Rwanda - Useful Information

General Info
The tiny country of Rwanda is a new addition to the East African safari circuit. Despite its tragic past, Rwanda is now opening its borders to international travelers wanting specifically to go on a gorilla trek. Gorilla trekking is expensive and limited. You need to book a permit well in advance and usually as part of a package. Gorilla Trekking involves a hard slog through wet, steep, unforgiving rainforest at high altitudes. It also means adhering to strict behavioural rules and maintaining a deep respect for the gorillas and their environment. It is known as 'The Land of a Thousand Hills' since mountains and volcanoes dominate the western, northern and central part of the country with lower and flatter land to the east. Area of Rwanda in square kilometres: 26,338 sq. km
Getting Around
Getting around this small African country is relatively easy: tourist destinations are never more than a day's drive from one another.
Roads
Minibus taxis are the main mode of public transport by road in Rwanda. You pay before climbing aboard rather than on reaching your destination. Compare your fare with what others are paying to make sure you're not overcharged. Buses are also available on some routes, running scheduled trips.
Rail
No rail services exist in Rwanda at the present time.
Health
Rwanda is a hot, tropical African country: it would be advisable to be up to date with your immunizations - tetanus and polio would be a good start. The elevated altitude may keep the temperature down but that doesn't mean the sun is any less strong: take precautions against sunburn. It would be wise to avoid tap water and do not use ice cubes or eat rare meat, raw seafood or dairy products. Avoid roadside stands and street vendor and only eat well cooked foods while they are still hot and fruits that can be peeled without contamination. Bilharzia is present in many of the lakes and rivers: avoid walking, washing or swimming in shallow, still water.
Malaria
It is crucial that you obtain malaria prophylactics before entering Rwanda. When purchasing these, please tell your doctor or pharmacist that you intend visiting Rwanda. Start your course at least 24 hours before entering the country and continue taking the pills for six weeks after your departure. If you suffer from side effects, try taking your malaria prophylactics at night, after dinner as this usually minimizes the effect of the symptoms. Even while taking prophylactics, you should still take precautionary measures to prevent contact with mosquitoes, like: sleeping under a bed-net or in a room/tent with mosquito-proofing (remember to keep the flaps zipped at all times); spraying your accommodation with insecticide; making use of a mosquito-repelling lotion or stick and wearing long-sleeve clothing, long trousers and socks when outside at night. Any person entering Rwanda from or via a yellow fever infected area must be in possession of a valid International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever.
Safety
Despite the horrors that have visited Rwanda in the past, it remains a safe country to visit and Kigali is one of Africa's safest big cities (though don't be totally naive). It would be advisable to do a little research on current events in Rwanda, bearing in mind its proximity to its troubled western neighbour, the DRC and current instability in its southern neighbour - Burundi. Rwandans are sensitive about photography: ask permission to take photos of people and their possessions and never take photos of military or government establishments.
When to Go
Rwanda is a year-round destination but the best time to visit depends on your priorities. The climate also varies geographically - eastern Rwanda is drier than northern and western Rwanda, and in winter in Kigali it's sometimes cold enough to require a warm top. The long rainy season takes place from mid-February till the beginning of June. All of Rwanda's unsurfaced roads turn into stripes of muddy slosh and hikers get drenched. The long dry season is from June to September. The ground is dry, the roads are in reasonable shape and mosquitoes are less numerous. This is the best time for hiking in Nyungwe Forest and for tracking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The months from November to March are best for birders as the local avifauna is augmented by migratory Palaearctic species.
Accommodation
Akagera Game Lodge - Located in Akagera National Park, Rwanda. Gorilla Nest Hotel - the lodge is one of the closest to the Parc National des Volcans, and is less than a 20-min drive to where the gorilla trekking begins. Hotel des Mille Colliness - located in a large exotic garden in downtown Kigali, Rwanda. A great base from which to discover some of Rwanda's tourist highlights. Hotel Umubano - situated in scenic botanical gardens and still within easy reach of Kigali's city centre, an ideal location for exploring the city and its surrounds. Volcanoes Virungas Lodge - Virungas Volcanoes Lodge is just outside the town of Ruhengeri and about 45 minutes' drive from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters, Rwanda. The lodge is the perfect base for a gorilla tracking safari.
Passports and Visas
Important Note: This is a guide only - please check with your nearest Rwandan Consulate for up to date information. A valid passport is needed for all international travel. Please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months after returning from your trip - this is an international requirement. It is also essential that you have sufficient blank pages in your passport for visas, entry stamps or temporary residence permits. We recommend allowing two blank pages per country that you are planning to visit. Some countries will require entry, re-entry or departure permits and/or visas, which are It is highly recommended that you contact the relevant issuing authorities in good time to double-check the entry requirements, and then arrange for all the necessary permits and visas you need. Other important documents you may need are: an international driver's license, inoculation certificates (e.g. yellow fever), airline, car, hotel, hotel vouchers Please check whether you need these before you leave.
Flights
Rwanda's international airport is located 10km from the capital Kigali and is named, naturally, Kigali International Airport.
Parks and Reserves
Rwanda's three parks are located in different regions and subsequently offer a different wildlife experience.
Akagera National Park
Located in northeast Rwanda and bordering Tanzania on the west is the Akagera National Park. In contrast to the rest of Rwanda, the area is mostly low-lying savanna, with gently rolling plains of woodland and grassland. To the west of the plains stands a fence of mountains (with no peak higher than 1,800m), while in the east a dozen lakes, linked through swamps and channels, create an intricate web of wetlands. The lakes in the park support one of the highest concentrations of hippo in Africa, alongside which many large crocodiles skulk about. A high concentration of large water birds can also be spotted along the lakes, sure to impress more than just the seasoned birders.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
South of Lake Kivu, in the mountainous southwest of Rwanda, is one of the oldest forests in Africa. The quintessential rainforest, Nyungwe is home to over 200 tree species and extremely rich in biodiversity. The area is regarded as the largest remaining extension of uninterrupted montane forest in Central and East Africa. Something to breathe in while nervously negotiating your car along the 50km's of steep slope, beyond which swollen-bellied hills with creased green skins roll about like hordes of happy, pregnant mothers. The parks main attraction is the 13 different primate species in attendance (around 25% of Africa's total). Of the 13, several are considered either vulnerable or endangered by the World Conservation Union.
Volcanoes National Park
Bordering Uganda, the DRC and Rwanda are the Virunga Volcanoes- a mountain range comprising of six extinct and three active volcanoes. The Volcanoes National Park is the Rwandan portion of this range and protects 300 mountain gorillas (half the world's existing population). The park is named after a rugged chain of steep volcanoes whose fertile links help hold together one of natures more exquisite and rare necklaces. It was in this area that conservationist Dian Fossey spent 20 years of her life studying gorillas, and it is largely thanks to her work that poaching was curtailed in time to save some of these creatures. The Park was made famous by the international blockbuster 'Gorillas in the Mist' (1988), filmed on location and chronicling her life's work.