Rwanda Travel Podcast with Uwase Mutesi
A slow, grounded travel podcast hosted by Uwase Mutesi, who lives in Rwanda for two years rather than passing through. The show explores Kigali, Lake Kivu, and the western mountain ridges, returning to places across seasons to understand how farming and weather shift with altitude. It focuses on everyday life, local food, transport, and festivals from a resident's perspective, building familiarity through repeated visits.
Episodes
The Last Light in Nyamasheke
On my final full day in Nyamasheke, I walk the Congo-Nile Trail before heading north to Nyungwe. We talk about the new Mutovu River bridge, the recent storm damage, and the quiet rhythm of lakeside life as the short rains begin.
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Nyungwe Preparation and the Rhythm of Nyamasheke
Uwase spends day six in Nyamasheke, navigating morning rain and preparing for the Nyungwe trek. She visits Equity Bank for residency paperwork, enjoys coffee at Asaabe Café, and reflects on local costs and the inanga council while walking by Lake Kivu.
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Nyungwe Preparation and the Rhythm of Nyamasheke
Day five in Nyamasheke brings a shift from logistical settling to active preparation for the forest. Uwase navigates the final banking tasks, enjoys quiet coffee moments, and reflects on the cultural weight of the inanga council as she packs for the chimpanzee trek.
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Nyungwe Preparation and the Rhythm of Nyamasheke
Day four in Nyamasheke. I prepare for the chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park, navigating the local economy, the quiet beauty of the lake shore, and the practicalities of settling into the Western Province.
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Nyamasheke Mornings and the Lake's Quiet Edge
Uwase settles into her third day in Nyamasheke, navigating the morning drizzle to find clarity at Asaabe Café. She sorts out banking logistics at Equity Bank, reflects on the rhythms of Western Province living, and prepares for the trek into Nyungwe.
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Nyamasheke Mornings and the Lake's Quiet Edge
Uwase settles into Nyamasheke for day two, navigating the morning drizzle, securing local essentials, and reflecting on the rhythm of life along Lake Kivu’s southern shore as she prepares for Nyungwe.
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Nyamasheke Arrival and the Long Road South
Uwase moves from Karongi to Nyamasheke, navigating the lakeshore road as early rains begin. She settles into a new home, explores local costs, and looks ahead to Nyungwe National Park.
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Karongi Last Light and the Quiet Departure
On my final full day in Karongi, I walk the Congo-Nile Trail to Bisesero, visit the Museum of Environment, and share the practical realities of living here before heading south. This episode covers costs, memory, and the rhythm of a lakeside town.
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Karongi's Final Morning and the Weight of Memory
On my last full day in Karongi, I walk the Congo-Nile Trail one final time, visit the Bisesero Memorial to reflect on resistance, and share practical advice on visas and banking before heading south.
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Karongi: The Road, The Water, and The Quiet Work of Memory
Uwase explores the Congo-Nile Trail south of Karongi, visits the Bisesero Memorial, and reflects on the balance between historical memory and daily life in the Western Province.
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Karongi: The Road, The Water, and The Quiet Work of Memory
Uwase walks the dusty roads of Karongi towards the Bisesero Memorial, reflects on the weight of memory against the backdrop of Lake Kivu's calm waters, and shares practical tips for navigating the district's evolving infrastructure.
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Karongi: The Road, The Water, and The Quiet Work of Memory
Uwase explores the steep peninsulas of Kibuye, visits the Bisesero Memorial of Resistance, and reflects on the lake’s methane energy story while navigating Karongi’s quiet daily rhythms.
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Karongi: The Road, The Water, and The Quiet Work of Memory
Uwase explores the Kibuye peninsula, visiting the Bisesero Memorial and the Museum of Environment, before finding peace on the lake with a boat trip to Napoleon Island.
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Kayaking the Bay and the Bat Colony
Uwase takes to the water in Karongi’s Bay of Islands, paddling toward Napoleon Island’s fruit-bat colony and reflecting on the quiet power of Lake Kivu’s dry season waters.
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The Road South and Karongi's First Evening
Uwase leaves Rubavu behind and travels the Kivu Belt road to Karongi, settling into a new base on the lake. She walks the Bwishyura shore, eats sambaza at a roadside stall, and reflects on the long arc of the journey and the town's quiet, lakeside rhythm.
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The Last Border Morning in Rubavu
On her final morning in Rubavu, Uwase watches the Grande Barrière's first light, shares coffee with a returning returnee, and takes one last swim. A reflection on borders, homecoming, and the quiet patience of this lakeshore town before she heads south.
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The Last Swim and the Border's Long Goodbye
Uwase spends her final day in Rubavu with a long swim at Gisenyi Public Beach, a slow walk along the Congo Nile Trail's starting point, and a last look at the Grande Barrière. She reflects on the town's patient borderland character, the cost of daily life, and what it means to leave a place that has begun to feel like home.
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Beach Life and the Border's Quiet Pulse
Uwase spends a final relaxed day in Rubavu, swimming at Gisenyi Public Beach, walking the lakeside at dusk, and reflecting on the town's blend of leisure and border tension, with practical notes on costs, safety, and getting around.
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The Lake's Morning and the Border's Long Wait
On her sixth day in Rubavu, Uwase walks the shore at first light, watches the Grande Barrière open for the day's cross-border traffic, and reflects on the town's patience and rhythm. She visits a coffee shop, talks with a trader, and closes with a swim as the dry season winds down.
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The Border's Quiet Music and the Lake's Last Light
In Rubavu, Uwase visits the Nyamyumba hot springs, watches the evening border crossing at Petite Barrière, and reflects on the town's blend of leisure and geopolitical tension as the dry season winds down.
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The Border's Evening Light and the Lake's Last Swim
Uwase spends her fifth day in Rubavu walking the Gisenyi shore as the dry season winds down, watching the evening cross-border traffic at Petite Barrière, and taking a final swim in Lake Kivu before the heavier rains move in. A reflection on borders, water, and the town's particular rhythm.
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The Brewery and the Border's Morning Light
Uwase spends a day tracing Rubavu's industrial and social heart, from the Bralirwa Brewery to the Grande Barrière border crossing, and reflects on the town's daily rhythms, cross-border trade, and the simple pleasure of a lakeside beer as the dry season winds down.
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The Hot Springs and the Border's Evening Pulse
Uwase spends a slow Sunday in Rubavu: a morning swim at the Nyamyumba hot springs, a coffee stop above the lake, and an evening walk along the Gisenyi shore as the border crossings close and the town's night rhythm begins.
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Lakeside Arrival and the Border's Pulse
Uwase reaches Lake Kivu, settling into Rubavu after the drive from Burera. She walks the Gisenyi shore, tastes sambaza at a lakeside spot, and absorbs the town's cross-border energy with Goma before the October rains.
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The Last Light on Lake Burera
On her final day in Burera, Uwase walks the lakeshore at dawn, shares stories with a fisherman, and reflects on the quiet resilience of the district before heading to Lake Kivu. A slow, personal farewell to the twin lakes and the people who live by their rhythms.
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The Last Evening on Lake Burera
Uwase spends her final day in Burera with a slow lakeside walk, a visit to the Kidaho viewpoint, and a last dinner of sambaza and Primus at a local bar, reflecting on the district's quiet resilience and the road ahead to Lake Kivu.
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The Nets and the Night on Lake Burera
Uwase spends her fourth day in Burera walking the lake's edge at dusk, watching the night fishermen set their lamps and nets, and sharing a meal of sambaza and beer at a local bar. She reflects on the slow economies of the lake and the quiet that settles over the district after dark.
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The Night Fishermen of Lake Burera
Uwase spends a day walking the lakeshore, visiting the Rugezi wetland with its dry-season fires, and ends the evening watching fishermen on Lake Burera by lamplight. She reflects on the quiet resilience of the district and the small economies that sustain it.
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The Quiet Pulse of Burera's Lakes
Uwase spends a slow day in Burera, walking the lakeshore, visiting the Rugezi Wetland, and reflecting on the dry-season fires and the district's quiet resilience. She learns about the new Volcanoes Community Resilience Project, watches a football tournament in Butaro, and closes with a peaceful evening at Virunga Lodge.
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The Road to Burera: Twin Lakes and Dry Hills
Uwase makes the short hop from Ruhengeri to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, settling into a new base for a slower, off-the-map stretch. She takes in the dry-season landscapes, the lake's working life, and the quiet concerns of wildfire and quarantine that shape the district.
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Assumption Day, A Crater Lake, and the Last Light on the Virungas
On her final day in Ruhengeri, Uwase marks Assumption Day with a quiet visit to the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Fatima, takes a moto-taxi to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, and reflects on the town's working rhythms as she prepares to move south toward Lake Kivu.
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Potato Fields, Market Beef, and a Quiet Goodbye
On her last full day in Ruhengeri, Uwase walks out to the potato fields above town, watches the Kwita Izina staging ground take shape in Kinigi, and shares one final meal of beef brochettes at Byangabo Market. A slow goodbye to the north, with prices, people, and the long view of the volcanoes.
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Urugero rwa Nyirangarama: A Rest Day in Ruhengeri
Uwase takes a slower day in Ruhengeri after the Bisoke summit. Kinyarwanda lessons with a village elder named Eric under a eucalyptus grove, Iby'Iwacu's goat-roasting pit, and a storm that rolls over the Virungas.
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The Long Ascent to Bisoke's Crater
On the final stretch in Ruhengeri, Uwase hikes the Virunga foothills, contemplates the Kwita Izina build-up, and considers the cost of a volcano summit in more ways than one.
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The Golden Monkey Hour and the Coffee Foothills
Uwase tracks golden monkeys in the bamboo zone of Volcanoes National Park, then explores the coffee farms and washing stations in the foothills, reflecting on the build-up to Kwita Izina and the community around the park.
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The Bat Chamber and the Sound of Water
On day three in Ruhengeri, I descend into the Musanze Caves, a two-kilometre lava tube beneath the Virunga foothills. Later, a quiet afternoon ride to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo offers a different kind of stillness, and a reflection on the water that shapes this volcanic landscape.
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Gorilla Trekking at Volcanoes National Park
Uwase treks into Volcanoes National Park to spend an hour with the Sabyinyo gorilla family, learns about the Kwita Izina naming ceremony, and reflects on Dian Fossey's legacy while exploring the town of Ruhengeri.
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The Road North to Ruhengeri
Uwase leaves Kigali for Ruhengeri, tracing the highway north through the Land of a Thousand Hills. In the shadow of the Virungas, she settles into a town that runs on potatoes, volcanic soil, and the promise of gorillas, and she begins the practical work of finding a place to live.
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Umuganura Morning, Harvest, and a Farewell to Kigali
On Umuganura Day, Uwase visits Kimironko Market early, reflects on the harvest festival's meaning, has a final language lesson with Claude, and prepares to leave Kigali for the north, closing her first chapter in Rwanda.
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Umuganura Eve, a Full Moon and a Promise
On the eve of Umuganura, Uwase walks through a city preparing to celebrate the harvest, visits the Inema Arts Center, shares a meal with her tutor Claude, and finds a moment of quiet under the full moon.
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The Tutsi Genocide Memorial and a Language Lesson
On day five in Kigali, Uwase visits the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, a place of profound sorrow and resilience. She then meets her new Kinyarwanda tutor for a first formal lesson, and reflects on the city's quiet strength as it prepares for Umuganura.
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Milk, Rain, and the Way Back Home
Uwase settles into a rainy Kigali Tuesday — the half-day routine of the city during the trade fair, the quiet ritual of Umuganura preparations, and a slow afternoon at Inzora Rooftop Café with her Kinyarwanda tutor. She also wrestles with the question of a moto, and what it means to make a place home.
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Quiet Sunday, Kigali's Green Hills
Uwase spends a slow Sunday in Kigali, navigating the car-free streets, visiting the Nyandungu Eco-Park, and laying the groundwork for learning Kinyarwanda. She reflects on the city's rhythms, the cost of settling in, and the quiet work of making a home.
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Umuganda Morning and the Quiet Work of Settling In
Uwase Mutesi wakes to Rwanda's monthly community work day, joins her neighbours in sweeping Kigali's streets, and then spends the afternoon in Nyamirambo with the Women's Center, tasting brochettes and learning the city's oldest quarter. A quiet episode about becoming part of a place, one small task at a time.
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First Days in Kigali, The Land of a Thousand Hills
Uwase Mutesi lands in Kigali and begins the slow, practical work of making Rwanda home. From the airport arrival and SIM card to house-hunting and a first taste of the city's rhythm, this episode is a grounding in the details—costs, paperwork, and the quiet hum of a hillside capital.
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