Rwanda Gorilla trekking with coffee tour – Coffee tour experience in Rwanda – Gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda
Rwanda Gorilla trekking with coffee tour: Rwanda offers trekking and coffee tours that combine gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park with visits to coffee plantations near Lake Kivu, like those in Gakenke or Kinunu. These tours typically take you through the entire coffee process, from cultivation and harvesting to roasting and tasting, often including cultural stops and boat tours on Lake Kivu.
Gorilla trekking
- Volcanoes National Park: Trekking to see mountain gorillas is the main event, involving hiking through rainforests to observe the gorillas up close.
- Experience: The trek can be challenging, lasting from 30 minutes to 8 hours depending on the location of the gorilla group.
- Permits: A daily permit costing $1,500 per person is required for this activity.
Coffee tours
- Lake Kivu region: Tours often focus on the lush plantations around Lake Kivu, with specific stops like the Kinunu Washing Station.
- Crop-to-cup experience: You will learn about and participate in various stages of coffee production, including harvesting, processing, and tasting.
- Activities: Activities can include hand-picking ripe beans, visiting washing stations, and learning about local coffee cooperatives.
- Other locations: Tours may also visit other farms, such as the Huye Mountain Coffee Farm.
How to combine both experiences
Integrated tours: Many tour operators offer packages that combine both activities into a single trip, often lasting several days.
Arranging with a tour operator: Since washing stations and cooperatives do not organize tours themselves, it is essential to book through a tour operator to arrange visits and activities.
Adding other activities: You can combine coffee tours with other activities in the Lake Kivu region, such as boat tours or hikes along the Congo Nile Trail.
What to expect
Cultural immersion: Tours offer a chance to interact with local farmers and learn about the importance of coffee to the local culture and economy.
Souvenirs: At the end of your tour, you can often purchase handcrafted items or fresh coffee to take home.
Rwanda, in central-east Africa, is an ideal country to enjoy coffee tours. There are plenty of corporate-owned and privately owned coffee farms in Rwanda. Most of the coffee farms are smallholder farms. Coffee is a major contributor to Rwanda’s economy, with Bourbon coffee being the most cultivated variety, followed by Catuai and Caturra. These are largely grown on steep terrain, and over 20,000 to 22,000 metric tons are produced annually.
Coffee plantations to tour in Rwanda
Although Rwanda has a large number of smallholder coffee farmers, some farms are operated on a large scale by investors. The following are some of the key coffee farms you may wish to explore in the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills.’
- Kivubelt Coffee Farm
Kivubelt Coffee Farm is situated in the western province of Rwanda, specifically in the Kamajumba area, a peninsula on Lake Kivu. Kivubelt is privately owned and was started in 2011 to produce high-quality coffee while providing job opportunities for locals. The Kivubelt Coffee Farm has so far grown over 90,000 coffee shrubs. The farm has now acquired 2 coffee washing stations. Smallholder farmers also sell harvested and processed coffee to Kivubelt.
- Nova Coffee
Nova Coffee was started in 2015 and is situated in Rwanda’s Northern Province. This is a women-led organization that works with over 2,800 smallholder farmers to cultivate coffee on over 155 acres of land. With over 380,000 coffee shrubs grown, Nova Coffee collaborates with the local smallholder coffee farmers to cultivate and harvest them. You can explore some of the farms they collaborate with to gain deeper insight into coffee farming on your coffee tour.
- Sake Coffee Farm
Sake Coffee Farm is situated alongside Lake Sake in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. Sake Coffee Farm collaborates with at least 1,752 smallholder coffee farmers to manage 43,000 coffee shrubs. They cultivate coffee on steep slopes that also allow for efficient irrigation in case of a dry season. Besides growing coffee, Sake Farm has put in place methods for reusing water and supplying some for the local community.
There are still over 90 other registered coffee farms and companies in Rwanda. Some of them you may wish to explore include Coffee Villages Limited, Hillock Coffee Limited, Kabila Coffee Company, and Kivu Heritance Coffee Limited, among others.
What to do while on a Rwanda Coffee tour?
While on a Rwanda coffee tour, expect plenty of exciting things to see and do. While on a guided tour in the beautiful green plantations, you will be educated about the history of coffee in Rwanda. Coffee was introduced in Rwanda by the Germans in the early twentieth century. You will find farmers whom you may interact with if possible. You will enjoy watching how they cultivate coffee. Gain knowledge of how coffee farms are cleared before planting.
You will be given an opportunity to selectively pick ripe cherries right from the farm if it is harvesting season. Learn why picking green cherries may lead to losses when it comes to sales. They will demonstrate the various methods of pest control, management, and application of fertilizers. Participate in weeding or pruning following the guidance of experienced farmers. You will explore where and how coffee is stored to avoid damage/quality.
You will gain experience in the coffee value chain in Rwanda. How must the quality be maintained to attract high-end buyers and exporters? Learn more about value addition on harvested coffee. Coffee processing demonstrations involve the depulping of the coffee cherries to produce coffee beans. The coffee beans are then dried to produce parchment coffee. This is subsequently hulled to make green coffee. This coffee is suitable for exporting.
Learn about the challenges and threats the coffee farmers face in cultivating this precious cash crop. Some of the challenges include land fragmentation, increased use of inorganic fertilizers, soil erosion, and degradation etc. Threats include climate change, government policies, and many others. Then you will also get a cup of coffee, which is guaranteed to be the best you will ever have.
What makes Rwanda the best destination for coffee tours?
Rwanda has a variety of sites where coffee farms are found. Rwandan coffee thrives due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the tropical climate experienced in Rwanda is favorable for coffee farming. Temperatures are cool and relatively the same throughout the year. Rainfall is sufficient for coffee growing. Secondly, the fertile volcanic soils are ideal for coffee farming. Rwanda has many hilly areas, which are suitable for the establishment of coffee farms.