During your stay in Nyungwe National Park, you can visit several tea and coffee plantations in Rwanda. Did you know that the world’s favorite drinks have their roots right here in Rwanda? Tea and Coffee are some of the widely grown cash crops in Rwanda. Like other east African Countries, Rwanda is majorly an agricultural country. Tea and coffee are grown on both large scale and small scale. Small scale farmers also organise themselves, into groups, trough which the process and sell their tea and coffee products.
Rwanda Tea Plantations
Rwanda’s perfect soils and climates are responsible for creating Tea one of the world’s popular drinks. Tea Plantations can be seen covering the rolling hills of the Country, to create an excruciating contrast with the Blue skies, the clean dirt roads and sunshine. Trips to visit the tea plantations can be organized and they are appropriate for small, groups, families and also children. On the trips, you learn how tea is planted, maintained, harvested and processed to find its way on your table back home. Rwanda has a great number of tea plantations making Tea Rwanda’s largest export. Thus giving you a variety of plantation options to visist. However the ones that are commonly visited are closer to Nyungwe National park that is in Gisakura and Gisovu.
Gisovu Tea Plantation
Sitting right up against the edge of Nyungwe National park on the northern part are the iridescent fields of the meandering pathways of Gisovu Tea Estate. The Rows of the tea plantations draw a clear cut contrast with the wild forest greenery of the Nyungwe forest just behind the plantation. Visiting the estate is very possible and day tours are offered. Overnight stays are also possible because of availability of accommodation on
Gisakura Tea
Nestled on the rolling hills of the western borders of Nyungwe forest national park is Gisakura Tea estate. One of the most famous and beautiful tea estates in Rwanda. Tours and tea day trips can be organized. For those who would wish to stay closer to the estate, the estate has no accommodation, however there are guest houses, in just walkable distance to and some a drive away closer to the estate. Next to the plantation is a forested patch that is home to a troupe of Colobus monkeys and thus they keep wildlife lovers entered during their visit.
Rwanda’s Coffee Plantation Visits
Much as Rwanda’s number one export is Tea, the country’s lush and undulating hills in the country side are equally suited for coffee production. Rwanda’s coffee beans are on high demand around the world. Rwanda’s coffee plantations shine green all year round and cranberry red during harvest time, (i.e February and May the coffee cherries). Rwanda has a great number of coffee growers around all corners of the country. However, most coffee plantation tours and visits are organized in Gisenyi. Farmer groups and coffee stations in Gisenyi , offer tours taking you through the whole processing of coffee. Most noteworthy during this visit is the Coffee tasting at the end. Visits to the plantations are organized by either RDB or by Tour operators but not directly with the plantations. Below are some of the coffee stations that you can
Kinunu washing station coffee
Lying on the shores of Lake Kivu, along the western board of Rwanda with DR.Congo. Kinunu washing station is a unique place with Bourbon coffee trees that grow down the steep fertile hills to the shores of the Lake. Owned by SOCOR ltd and founded by Kubwimana family, this wash station has greatly helped managed and improve the quality of coffee processed by the country. A visit to the coffee wash station will take you through the whole process. This includes; cleaning, sorting and driving of coffee beans before it grinded into powder.
Ingoboko coffee
Located closer to the Kayoye town en-route to Gisenyi is the Ingoboko coffee station. The station, operates a number of plantations and washing stations. One of them, is the plantation on Nyamirundi Island that is also accessed by a paddle and Arabica coffee is grown on this island.
Planing to visit tea and coffee plantations, you can drive yourself to the site or opt to contact a tour operator to book the tours on your behalf.