Visiting “The Land of 1000 Hills” through literature: four books to inspire a Rwandan adventure

Introduction

At Matoke Tours Africa | DMC we're experts in organizing tours to Uganda and Rwanda.

While there are many ways to plan a trip - and we're here to help with that - books and novels by Rwandans and Rwanda-based writers offer another great way to inspire and inform your travels.

Whether you're a seasoned traveler with many trips to #Africa under your belt or just looking for a different kind of adventure, why not browse these books?

We’d love to hear what you think of our recommendations!

Recommendation #1. "Gorillas in the Mist" by Dian Fossey

This memoir details Fossey’s groundbreaking work in Rwanda, where she lived among and studied mountain gorillas, fiercely advocating for their conservation. The book chronicles her deep bond with the gorillas and her relentless efforts to protect them from poaching and habitat destruction. In the 1980s, mountain gorilla numbers hit an all-time low, but Fossey helped mobilize efforts to reverse their decline. Visits by a National Geographic photographer and Sir David Attenborough were key milestones in reversing the great apes’ fortunes.? Tragically, Fossey’s passionate commitment resulted in her “paying the ultimate price.”

Matoke Tours tip: This book is highly recommended reading for anyone planning to track gorillas! If you’re passionate about gorillas, just let us know. In addition to the official tracking, Dian Fossey fans can sleep in the same hotels she did and even visit her grave, among other activities.

Recommendation #2. "Land of 1000 Hills" by Rosamond Halsey Carr?

Carr’s memoir is a testament to her life in Rwanda - a love affair with a country and its people that spanned half a century.

“In 1949, Rosamond Halsey Carr, a young fashion illustrator living in New York City, accompanied her dashing hunter-explorer husband to what was then the Belgian Congo. When the marriage fell apart, she decided to stay on in neighboring Rwanda as the manager of a flower plantation. Land of a Thousand Hills is Carr's memoir of her life in Rwanda - a love affair with a country and a people that spanned half a century. During those years, she experienced everything from stalking leopards to dealing with rampaging elephants, drought, the mysterious murder of her friend Dian Fossey, and near-bankruptcy. She chugged up the Congo River on a paddle-wheel steamboat, was serenaded by pygmies, and witnessed firsthand the collapse of colonialism.

In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, at the age of 82, Carr founded an orphanage called Imbabazi on her flower plantation in the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. Imbabazi means “a place where you will receive all the love and care a mother would give.”?

Matoke Tours tip: Why not visit the very location where much of Carr’s book is set? No longer an orphanage, as the children are now grown, Imbabazi is famed for its beautifully kept English gardens with views of the volcanoes of Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Nyiragongo. The gardens are open to visitors, a scenic spot for afternoon tea and colorful Intore traditional dancers!

Recommendation #3. "Running the Rift" by Naomi Benaron?

"Jean Patrick Nkuba, a gifted athlete, sprints over Rwanda’s thousand hills and dreams of becoming the country’s first Olympic athletics medal winner. But Jean Patrick is a Tutsi in a world that has become increasingly restrictive and violent for his people. As ethnic tensions mount, he holds fast to his dream that running might deliver him, and his people, from the brutality around them.”?

This story “explores a country’s unraveling, its tentative new beginning, and the love that binds its people together.”?

Matoke Tours tip: It’s impossible to visit Rwanda without learning about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The country’s subsequent transformation and rebuilding offer many lessons for us all. Stories like Benaron’s illustrate this history in a moving and relatable format.

Recommendation #4. "A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda"?by Josh Ruxin

“Newlyweds Josh and Alissa were at a party when they were given a challenge that shook them to the core: Do you think you can really make a difference? Especially in a place like Rwanda, where the scars of genocide linger and poverty is rampant?

While Josh worked hard bringing food and healthcare to the country’s rural villages, Alissa was determined to put their foodie expertise to work. The couple opened Heaven, a gourmet restaurant overlooking Kigali, which became an instant success. While first a memoir of love, adventure, and family, A Thousand Hills to Heaven also provides a remarkable view of how, through health, jobs, and economic growth, our foreign aid programs can be quickly remodeled to work toward ending poverty worldwide.”?

Matoke Tours tip: Rwanda’s lush hills produce bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables. 'Fusion food' brings out the best of international and local resources, all on the menu at Heaven in #Kigali. Many visitors to Rwanda are curious about how expatriates contribute to local economies. This book offers great insights.

Conclusion?

What do you think of our recommendations? Let these stories inspire and inform a future tour with Matoke Tours in Rwanda.?

Happy reading!

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