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Rwanda Tours
A Rwanda adventure tour introduces visitors to a country prospering despite its tragic past. The Rwandan genocide saw 800,000 people killed in just 100 days. The assassination of the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana sparked this atrocity to humankind. Although distressing, a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is educational, as the centre is a powerful tribute to those who perished. Today, Rwanda is referred to as the ‘land of a thousand Hills’ and is known throughout Africa for its stunning scenery.
Rwanda adventure tours can take a trek deep into the rainforest of the Virunga Mountains, where skilled local guides will help visitors catch a glimpse of rare lowland mountain Gorillas. Here, you can witness the fascinating behaviour of our distant relatives and observe the day-to-day family life of the group. Each group typically contains one male silverback leader, one or two younger males, three or four sexually mature females and three to six juveniles and infants. There are around 700 gorillas left in the wild, and they are relatively evenly distributed across this region.
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Follow the link here to read about the work of Dian Fossey and the foundation set up in her memory.Â
Rwanda tours
Rwanda Travel Guide
Brief history
During the 15th century, there were two main ethnic groups in Rwanda – The Hutus and the Tutsis. The Tutsis from the north conquered the area and became the ruling power over the Hutus. In 1895, the country came under German rule but was not developed economically, and the existing Government continued to be used. Later, a protectorate was taken by Belgium before Rwanda became a United Nations Trust Territory after World War II. At this time, the Tutsis were still the strongest ethnic group, although there was much civil unrest and rumblings among the Hutus. In 1961, the Tutsi monarchy was abolished, and by 1st July 1962, when Independence was declared, the Hutus had become the stronger political power.
By the 1990s, the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) – a Tutsi dominated force, and the Interahamwe – the Hutu’s secretly trained army, were at continuous war with each other resulting in the appalling 1994 genocide in which an estimated one million people were murdered over a 3 month period. The majority of the killings were carried out by the Interahamwe and Hutu military but both Tutsi and Hutu civilians were killed. Since the genocide and war, peace and calm has returned to the country and lives are being rebuilt. There is now a ruling that parliament must be made up of at least one third women representatives as it is believed that women would never permit another genocide to happen.
Geography and weather
Rwanda is a small country located a few degrees south of the equator and has a generally tropical climate, with rolling hills to the east and rugged mountains and a chain of volcanoes to the north-west, where at times, snow and frost can occur.
It is also known as the lightning capital of the world due to intense daily thunderstorms during the rainy seasons (February – May and September – December), particularly in the west of the country.
Visit www.worldclimate.com to get an idea of what the weather will be like on your tour.
Visa
Obtaining any necessary visas varies depending on where you are travelling from. Please ensure you check the visa requirements for all the countries you will be visiting on tour. Click here for more information.
Money and Tipping
Please note: It can be very difficult to obtain US dollars in Africa, even in major cities like Cape Town. Many places will not accept any notes that are marked, torn or older than the year 2002, and you may have difficulty exchanging these notes elsewhere in Africa. Please check your cash carefully at the point of purchase.
The monetary unit in Rwanda is the Rwandan franc. For up-to-date exchange rates with your own currency, visit www.xe.com.
In general, Visa is the only credit card that will work everywhere in Africa. Master Card, AMEX and Cirrus will work in some countries but not in others.
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We recommend that you bring cash in US dollars only. When changing money, it is a good idea if at all possible, to get small denomination notes and coins in the local currency as often there is a lack of change when you are making purchases.
Please note that it is not possible to withdraw US dollars from ATMs in Africa, only local currency.
Tipping in restaurants is at your discretion, but you must check the menu for the other hidden taxes, as they are not normally included.
Security
Crime is not a great problem in Rwanda, but you still need to be aware and exercise caution as with anywhere in the world.
Don’t walk around lonely back streets on your own, don’t wear expensive-looking jewellery or a classy watch and don’t carry a wallet in your back pocket. Don’t carry your camera openly; always have it in a small day pack which is firmly attached to your body, preferably in the front in crowded places. Always wear a money belt or leave your valuables, including your passport, in the hotel security box.
Photography
I think caution should be taken when taking photos in and around the city. People should never be photographed without express permission. It is advisable to avoid taking photos of police, military personnel or buildings. The same goes for any government buildings, banks, post offices or the railway station.
Local food and drink
If you have booked a trek or hiking with a tour operator, you will need to check what meals and drinks are included. When staying in hotels or hostels, all meals are usually at your own expense. As a guideline, an expensive restaurant meal may cost around US$3-5.
Outside major towns, the food varies little from that found in Uganda. One difference, though, is the influence that the Belgians had on the culture while they were ruling the country. Today in Kigali, some of the bakeries have re-opened after the genocide and French bread and pastries are now becoming available again.
Vegetarian menus and options are more widely available across Rwanda than many people assume. If you are vegan, you may experience a lack of variety in the food available, especially in small towns. Your tour leaders can suggest the best places to eat.Â
The following is a guideline for drinks:Â
1.5 litre of water -US$.80
30cl bottle of soft drink -US$0.85
50cl bottle of beer -US$2.10
You should be wary of drinking the local tap water. Bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available and are generally safe to drink. Please, as always, be mindful of plastic waste. You might consider carrying water purification tablets – such as these.
There are various brands of beers found only in Rwanda including Primus and Muitzig.
Everything else
Voltage:220 volts. Sockets are either three-pin or rectangular.
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Time diference:GMT/UTC +2. For other time differences, please visit www.timeanddate.com
Tucan Travel’s long term commitment to responsible travel is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These offer the world’s best plan to end poverty, reduce inequalities and tackle climate change. Our Purpose sets out how we support our travellers to make informed decisions. We do this so that they are able to travel without causing harm, and be in a position to offer benefit to the people, cultures, animals and habitats they encounter. In this way, we can all contribute to the realisation of the development goals.
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