of Uganda

The route of the Tour d’Afrique includes stops at 3 of Uganda’s magical lakes. A rest day takes place on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi (‘place of many little birds’) which, as you may have guessed, is famous for the large number of migratory and water birds that can be seen here. A few days later the tour stops at Lake Nabugabo. Once part of the nearby Lake Victoria, the lake was slowly separated from the large body of water by sand dunes created by high winds. Finally, the cyclists will stay on the scenic Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, one of the African Great Lakes and the largest tropical lake in the world.

Ferries

A short river crossing in Uganda

In order to avoid the traffic into Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, the riders on the Tour d’Afrique are transported out to, and back from, the Ssese Islands on a scheduled ferry.  The archipelago consists of 84 islands and some local tribes still refer to it as the ‘Islands of the Gods’. Getting there and back can be an interesting experience. 2024 Cyclist Judith Gold commented, “Our first crossing was in a long (about 4 hours) ferry ride on Lake Victoria…the majority of riders were packed like sardines in the belly of the ferry. It was actually fun, as we got to intimately know our fellow Ugandan passengers including details of their daily lives while exchanging stories and showing photos of our loved ones.”

Kenya

Mt Kenya

Often overlooked in favour of its more popular twin, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya is a highlight for the riders of this section of the Tour d’Afrique. Slightly shorter than Kili (5199m vs 5895m), the majestic mountain is revered by 4 of Kenya’s  tribes – the Maasai, Kikuyu, Ameru, & Embu – and is surrounded by Mt. Kenya National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its incredible biodiversity.

Crossing The Equator

People, including cyclists, love to make lists, including bucket lists. Some of the most common items on those are travel related, including such things as crossing the equator. The original route of the Tour d’Afrique, when Sudan and Ethiopia were open, included a stop in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki, where the riders would take the obligatory ‘Crossing the Equator’ photo. With the current route through Rwanda and Uganda, the cyclists end up crossing the equator more than once! In fact, it appears that number may actually be at least 6 although it could be more! Better join the ride and find out for yourself.

>>Realated Post: Crossing The Equator – One Time Too Many?

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