The Travel Basics
How to get there: There are no direct flights to Rwanda from the United States, but there are several ways to reach Kigali. The only European airline with a direct flight is Brussels Airlines. Several airlines (particularly Rwandair Express) operate regular service from Nairobi, Kenya, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Several tour companies organize regular trips to Rwanda. A prominent local tour company is Thousand Hills Expedition. Others, including Volcanoes Safaris and Africa Adventure Company, have offices in the United States. A full list of tour operators can be found here.
When to go: Rwanda might be on the equator, but its high altitude means a comfortable climate year-round. The rainiest season is from March to May, but the rains are not persistent enough to ruin your travel. It is warm enough to swim year-round in Lake Kivu, but evenings near the volcanoes can be chilly.
Preparations: First, get your gorilla permit, which will soon cost $500 per person. Visits are strictly limited (no more than 56 tourists per day) and the permits do sometimes sell out.
The easiest way to book a permit is to get it through a tour operator, but they can also be purchased through the national tourist office (telephone: (250) 576514 or 573396; E-mail: reservation@rwandatourism.com).
Vaccinations should be up to date, and most tourists will want to take malaria pills. All the details can be found here.
Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa, but the usual travel precautions apply. The banking system is still developing slowly, so be prepared to carry in plenty of cash. Many hotels offer safes.
Tourists should avoid tap water and stick to cooked food, but most restaurants are safe for foreigners. Bottled water and good local-brewed beer are plentiful.
Getting around: Rwanda is small (the size of Maryland) and compact. Even with all the hills, few destinations are more than two or three hours of driving. Tour companies will arrange ground transportation, or drivers can be found at all the major hotels in Kigali.
Where to stay: In Kigali, many visitors look to the www.millecollines.netHotel Mille Collines, in the center of town and memorialized in the movie Hotel Rwanda. The rooms are a bit dingy, but the pool and central location are hard to beat. The Kigali Serena Hotel is the nicest (and most expensive) hotel in town. Perhaps the best option, if you can get one of the 11 rooms, is the tiny le Garni de Centre. Other good options include the Gorillas Hotel or the Novotel.
A trip to see the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park starts with a 7 a.m. meeting at the guide station. Most visitors stay in or near the western town of Musanze (formerly known as Ruhengeri). The best option is the Mountain Gorilla's Nest (E-mail is mgorillanest@yahoo.com).
For some beach time, the Lake Kivu Serena Hotel in the western border town of Gisenyi is the most luxurious hotel in the country.
Rwanda is also trying to promote Nyungwe National Forest, which is one of the only high-altitude forests remaining in Africa and home to some 13 primate species. In the east, tourists can do a safari in Akagera National Park to see buffaloes, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and hippos. For more information, the most complete and up-to-date travel guide is Rwanda, the Bradt Travel Guide, Third Edition, by Philip Briggs and Janice Booth.
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