Guides

Souvenirs: Buying Crafts in Rwanda

Are you in search for Rwanda crafts (Art)? Or wanting to learn about Rwanda culture?

There is only one centre for Rwanda crafts and culture in the land of a thousand hills; Rwanda.

This is non other than CAPLAKI CAPLAKI is acronym for COOPERATIVE DES ARTISTES PLASTICIEN DES KIGALI since 1995, the cooperative aims at promoting Rwandan culture that the Genocide almost extorted. Henceforth, CAPLAKI aims at recollecting Rwandan history, traditions, and experiences from darkness. Therefore if you are a visitor looking for souvenirs after your Rwanda safari, CAPLAKI is the answer to your problem.

The richness of Rwandan culture is apparent in the wide range of fine crafts such as pottery, basketry, painting, jewelry, woodcarving, and metalwork. Traditional crafts such as basketry, ceramics, and ironworks also provide another distinctive element of continuity with the past.
As part of its promotional packages, the cooperative develops art skills among Rwandan youth especially dropouts to becoming the best artists. While the youth strive to become best artists making different types of art pieces and postal cards, the cooperative in turn seeks for ready market; both national and international market.
This will improve the youth’s and CAPLAKI‘s economic welfare.

In it marketing efforts, the cooperative is to construct a permanent structure in NYABUGOGO for its art crafts and works . It also plans to establish branches in RWANDA and in the outside WORLD . The Cooperative also seeks make Rwandan culture known globally not for its pitiable background, but as a culture, that accommodates all human nature.
In the region and the world afar, Rwandan culture is compared to non ,for it has unique features such as the dances that are given pride in the country’s cultural repertoire , the hug the smile…………

Apart from being known for their epic songs and dynastic poetry, build Rwandans cherish oral traditions of proverbs, songs and chants.
Be part of Rwanda’s history in making and erecting future opulence; Build Rwanda, Live Rwandan and buy Rwandan, Share the Rwandan experience
Together we can make a Better future,

BACKGROUND
Cooperative started with 11 members but now has 58 members. Five (5) of its members make up committee Board.

Board of Directors
President and Founder
Mr. Munyaneza Innocent
Mob:+250 08568596

Vice President
Mr. Muhizi Gerald
Mob:+250 08568596

Office +250 504227

Secretary
Karangwa Epimaque
Mob:+250 03021742

When is the Best Time to Visit Rwanda Gorillas?

Mountain Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is one of the safari activities that is loved by many tourists when they visit this country because of the various types of groups of gorillas which was before in to wars thanks to the peace that was restored by the new government. In doing so, gorilla tracking has been one of the iconic activities since the Rwanda tourism board introduced a ceremony of naming newly born Gorillas called Kwita Izina and it is carried out mainly in Volcanoes National Park which is located in the north west of the country bordering Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. This activity has been mostly enjoyed and done by foreign tourists because of its prices that are cheap compared to the dollar rates. When you try to compare gorilla trekking in Rwanda and in the other countries like Uganda were it is done in bwindi impenetrable national park and DRC, you may wonder why Rwanda receives more than ever before.

Although countries like Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo do this activity as also as their main safari activity that brings in more income compared to other activities, Rwanda leads all of them in terms of number of tourists yearning for this activity. More so when you look at the permits that are given at US$750 that are higher than the rest of the countries (Uganda and DRC) because they do offer reliable good accommodation compared to other countries when it comes to offering good services to tourists.

To enjoy this activity in particular, there are number factors that are needed or considered when doing this activity one of them is climate and weather of the given national park. Mountain Gorilla tracking is mostly done in dry conditions which are favorable to both the tourists and the primates themselves.

To perform this activity in a wide scale, the dry periods of June to September, then from December, January and February are the best periods receiving good temperatures that favor gorilla tracking in volcanoes national park. it is for this reason that during this period, roads leading to the park in most cases are not muddy  which eases movements of cars driving tourists to the national park and also, with in the park most especially when there is a safari that is going on.

Furthermore, in this period, prices for gorilla tracking tend to be high than other periods because tourists tend to be many because of the favorable climate that does not stop them from trekking. When you look at these primates in this period, their movements is limited in other words, they tend hide since in that time, there is limited food that is already for eating meaning taking gorilla tracking as an activity may take long to finish as the activity may even start from morning until in the evening hours trekking for a specific gorilla family unlike in other periods which are wet.

When you look at another side of the coin, the wet periods of March, April and May tend to be wet making the movements of the tourists more difficult or limited causing a scare to the tourism industry in terms of revenue to the government. During this season, at the top most of highlands in volcanoes national park, temperatures tend to be cooler. And that is why gorilla tracking in this period takes a short period of time from 1 to 2 hours because these primates do not normally move a lot when food is not in plenty. It is for this reason that tourists end up doing a double trek than what they asked to do.