Rwanda has a rich culture with diverse fine crafts and strong traditions. There are good shopping opportunities to be had in local markets, craft shops and craft co-operations, in and around Kigali in particular, but throughout the country too.

Look out for Rwanda’s traditional Agaseke baskets which have become famous around the world as well as the Imigongo handcrafted paintings and the pottery projects.

Cultural Tourism initiatives are high on the agenda and being developed throughout the country, these promote community based tourism and afford you the opportunity to benefit a community of people while experiencing the culture and the country on self-drive with 4×4 car.

Some of these include, tea, coffee and sorghum (beer) production visits in the local communities, fishing and boating projects, tours with boating projects, tours with traditional herbalists and visits to local villages where one can learn to cook traditional meals. There is even a reconciliation village worth visiting where one can hear the testimonies of genocides survivors and collaborators.

The Intore dance or Ballet of Rwanda has grown in popularity and is an attraction for travelers. Splendidly adorned Intore dancers with spears in hand dance rhythmically from side to the sound of Ingoma drums in celebration. Be sure to visit the National Museum in Huye to see these dancers and Africa’s greatest ethological collection.

The international award winning  

Coffee:

Rwanda developed a strategy of targeting production of high quality coffee and is making premium coffee growing a national priority. It is now achieving international recognition as a producer of some of the world’s best coffee. Rwanda’s coffee is winning international competitions and commands some of the world’s highest prices. It is sought after by Starbucks, Green Mountain Coffee, Intelligentsia and Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia and counter Culture Coffee.

Blessed with Idyllic coffee growing conditions: the high altitude rich volcanic soil, sunny days and equatorial mist, the coffees are deliciously sweet, bright with clean citric characteristics, or plush and full of chocolate, malt and berry like flavors. Rwanda has fast become the source of some the finest coffees in East Africa.

Tea:

Rwanda produces one of the best quality teas in the world. The land is perfectly fertile to grow tea, especially along the Congo- Nile crest from the northwest to the southwest of the country. The altitude allows for the production of the finest quality tea. Due to the high elevated grounds where the tea grows its strength, bright colour, brisk flavor and consistency in manufacturing, Rwanda’s tea is renowned all over the world as a superior tea. These healthy growing conditions make Rwanda’s Tea a unique and consistent quality. Due to the high quality, much of the tea is exported.

There are a number of Tea Route and Coffee Route experiences in the North and Western provinces. These tours explore over several growing and production processes from the plantations, picking washing selection, drying and so on, up until drinking your own tea and coffee. These tours are community based projects and benefit the communities.

Agaseke (the peace basket)

In the Rwandan traditional, it is a sign of love and respect to give someone a ‘peace basket’. Peace baskets are used to store treasures like Jewellery and food stuffs such as grains and cereals. Girls normally take at least six peace baskets to the husband’s home when they are married, filled with treasures and food stuffs.

After the genocide in Rwanda, many women who were not well educated found it difficult to find jobs and they depended largely on their husband’s income. This fueled conflicts in their home until women started to make peace baskets which were sold through different associations and cooperatives, allowing them to earn a living while contributing to the welfare of their homes.

Statistics indicate that, a lot of men were at peace with their wives after they realized how much they were contributing to the family needs, thus creating peace in homes and families. A reconciling aspect of baskets is that the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa women sit side by side weave these ‘peace baskets’.