Kigali

The centre of political and commercial life, Kigali dominates Rwanda and few visit the country without passing through. The city is developing fast, and is very much a showpiece capital designed to impress visitors from the humble tourist to foreign investors and visiting dignitaries.
With a population topping 1 million, the city spreads over several hills and valleys, with many of the better restaurants and hotels away from the traditional downtown area. The Kigali City Masterplan outlines the future for this burgeoning metropolis – with plans for a new city to be built south of the current city centre.
As a clean, comfortable and ordered city, Kigali is very popular with long term expats, and the city is teeming with westerners, from young church or NGO volunteers having their first African ‘experience’ to career development workers enjoying a relaxed lifestyle where it is safe to bring up young children. This in turn means the city supports numerous restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets that cater to this demographic. The downside of Kigali’s popularity with foreigners is that it is easy to forget you are in Africa.

Learn a bit of French and maybe even a bit of Swahili and Kinyarwanda; all three are extremely useful here. English is also widely spoken, at least in Kigali. A useful Kinyarwanda vocabulary cheat sheet is available.

By plane

• Kigali International AirportKigali International is a small and organized airport, and it is rare to encounter any problems. Be aware that plastic bags are illegal in Rwanda for environmental reasons, so you should bring only reusable bags into the country.
  Flag carrier RwandAir has by far the largest selections of flights out of KGL including one to O R Tambo Airport, but other airlines also offer flights to their respective hubs, including KLM to Amsterdam Schiphol, Brussels Airlines to Brussels, Qatar Airlines to Doha Hamad International Airport and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul IST.

On flying out of Kigali airport keep in mind the need for a Yellow Fever Certificate at your destination (eg South Africa) - Airport officials will ask for this. Also be careful of waiting in the cafe for your flight - some flights (eg Kenya Airways to Nairobi) are often overbooked and you won't hear any announcement when they decide to start boarding early, and you could miss your flight.

During the 2010s there was talk of constructing a new airport a bit further out under the name Bugesera Airport. Construction started in August 2017, but as of late 2017 no concrete date for completion is known.

By car

By bus

Buses arrive and depart to many parts of Rwanda regularly.

• There are a couple of daily buses that run directly between Kigali and Kampala in Uganda with some services continuing to Nairobi. The buses are sometimes cramped and uncomfortable, but are the cheapest choice.
• There are a couple of daily buses that run directly between Kigali and Bujumbura in Burundi. Yahoo Car, New Yahoo, East African Car Express (big bus) and Belvedere have buses in the morning.

• Motorcyle taxis (motos) are the most popular and fastest way to get around town. The fare for the motorcycle ranges from FRw200-1000, depending on distance, but most of the motocyclists will ask for FRw200-500. A trip to or from the airport should be FRw1500-2000. On the main road out to the airport they really put their foot down. It is however a good well sealed road, nice views over Kigali City and a thrilling ride.
• Matatus/city buses (minibuses) provide major routes throughout the city and are the cheapest way to get around. The minibus in Rwanda is one of the best forms of transport in East Africa. Most of the buses are still new and are maintined well. There are several minibus companies which connect Kigali and the other cities in Rwanda. All of them give the same price depending on the distance. For short distance, such as to Ntarama, it costs only FRw600. The distance to Ruhungeri cost FRw2500 and to Gisenyi FRw3000.
• City buses in Kigali cost FRw240. Bus number 105 goes from the Bus station where you get off the bus from Uganda to the Kigali Youth hostel.
• There are several car rental agencies in Kigali.
• There are many taxis in Kigali, and in comparison with motos are expensive. A short 1km trip will cost FRw2,000 after haggling, going up to FRw10,000 for an airport run. Taxis are mainly of two types in Kigali - those operated by individuals (usually with some form of yellow stripe on the vehicle) and more professorially run services operated by a single large operator. The Kigali Airport Taxis and Kigali Taxi Service are the two major groups, there are others companies also running taxis , but these are the largest and both operate a number you can call to sumon a taxis. 3122 for Kigali Taxis service and 476586 for Kigali Airport Taxi service. A reliable individual is Alex, who is on 0788741559 (French & some English spoken).

• The Kigali Genocide Memorial Centreopened in April 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the genocides. Over 250,000 people are buried here, and there is a truly touching museum. Kigali houses several memorials, museums, and centers dedicated to the Rwandan Genocide. Audio guides and real guides are available. Cafe on site that makes excellent coffee, and supports local youth and businesses.

• Presidential Palace MuseumThe abode of the former President Habyarimana, who died in that infamous plane crash of 1994. Guided tours are mandatory, where you can get a glimpse of life as an African dictator in the 1970s & 80s. There is also a display on Rwandan clothing that is quite interesting. Photography is restricted. FRw6,000 (FRw5,000 for resident foreigners). To get there a moto should cost about FRw1,000, and tell him to go to Kanombe. You'll probably end up outside the military hospital at the end of the tarred road; the museum is another 300 metres along the dirt road (GPS coordinates 1.97543S, 30.17206E).

Take a trip to a craft centre, like the Dancing Pots Craft Centre or the Cards for Africa workshop and sales room in Kigali.

• Ballet Rwanda

  phone: +250 785 380 336
  Professional ballet school in Gaculiro - lessons for both children & adults, beginners & experienced dancers. Good mix of Rwandan and expatriate students.

• Gisozi circuitA great 10-km running circuit through Kigali's suburbs - flat, very little traffic and some great views over the rice paddies.

• Ten pin bowling

  phone: +250 788513438
  address: Kimihura
  Opened in 2012 and proving popular. Six lanes of ball-rolling fury complete with the TV screen keeping score, ball returners, shoe rental, and slidy, polished alleys. Adding a delightful twist to employment creation the pins are reset by hand rather than a machine. First game costs FRw3,000 per person and the second is FRw2,500 each.

Your best bet would be with an aid organization or NGO. If you are a resident of the US or EU, you can avoid paying for an expensive residency permit simply by declaring yourself a tourist upon arrival and then traveling outside of Rwanda once every 90 days for the length of your day. Your 90-day tourist visa (automatically granted upon entry) will be renewed each time you leave and reenter the country (and it's a convenient excuse to go on vacation!).

First thing to be aware is that Kigali can be expensive. As a cash strapped landlocked country costs of imported goods are high and import duties and VAT considerable. Foreigners often complain that wine, olive oil, breakfast cereals, kettle chips and other mundane foodstuffs cost a fortune, so beware. Costs can be lowered considerably by buying Rwandan or East African Community goods - Kenya in particular produces a wide range of produce that often cost half the imported European equivalent.
Outside of supermarkets and restaurants most vendors are used to a bit of haggling (even over fruit and veg) although as always keep things in perspective - but don't let storekeepers charge you double what you think you should be paying.
Cash machines/ATMs – most banks ATMs now accept Master Card, Visa card, American card, Diners Club, Union Pay, and JCB, including Equity Bank , Ecobank, Bank of Kigali, Kenya Commercial Bank, GT Bank, I&M Bank; Ecobank HQ is in the center of town next to CNLS and near UTC. There are many ATMs accepting international cards at the airport also. Don't count on any particular ATM to have money or be working at any particular time - even at the airport.
There are banks in Kigali with counter service for withdrawals (and Ecobank can do MasterCard withdrawals).
What to buy Rwandan coffee is generally very good (although stay away from the cheapest stuff, which will be the sweepings from the grinding factory floor). Expect to pay around FRw4,000 per 500g.
Rwandan honey is great, especially the Nyungwe Highlands type. Around FRw1,750 per 500g.
Rwandan tea (both black and green) is also pretty good.
Local markets are stocked with Rwandan handicrafts, clothing, fabulous colorful fabric from West Africa and just about anything else. The large market in Kimironko is a good place for fruit, veg, rice and other basic foodstuffs - and it can be good fun looking through the secondhand clothes section.

• Jet Home Rwanda

  phone: +250 782895455
  address: 3rd Floor, UTC building
  Pleasant westerner-themed art gallery.

• Union Trade Center Shopping mallThe biggest shopping mall at this time in Kigali. Home to 80 shops and a supermarket.

Supermarkets

• T-2000 Supermarket

• Simba SupermarketsThe anchor tenant at the new Kigali Heights mall. Also has branches in Gishushu, Kimironko, and Kicukiro.

By all standards Kigali is an excellent city in which to dine. A combination of Belgian culinary influence, plenty of cows, plenty of freshwater fish, and plenty of fresh vegetables equates to some of the best eating in the region. And it's all pretty affordable.
Kigali restaurants and bars go in and out of fashion, not to mention close down, quite frequently. Check for the latest once you are in town; some places mentioned in some print guidebooks no longer exist. (The oft-mentioned Turtle Cafe has been closed since 2003!)
The region restaurants take their time – with a usual 45 minutes to 1 hour wait between ordering and your food arriving, especially for dinner. If you are after a quick meal at lunchtime, there are several African buffets around, where you pile your plate high and are out the door in 30 minutes.
As Kigali is quite a sprawling city eateries are organised by suburb.

City Centre

• Babas Cafe at the Kigali Business Centre slightly out of town. Has great wholesome food. Eat as much as you like for US$3.

• La Classe

  address: Boulevard de la Revolution
  Sometimes excellent, sometimes not, La Classe is oft overlooked by Kigali's expats, but the fillet steak can be sublime. Also does a FRw3,500 lunchtime buffet

• Ki Asili Resto Bar and Fast Food

  phone: +250785023815
  address: Kn 55 st
  Rooftop resto bar serving Ethiopian/Eritrean food. Ideal for groups, birthdays, get-togethers. Check with customer care before planning, and book your date. Many times venue is booked in advance.
• Bourbon Cafe, Union Trade Center shopping plaza in the centreville and at the MTN Centre in Remera. In 2011 it is getting mixed reviews
• Kigali Serena's Milima & Sokoni restaurants have good food, with special themes during the week such as the Wednesday Mongolian BBQ, Friday's African Buffet and Sunday's Buffet at Sokoni, and special themed lunches everyday at Milima.
• Chez Robert is about 5 minutes walk from Mille Collines and serves local food in a nice setting. Their dinner buffet is quite good and costs about €7 for more than 20 items. There may be better local food in a hole-in-the wall restaurant for cheaper, but this is wonderful restaurant.
• Shanghai, near Milles Collines, is a relatively unknown Chinese restaurant. Not very cozy, but the food is really good.
• Heaven, three blocks downhill from the Mille Collines, is a new restaurant serving American and Continental cuisine. A bit pricy, with most entrees costing FRw4000 or above, but the well-prepared food (and fantastic dessert menu) are worth every franc.
• Ki Asili Resto Bar and Fast Food, located at the clean Down Town Taxi Park in Nyarugenge. It is a fusion restaurant serving African, European and local food, with specialty in Ethiopian/Eritrean food. Not very pricy, but the if you are new, you would not miss a dish that you can relate to.

Gacuriro

Kiyovu

• Republika Great restaurant, great environment.
• The New Cactus - Very good pizzas, popular among expats. Nevertheless the served pizzas can't be compared to Italian ones. Try to get a table in the sheltered part of the open air restaurant, it can be quite windy.
• Khana Khazana serves fantastic Indian food and is one of the best and most popular restaurants in town with expats, visitors, business travellers and Rwandan citizens.

Kacyiru

• Mimosa – A reliable lunchtime buffet for FRw2,500. Just down from Top Tower hotel.
• Shokola Great restaurant, great environment. In Kiyovu, close to downtown.

Kimihurura

• L'Atelier is tucked away in the residential district of Kimihurura, within walking distance of Papyrus. You may need help to find it but you'll be rewarded with serves delicious french cuisine in an intimate setting.
• Africa Bite – pronounced locally as “Africa Bi-te”. Popular lunchtime African buffet, with excellent rotis, for FRw3,000.
• Thai restaurant at New Cadillac night club was well liked when it first opened. However it is getting mixed reviews after the departure of its Thai chef. This is quite common in Kigali.

• Mama Africa

  phone: +250 2511622
  Despite the terrible name, this place serves up some excellent food in its thatched surrounds. The beef carpaccio is some of the best in the city, the steaks reliable, and the brochettes as good as they come. The place can be a bit quiet, but worth checking out (avoid the buffet). Its owned by Eugene Cobra, longstanding Rwandan musician.

Kimironko

Nyarutarama

• SakaeRun by a Korean family, Sakae serves up both Japanese and Korean dishes in spacious and pleasant surroundings. A little pricey, but many prefer Sakae to nearby Zen.

• Zen

  phone: +250 782 588 593
  With the dining area nestled under a huge thatched hut, with trickling water and subtle lighting, there are few places in town that can compete atmosphere-wise. The food is usually pretty good, however you can feel a little cheated by the portion sizes, and the extras added to your bill (rice, service, VAT). Accordingly Zen is popular with those with expense accounts.

Remera

• Sol e Luna

  phone: +250 7 888 59593
  address: Boulevard de l’Umuganda
  A firm favourite in Kigali - decent wood fired pizzas, expensive lunch time buffet, great views from the terrace - popular with locals and expats alike. Monday nights is quiz night, which is mystifyingly popular.

• Tangren Chinese Restaurant

  phone: +250 783 011583
  Set in lush gardens, this is one of the better Chinese places in town, in part as the owner and chef is Chinese. An added plus is that service only takes 15 minutes or so. One of the few restaurants with rabbit on the menu - and very tasty it is too.

Kibagabaga/Kinyinya

• Kinyinya Topview – (GPS co-ordinates -1.9173, 30.1121) pleasant local brochette bar near the Deutsche Welle radio masts. Somewhere different to go – great at night time when the masts are lit up like a red Christmas tree. Brochette and chips around FRw2,000

Other

• Le Glacon A great ice cream store.
• La Sierra Serves nearly everything imaginable
• Camellia tea house amazing selection of teas, good food. Lunch buffet is very popular

Bottled water is recommended for foreign visitors.

• For alcohol try the New Cadillac night club and the Republica. Both are superb. Watch out for pickpockets outside the New Cadillac.
• Don't miss Planet Club at the KBC roundabout in Kimihurura, it has 2 sides, a lounge bar with house music and a club with African and modern hip-hop music.

Accommodation in downtown Kigali is noticeably more expensive than neighboring capitals like Kampala and Nairobi. Most of the budget options (for example the Hotel Gloria mentioned in older LPs) are gone. Outside the city center however, it is possible to find good budget options.

Budget

• Auberge La Caverne

  address: Nyabugogo Blvd
  Clean rooms and good basic breakfast. It's a long, uphill walk from the bus station, consider paying 300 for a moto-taxi

• Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel

  phone: +250 782265679
  address: Kigali
  Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel offers clean beds in 4/6 bed dorms and private rooms as well as hot water bathrooms and free breakfast and free internet access,. It also has space for campers inside its 24-hour guarded gate. Discover Rwanda is an Aegis Trust social enterprise in which all proceeds go towards social programs offered by its parent organization at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The only backpacker hostel in Kigali.

• Hope Guesthouse

  address: Nyabugogo Blvd
  Good basic traveller hotel two minutes walk from the Nyabugogo bus station on a main road. There is a large pub next to the hotel with good food and the usual football TV in the evenings. Downstairs is a massage place. There are also some Visa-accepting ATMs next door. There are plenty of buses to the city center, or walk for about one hour up-hill. Next to the Hope Guesthouse are many other guesthouses with even cheaper clean rooms.

• Auberge de nyamirambo

  phone: +250 252572879
  Single room with outside bathroom. Double room with own bathroom.

• La Vedette Motel

  phone: +250 252573575
  Double room with outside bathroom. double room with own bathroom

• Logement Ikaze

  phone: +250 252573655
  Single/double rooms. Has 8 rooms.

• Kigali Guest House

  phone: +250 252571384
  address: Ave De La Justice
  Single/double rooms with or without own bathroom.

• Amani Best Guest House

  phone: +250 788759874, +250 783701543
  address: Remera Kigali
  Double room with bathroom

• Resident Hotel

  address: Kn 8 Street Nyabugoogo
  double room with own bathroom.

• Center St Paul

  phone: +250 783191589
  Clean single double rooms with own hot water bathroom. Nice garden.

Mid-range

• Gloria Hotel (which only has cold water showers).

• Hotel Chez Lando

  phone: +250 252 584394

• Hotel Isimbi

  phone: +250 572578
  address: Rue Kalisimbi, District Nyarugenge
  Also has a good bar and restaurant. US$30-40
• Iris Guesthouser US$75, clean, big rooms, hot water, very good restaurant and free Internet.
• Okapi Hotel Some rooms available for US$25 per night, good location and friendly staff. Some rooms have an excellent view over the outskirts of Kigali. Just forget the US$30 rooms. They are 'downstairs' and aren't worth it.
• Park View Courts Rwanda Enjoy a serene environment in this homely apart-hotel complex, with a view to die for and friendly staff. Prices range from US$150-300.
• Sphinx Belair Behind Telecom house and not far from Novotel Umubano. Standard room starting at US$60.
• Step Town Motel US$50, clean, very nice rooms, hot water, and free Internet.

Splurge

Kigali now has three international class hotels, built as part of the country's bid to increase tourism and better support business travellers.

• Hotel Laico Umubano

  address: Boulevard del Umuganda
  Still known by its former name Novotel by almost everyone. Ask for a swimming pool view room on a high floor for a beautiful sunrise to wake you from your slumber.

• Hotel des Mille Collines

  phone: +250 252 576530
  address: Avenue de l'Armée/Avenue de la République
  While the movie Hotel Rwanda was filmed in South Africa, this is where the actual events took place. The hotel has two restaurants, a pool, internet and a gift shop. The hotel underwent extensive renovation in 2010. Rates are slightly higher for pool view rooms. All rooms have safes but no hair dryer or coffee maker. Free access to Wi-Fi, but coverage is uneven. Wonderful breakfast buffet. Apart from the movie this hotel is also the setting for the novel Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali.

• Kigali Serena Hotel

  phone: +250 252 597100
  Formerly a Belgian-owned hotel known as the Diplomates and briefly portrayed in Hotel Rwanda. Renovated in 2003 and 2011. Free WiFi throughout, health club and spa. The lagoon pool and waterfall form a centerpiece to the hotel. While inside the hotel or the restaurants, you can truly be oblivious to the rest of the city outside - which may be a good or bad thing - depending on your mood.

English language broadcasts are available from BBC World Service in Kigali on 93.9MHz.

• Simba Cafe

  address: Place de la Constitucion
  Free Wifi at this starbucksy cafe attached to a supermarket by the same name.

Kigali is relatively safe and friendly as far as African capitals go. Keep your eyes open and your wallet out of the reach of pickpockets, especially in crowded areas. Avoid walking after dark if possible, especially alone. Take extra precaution in the area between New Cadilac Nightclub and Carwash bar.
Police officers are generally helpful if you're in a bind, but don't expect speedy results.

Embassies

• South Africa (High Commission)

  phone: +250 252 583 185
  address: 1370 Blvd de N Umuganda, Kacyiru-Sud

• Switzerland (Consulate General)

  phone: +250 252 57 55 34
  address: 38 Blvd de la Révolution

• United Kingdom

  phone: +250 252 556000
  address: Parcelle No 1131, Blvd de l'Umuganda, Kacyiru-Sud

• United States

  phone: +250 0252 596 400
  address: #2756 Ave de la Gendarmerie, Kacyiru

• Belgium

  phone: +250 252 57 55 51
  address: Rue de Nyarugenge, B.P. 81 – Kigali, Rwanda

• Parc National des Volcans, home of the mountain gorillas, and the setting for Gorillas in the Mist author Dian Fossey's research. If you can afford it it's an excellent experience... even possible as a daytrip from Kigali. Enquire at the Rwandan Office for Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN), Boulevard de la Révolution n° 1, Kigali, +250 576514 or 573396, . US$600 cash, or it is possible to use your Mastercard.