The land of a thousand hills

After a gravel adventure in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco making a deeper dive into Africa seemed like a good idea.  

Why Rwanda ?

@simonhupperetz who is originally from the Belgian Ardennes near Le Coffee Ride HQ works for the UCI in Kigali. His travel agency @komeza.rwanda was the perfect match for planning this gravel bikepacking trip. 

Rwanda is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its mountainous terrain and beautiful landscapes.

The country is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west

Rwanda is also known for its tragic history during the Rwandan Genocide that occurred in 1994. Since then, the country has made significant efforts to rebuild and heal, today Rwanda is known for its strong economic development and welcoming vibes for tourism, ranked in the top 10 safest countries for traveling.

Getting there

Traveling to Kigali is made easy from Brussels. There are direct flights with Brussels Airlines and Rwanda Airlines.

Bicycle luggage are free when flying with Rwanda Airlines, the flight takes 8 hours with a 1 hour stop in Paris.

There is no time difference which makes the journey easy on that side.

Starting from Kigali

Starting from Tuganze, the new cycling & coffee hub in Kigali is perfect.

Accommodation, bike maintenance, coffee and more provides an ideal basecamp for a 5 day bikepacking trip.

Simon build a route which brought the journey north towards Musanze, on remote areas, amazing views, single tracks, volcanos and the twin lakes.

Part of his route took the same gravel roads as the Rwanda Epic

Coffee in Rwanda

Rwanda’s diverse geography offers high-altitude areas and fertile volcanic soil, contributing to the production of exceptional coffee. Regions such as the Western Province, Southern Province, and Northern Province are known for their coffee production

We found delicious coffee here

Tuganze in Kigali

Baso in Kigali

Crema Coffee in Musanze

Plan your own trip

Want to experience the best of Rwanda for yourself ? We recommend to get in contact with Simon and his crew of @komeza.rwanda they are based there and can help you