5 Things to do on a Rwandan Self Drive.

Many travellers have anxiety before visiting a new country and that is completely normal because you expect a lot of differences in culture, languages, food, environment among others. As you embark on your self drive in Rwanda, here are the 5 things to do on a Rwandan Self Drive.

The most scary part is getting around a new country. The beauty with Rwanda is that it is a small and very organized country. Getting around is easy, especially with self drive. You can rent a car from rental companies and enjoy your trip with comfort, ease and flexibility.

Important to note is that driving in Rwanda is on the right side of the road and there are speed cameras on the roads so you have to drive within the speed limit of 40kmph in urban centres and 60kmph on highways to avoid getting tickets. Also have a GPS device and Google maps to help you navigate.

Take a tour of Kigali City

Before you even embark on a safari trip, drive around Kigali. Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda and one of the cleanest cities in the world. It is home to the Genocide Memorial Centre which commemorates the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. It is estimated that about 800,000 people were killed in this tragic incident.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is the final resting place for over 250,000 Rwandans that were killed in the genocide. There are exhibits of human skulls and their belongings, photographs of survivors and Genocide perpetrators. It is run by AEGIS a UK non profit organisation committed to ensuring that genocides do not happen anywhere in the world. This Centre is located in Gisozi, just 10 minutes’ drive from Kigali City.

Other places to visit in Kigali include art galleries, city museums and the Nyamirambo Women’s centre.

Do some shopping

When self driving in Rwanda, endeavour to buy something to take back home as a souvenir for yourself, friends and family. Drive to Kimironko Market, the largest market in Kigali and enjoy a thrilling shopping experience. Here, you’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables that are ready to eat; there is a section for electronics, clothes and crafts.

One traveller on Trip Advisor once commented “Kimironko is the one stop for all your shopping needs” and that is true. However, it is not the only place to shop. You can visit local stores, road side stalls on highways, craft shops and supermarkets.

Gorilla Trekking

This is one of the most important activities to do while self driving in Rwanda. Rwanda is home to almost half of the world’s surviving mountain gorilla population and gorilla trekking is the most important tourist export in Rwanda. Drive to Volcanoes National Park which is approximately 110km from Kigali and a 2hours’ drive.

Once you get to the park, get a guide to lead you and answer all the questions that you might have. Apart from gorilla trekking other activities at Volcanoes National Park include hiking, bird watching and golden monkey tracking.

Try local Delicacies

Food is a major aspect of tourism and you have not visited a county if you haven’t eaten their food. You can not leave Rwanda without trying out delicacies like Akabenz(cooked Pork), Brochettes(Roasted meat with chips), ibirayi(Goat mixed with potatoes isombe made from mashed cassava leaves mixed with fish or meat and the giant fried fish.

Ask the Kigali self drive car rental service providers for recommendations on the restaurants where you can enjoy Rwandan food. There also beverages you can enjoy for instance milk from the local cows which is common among Rwandans. Also try out igikoma (porridge) fresh fruit juice and local beers.

Visit Cultural Sites

Just like any other African country, Rwanda has an exciting culture and you get to experience it by visiting cultural sites like Ibyi’wacu cultural Village. Different songs and dances are performed here and you are given a chance to participate in different activities like basket weaving, making of local ghee among others.

All these activities are authentic and unforgettable. Also by visiting the King’s Palace, you get to learn about the traditional leadership and way of life of the traditional Rwandans.

In order to have an unforgettable self drive holiday in Rwanda, follow all the traffic guidelines like mandatory wearing of seat belts, driving within speed limits having valid drivers licences and you should be 18 years and above. Contact us to know about these 5 Things to do on a Rwandan Self Drive.