Sleepy Byumba town

Gicumbi is not a ‘happening’ city. Is it that people work so hard that they have no time for recreation? The town doesn’t have a single night club or big bar.Byumba is the capital of Gicumbi District in the Northern Province. The town lies 60 kilometres north of Kigali. When you reach Rukomo, a busy trading centre along the Gatuna-Kigali highway which is about 45 minutes drive from Kigali, turn left to the cold hills. Byumba is characterised by steep slopes and mountainous topography. The plateau is surrounded by steep ravines with small valleys segmented by multiple swamps. It is a succession of steep hills giving rise to a multitude of watersheds all converging towards the Great Basin of the Nile. The road to Gicumbi is hilly with large terraces that look like colossal staircases going up to the sky and winding roads climbing the hills till you see the road you used far below. Some places have flat land with expanses of ranches extending to the hills far away with large shades moving over them as the clouds drift over the sun.The district is located in the highlands with a succession of steep hills, rugged mountains, sometimes separated by deep and narrow valleys and high altitude varying between 1800 m and 2500 m. For many Rwandans, Byumba has the reputation of being a very cold place and for most tourists, Byumba is warm and comfortable. Gicumbi Distict has urban zone and rural areas. The urban zone is Gicumbi town, consisting of infrastructure for commerce and other services such as schools, churches, modern markets, hospitals and a few lodges. On my visit I managed to locate only one big hotel, Hotel Urumuli. The rural zone (Imidugudu), is sparsely populated and scattered over the village. They also have small trading centres.On my visit I learnt one thing; Gicumbi is not a ‘happening’ city. Is it that people work so hard that they have no time for recreation? The town doesn’t have a single night club or big bar. It is dull and due to the cold, many people don heavy jackets and sweaters, giving the town a creepy vibe.Their one big hotel, Hotel Urumuri, is about 1km from Gicumbi town. Their rooms (self contained and equipped with a telephone, TV with DSTV) go for Rwf25,000 with breakfast. Guests can enjoy their own outdoor lounge, facing the garden courtyard. At this hotel, a whole grilled chicken goes for Rwf6000, which is the same price for the fish. A bottle of soda goes for Rwf500. If you are planning to visit this place don’t forget to carry a jacket or sweater. Travelling from Nyabugogo to Gicumbi town costs Rwf1000 by any travel agency. They have booking offices at the main taxi park.