Rwanda is a small yet richly diverse safari destination, in the heart of Africa, so this Rwanda travel advice shall help you understand the Country more. This landlocked country, dubbed “the land of a thousand hills” features rolling hills and mountains, dense jungles, montane rainforests, picturesque valleys, pristine lakeshores, rugged terrains, vibrant towns and cities.
Rwandan food is delicious and tempting, in addition to the warm and welcoming people, with diverse and breathtaking cultures. The climate of Rwanda is beautiful and relaxing, and the different safari destinations are safe and secure for the different and countless tourist activities.
For your time in Rwanda, you can try the once in a lifetime gorilla trekking tours, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, boat cruises, sport fishing, cultural experiences, historical tours, tea or coffee tours, island hopping, mountain climbing, guided bush or forest walks, bird watching and many others.
However, in preparation for your much anticipated Rwanda safari, you might want to brush up some important Rwanda travel advice in order to get the best out of your adventure. Therefore, we bring you important Rwanda health, safety, money/financial and political/community advise, before you go. These include the following:-
Visa requirements
Rwanda is a visa free travel destination for all Africans, becoming the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.
All travelers out of Africa are eligible for visa on arrival with a passport with a minimum of six months validity with at least one empty page.
Payment methods- Be prepared to pay by cash/credit card
The local currency for Rwanda is Francs and is widely used across the country, and foreign currency especially US Dollar is accepted in upmarket Hotels and Safari Lodges, upmarket restaurants and supermarkets. For the payment mode, expect to use cash at all times because it is more convenient than credit/debit card in Rwanda. The supermarkets, local restaurants, Art and craft centers and majority of the tourist sites in the country use cash or credit card as their means of payment, but the good news is that there are ATMS in most Towns/Cities.
Cover-up – part of Rwanda Travel Advice
When visiting rural areas and places of Worship (Mosques, Churches and Temples), visitors are advised to dress decently- clothes covering knees and chests. It is not a bad idea to wear your t-shirts and pants.
Seek for permission before taking photos of people or places
The sight of Rwandans dressed in their traditional attire or a local fruit market is a nice photo to capture but it will land you into big trouble if you capture without permission.
Purchase insurance when traveling to Rwanda
Another important Rwanda travel advice is purchasing medical and travel insurance before heading to the land of a thousand hills because you can never know when you will lose your luggage or get scratched while undertaking adventurous activities like mountain climbing, gorilla trekking, mountain cycling or water sports in Lake Kivu. Whether you don’t plan on undertaking such adrenaline activities, you can never tell when you get malaria, typhoid or cholera during your Rwanda safari hence you would want to be covered against such occurrences.
Eat like the locals – part of Rwanda Travel Advice
Feel free to savor on street food especially roasted maize, the famous brochettes or roasted plantain whenever possible. This country boasts of some of the most organic foods and it would be a missed opportunity not to taste of their local foods. Instead of looking for the International restaurants, feel free to check-out some of the local restaurants for traditional Rwandan foods.
Transportation around Rwanda
Rwanda boasts of a wide network of travelling options which include motorbike taxis when travelling short distances, helicopter, buses, minivans and Land Cruisers when travelling longer distances.
Avoid drinking tap water
While you might be used to drinking tap water back home, it is totally unsafe in Rwanda, not even for brushing teeth. This is the reason why most midrange and luxury Hotels/Safari Lodges in Rwanda provide bottled water for brushing teeth. Therefore, make sure that you carry a re-usable water bottle which you can always refill with the bottled water which we provide throughout Scenic Luxury Vacation safaris.
Safety while in Rwanda
While we already mentioned that Rwanda is generally safe for travelers, petty crimes are inevitable (like it is in the other Cities across the World) and for this reason, always lock valuables in Hotel safes and don’t expose them in public areas, only carry cash that you need, be cautious when travelling with public transport means, avoid walking alone at night, to mention but a few.
Electricity socket
Generally, Rwanda is for 220V AC electricity and power outlets are normally flat sockets as well as two prong round sockets. Travelers are advised to carry universal travel adaptors for charging all their electronic gadgets- cellphone, laptops and cameras.
Languages – part of Rwanda Travel Advice
Kinyarwanda is the locally and mainly used language in Rwanda while English and French are widely used in the tourism industry.
Tipping in Rwanda
Tipping isn’t mandatory in Rwanda but its courtesy to appreciate when someone goes out of their way to satisfy your needs and aspirations. While there is no standard tipping rate, we recommend anything between $5 and $10 per person per day for the Hotel/Lodge staff which is placed in their tipping box, $5-$10 per person per activity for the Ranger guides who provide extensive knowledge during gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and other activities. You can tip your safari driver anything from $5 to $10 per person per day. The waiters/waitresses in restaurants/eateries can be tipped at least 10% of your overall food bill.
What to pack when travelling to Rwanda
Rwanda has two seasons, dry and wet, but the Country is generally warm all year round. In whichever season, make sure that you have packed a warm sweater, rain jacket, hiking boots, safari hat, sunglasses, toiletries (sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, hand and body lotion, wet wipes and face towels among others).
Don’t miss the first aid kit, pair of shorts, swimsuit, camera, re-usable water bottle, travel sandals, safari pants, travel documents (passport, visa, e-ticket, travel itinerary and others), to mention but a few.