Rwanda, often dubbed the “Land of a Thousand Hills”, is recently the most marketed safari destination on the African continent. It is without doubt; the Rwanda-Arsenal partnership has taken the country’s image a long way. Even before you get to know anything about Rwanda, the “Visit Rwanda” promos often get you thinking why I should visit Rwanda!
There are many things to see and do in Rwanda with one of the fore most tourist icons being gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park. The Nyungwe forest canopy walk as well as the chimpanzee treks all spice up the touristic visits to Rwanda. But before you even draft your Rwanda safari itinerary here are the things you need to know about Rwanda in order to avoid all the possible inconveniences.
Do not Bring Old USD Bills
Similar to many other African safari destinations; USD bills dates below 2009 are not allowed in most of the places in Rwanda. Therefore before you travel to Rwanda, only carry USD bills of 2009 edition and above.
Do Not Carry Small USD Bills Apart From For Purposes of Tipping
In Rwanda, all USD bills below $50 have a fairly low exchange rate compared to bills of $50 and $100. It is therefore recommended that you do not exchange any of your USD bills below $50. Keep them and only use them when you are tipping people.
Do Not Forget To Tip
Always tip drivers, waiters and the housing keeping staff. Their salaries are often low and the only way for them to even out is through tips. However you ought to remain respectful when tipping in Rwanda. Do not tip coins. It is also wise not to Tip in the Rwandan currency because you might give someone money that instead of working as a tip turns out to be an act of disrespect.
It is recommended to tip in USD. A minimum of $10 is often recommended for housing keeping as well as waiters. In the case of your driver of tour guide; it is recommended to at least carry a tip of $50 since they are likely to be with you for a number of days and you will only tip them at the end of your trip.
Do Not carry Plastic Bags to Rwanda
In Rwanda’s effort to conserve the environment; all polythene bags were banned in the country. Therefore you will be forced to leave all the plastic bags at the point of entry. This will likely be an inconvenience in case you had packed some of your important things in a plastic bag. It is therefore wise not to carry any plastic bag to Rwanda.
Do Not Expect To Go Gorilla Trekking Without Booking
Gorilla trekking is one of the must do activities in Rwanda. However it is not enough to have the money necessary to buy the gorilla trekking permit. You ought to book your gorilla trekking spot in advance or else you will be inconvenienced at the park offices.
The gorilla trekking permits can be booked directly from the Rwanda development board website. Alternatively, you can book through a tour operator or a safari lodge in Rwanda. Though it is possible to secure a gorilla trekking permit a week before your trekking date; it is important to note that during the peak months such as July and August; you might not be able to secure the permits even if it is two months prior to your trekking date.
It is therefore recommended that book your gorilla trekking permits at least three months in advance.
Do Not Book Flights Before Securing Gorilla Trekking Permits
It is common in Rwanda for gorilla trekking permits to sale out on some dates. In order to remain with the flexibility of changing to a date that has availability, it is recommended to only book flights after securing your gorilla trekking permit.
Do Not Ask People About Their Tribes: Hutu or Tutsi
The genocide history of Rwanda can easily trigger to ask people whether they are Tutsi or Hutu. This is a taboo in Rwanda because tribal sentiments related to the genocide are like wounds that are yet to heal. Asking for someone’s tribe is like an attempt to classify them into victims and tormentors.
It is always wise to stay away from tribal related discussion and simply stick to the present matters.
Do Not Mock the President of Rwanda
It is common to see cartoons on social media depicting different leaders around the world. In some countries, people also take a lot of time discussing the failures of a given government. This is not the case in Rwanda since the president carries a lot of respect. Talking about the Rwandan president jokingly can easily arouse offense.
It is therefore wise to stay away from all politically charged opinions. Stay humble, and avoid getting into heated discussions more so those that are purported by international media.
Do Not Expect To Pay All Things By Card
It is possible to do card payments more so at touristic hotels. However if you are going to take a motorcycle taxi or a simple meal in a restaurant, most of the things in Rwanda are paid by cash. It is therefore recommended that you change some of your foreign currency to Rwanda’s currency in order to be able to make cash purchases.
Do not Over Speed
One of the things that will make your Rwanda holiday a nightmare in case you opt to self-drive are the automatic traffic tickets. There are cameras stationed in different parts more so in Kigali that will give you automatic tickets whenever you do not observe the traffic signs. You can easily end your trip with fines of over $200 if you are not careful.
There are quite many other don’ts for Rwanda but these are some of the most important along with honorable mentions such as avoid littering, take the necessary vaccinations, journeys take longer because of the hills among several other important points to note.