I found myself instantly loving Rwanda, especially the country’s capital city of Kigali. Driving from the airport I saw a very pretty and clean city. Kigali is home to over 740,000 Rwandans and is surrounded by green hills. When I was there I was told that Kigali is one of the cleanest & safest cities in Africa; I certainly always felt very safe and comfortable.

I was traveling with my friend Bianca and we were only spending a short time in Kigali. We were on our way to Uganda to visit Bwindi National Park & see the Mountain Gorillas. If you choose to travel straight to the jungle from the airport, you will be missing out on a safe and truly beautiful city. Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills and the city of Kigali offers a vibrant and positive feel. 24 years after the horrific genocide, Kigali has such an optimistic outlook and all tourists are warmly welcomed. The city also leads the way towards helping the environment, banning plastic bags before many other countries followed suit.

Originally the plan was to see the Gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, but in 2017 the government increased the permit prices to $1,500USD per day and Uganda stayed the same at $600USD. So when learning that Bwindi NP was only an extra couple of hours of driving, it only made sense for us to cross the border. 

Accommodation in Kigali:

We stayed one night at 2000 Hotel Downtown Kigali. The room only cost 67USD for the night but I did expect more from it. I think the photos on the booking site made it look fancier than what it actually was, the bathroom definitely needs some upkeep. But for one night it was fine. The bed was comfortable and we had great city views. I was happy with the location too, within walking distance to many restaurants. 

Nearly everyone we came across could speak fluent English so communicating was never a problem, although we did find ourselves a bit confused at times after receiving very vague directions.

Budget for a day in Kigali: 

The currency in Rwanda is Rwandan Franc (RWF) and 1USD is approximately 960RWF.

I didn’t find Rwanda expensive at all, to give you an idea, a few of our basic expenses in Kigali were: 

• Beer 1,000Franc 
• Main Meals start from 4,000Franc 
• Taxi (from our hotel to the Genocide Memorial return, approximately 3km) 5,000Franc 

Kigali Genocide Memorial:

The genocide memorial was the one place I really wanted to visit while in Kigali. To appreciate today’s Kigali, you need to understand about their devastating past. I knew a bit about the genocide before arriving but not to this degree! It’s so hard to comprehend that one of humanity’s great tragedies happened in my lifetime. The intense brutality that thousands of innocent people received is devastating. 

The memorial is a very beautiful and peaceful place and without a tour, you can enter for free (there is a donation box by the door though). Each room displays exhibits explaining the tribes’ histories and events that unfolded. Every room is as powerful as the next; I’d never been to a memorial before where I literally read every story and piece of information. As tears were running down my face I couldn’t believe that the world around Rwanda took a step back as this 100-day massacre took place. I appreciated the honesty of the memorial and all the survivors who donated photos and shared their stories.

As emotional as it was, I do think it’s somewhere you definitely need to visit while in Kigali to really understand Rwanda. 

The rest of the day we spent exploring and wandering the streets while taking photos.

Drive to the Ugandan border: 

The drive from Kigali to the Cyanika border crossing took approximately 2.5 hours, along a smooth tarred road. We left Kigali at 8 am on the Sunday morning and there was basically no traffic in the city. As we drove up and down hills it was clear to see why Rwanda has the name “land of a thousand hills”. It was a beautiful drive with so much to see. I felt at home too, with some sections of the road lined with Australian Eucalyptus trees. 

Once we got to the border it was a reasonably easy process and took about 25 minutes. The border is crossed by foot and there are three checkpoints you’ll need to stop at. We were the only white people there so we got plenty of stares but everyone was very friendly.

All up I wouldn’t say there’s heaps to do in Kigali but you could definitely fill a couple of days.

I loved my time in Rwanda, especially Kigali. It’s a gorgeous country filled with beautiful souls.

As I mentioned the main reason I was visiting this part of the world was to see the Mountain Gorillas. The experience I had in Uganda was ridiculously amazing and if you click here you can read all about it. 

For big trips like this one, it’s important not to forget anything when you’re at home packing. I’ve put together “The Ultimate To-Do List Before Any Holiday” if you’d like to receive a copy click here to join my mailing list!

Thanks for reading, 

Happy Travels.