Rwanda
A holiday in Rwanda could include the primates in the forests of Nyungwe; the country’s magnificent scenery; Akagera National Park’s more conventional African wildlife; and the beautiful shore of Lake Kivu. Travel in Rwanda is very easy and we’ll arrange a 4WD and driver/guide for your safari.
Safaris in Rwanda
Rwanda’s facilities and hotels are sometimes basic; service and food can be poor, as many staff are new to tourism. It’s not a place to drive yourself, but we have a team of capable driver/guides who can take you on a safari in your own 4WD, so you control the pace and the schedule each day.
To glimpse the heart of contemporary Africa, for some wonderful wildlife viewing and a thought-provoking holiday, a safari Rwanda can be fascinating.
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LAND – Rwanda is a small country with an area of 26,338 square kilometers (10,169 square miles). Comparatively, Rwanda is about the size of the state of Maryland. The capital city of Kigali is in the center of the country.
CLIMATE – Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than are typical for equatorial countries due to its high elevation. Kigali, in the center of the country, has a typical daily temperature range between 12 °C (54 °F) and 27 °C (81 °F), with little variation through the year.
TOPOGRAGHY – Rwanda lies on the great East African plateau, with the divide between the water systems of the Nile and Congo rivers passing in a north–south direction through the western part of the country. To the west of the divide, the land drops sharply to Lake Kivu in the Great Rift Valley; to the east, the land falls gradually across the central plateau—its grassy highlands are the core areas of settlement of Rwanda’s peoples—to the swamps and lakes on the country’s eastern border. Almost all of Rwanda is at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft.) above sea level; the central plateau is between 1,500 and 2,000 m (4,950–6,600 ft.) high. In the northwest on the border with the DROC are the volcanic Virung Mountains; the highest peak, Mt. Karisimbi (4,519 m/14,826 ft.), is snowcapped. Lake Kivu, 1,460 m (4,790 ft.) above sea level, drains into Lake Tanganyika through the sharply descending Ruzizi River. The Kagera River, which forms much of Rwanda’s eastern border, flows into Lake Victoria.
PEOPLE – According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population of Rwanda was 11,917,508 in 2016, compared to only 2,072,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 42.6%, 54.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.7% was 65 years or older . The current population of Rwanda is 12,483,444 as of June 2018, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
ECONOMY – Rwanda is a country of few natural resources, and the economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools. An estimated 90% of the working population farms, and agriculture comprised an estimated 42.0% of GDP. Crops grown in the country include coffee, tea, pyrethrum, bananas, beans, sorghum and potatoes. Mining industry is an important contributor, generating US$93 million in 2008. Minerals mined include cassiterite, wolframite, sapphires, gold, and coltan, which is used in the manufacture of electronic and communication devices such as mobile phones
LANGUAGE – Kinyarwanda is the national language of Rwanda, and the first language of almost the entire population of the country. It is one of the country’s official languages alongside French, English and Swahili. Rwandan Sign Language is used by the educated deaf population.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY – Electricity in Rwanda is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Rwanda with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter.
TIME – Rwanda Standard Time is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2)
CURRENCY – The Rwandan Franc is the currency of Rwanda. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Rwanda Franc exchange rate is the USD to RWF rate. The currency code for Francs is RWF.
BANKING HOURS – Banking hours from 8.00a.m. – 5.00p.m. Monday to Saturday.
COURIER & TRANSFERS – Money transfers can be made through MoneyGram, Western Union. For courier the DHL are offices are the city.
COMMUNICATIONS – Rwanda has an excellent cell phone network covering almost the entire country which is commonly used to communicate to emergency organs of security to rescue both the Rwandans and tourists in case any problem occurs on their trips. International phone calls can easily be made. Desired SIM cards for the network are readily available everywhere, even in remote towns, and cell phones can be purchased or rented from major shops in Kigali. Most towns have several Internet cafes and computer centers where international visitors easily communicate to their home people cheaply.
WORKING HOURS – Government working hours 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. – Monday to Friday with one hour lunch break. Private Sector working hours 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. – Monday to Friday with one hour lunch break. Most private sector organizations also work half days on Saturday.
PUBLIC HOLIDAY – The following are the public holidays in Rwanda:
• 1 January- New Year Day
• 1 February- Heroes’ Day
• 14 March- Good Friday
• 16 March -Easter Sunday
• 7 April -Genocide Memorial Day
• 1 May- Labor Day
• 1 July- Independence Day
• 4 July-Liberation Day
• 15 August -Assumption Day
• 25 December- Christmas Day
• 26 December- Boxing Day
HEALTH REQUIREMENT – To enter in Rwanda, a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for travelers (Residents/ Non-Residents) coming from Yellow Fever endemic countries and countries with active Yellow Fever transmission outbreaks.
CUSTOMS – All importers must use clearing agents to process goods through customs. Several private warehouses exist, and many businesses have their own warehouses. The cost of warehousing is based on handling charges and length of warehousing.
IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS – A Visa is needed by all visitors traveling into Rwanda excluding nationals of South Africa, the United States of America, Uganda, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Kingdom, Mauritius, Germany, Burundi, Sweden, Tanzania, Hong Kong as well as Kenya. Visitors from all countries have been eligible for visa on arrival. Citizens of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa countries that are not visa exempt receive visas valid for 90 days while other visitors are granted visas valid for 30 days.
KIGALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – The airport is located in the suburb of Kanombe, at the eastern edge of Kigali, approximately 5 kilometers (3.1 mi), by road, east of the central business district of the city of Kigali. There are three terminals at Kigali. The main two-storey terminal was built to replace the single-storey building, now housing the VIP terminal. The main terminal can handle 6 small-to-midsized aircraft, but also up to a Boeing 747 jet. The south side of the runway has two helicopter pads with access to the main runway. Such pads are used for military helicopters. A cargo terminal is also located at the airport. The latest upgrades to tarmac and support systems were made in 2002. There is free Wi-Fi in the airport waiting area.
SECURITY –The security at the Airport is tight, travelers must provide passport and tickets there is x-ray body scanners.