Car Hire Rwanda Tips For First Time Visitors

Everyone that steps out of their home to visit another country or any destination wishes that they have a smooth journey. But cultural shocks, and many other destination related disappointments are very hard to avoid unless you get a few tips before your travel. Rwanda is not an exception. It has a few unique things that differentiate it from its neighbours. If you are planning a self drive trip in Rwanda; you would do well considering the following Car Hire Rwanda Tips For First Time Visitors for a smooth memorable car hire in Rwanda experience.

Local Etiquette and Culture

Rwanda is one of the few countries that have suffered a genocide not more than four decades ago. This genocide was caused by a tribal dispute between the Hutu and the Tutsi people. When the country rose again from the ashes of the genocide, they discarded the tribal labels.

It is important to note that though Rwanda rose again from the ruins of the genocide; many people are still nursing the genocide traumas. It is therefore wise to avoid any tribal related conversations while in Rwanda.

Beware of Automatic Traffic Tickets

When you hire a car in Rwanda, it is important to note that you are responsible for all the traffic fines generated during your hire tenure. Unlike other East African countries where the traffic offense tickets are only issued physically traffic officers, in Rwanda they option of automatic traffic tickets.

If you are not careful, you may receive over five traffic tickets for not observing road signs as well as speed limits.

Drive on the Right Hand side

In Rwanda they drive on the right hand side of the road. If you are coming from a country that drives on the left hand side of the road, you might have to be extra cautious to avoid driving on the wrong side of the road. Though Rwanda traffic police is sometimes very understanding, you ought to be vigilant while on the road.

Car Selection

Most of the roads to the tourist attractions in Rwanda are well paved. Even a small SUV such as a Rav4 can suffice for your trip. However for the sake of comfort and leg room, it is recommended to consider the bigger cars such as the Land cruiser TX, Land cruiser V8 or Land cruiser GX. If you intend to explore only Kigali city, even a saloon car can suffice.

Navigation

There are two popular ways to go about Navigation in Rwanda. The first one is using google maps. This is the most convenient option given that most phones already have the google maps app. However there is one major constraint with using google maps; some places might be mislabeled.

In order to right the constraint that you might face with google maps, you can use mapsme. It is an offline maps app that can help you compare and double confirm the actual location of places. The major constraint with mapsme is the wrong estimation of the journeys. If you use google maps and mapsme together; they will complement each other.

The second way to go about Navigation in Rwanda is using Satellite navigation devices such as Garmin. Though some comes come with navigation already installed on the radio systems, some companies might require you to hire a navigation device from them at $5 per day.

Getting The Best Car Rental Deals in Rwanda

Last but not least; in order to get the best car rental deals in Rwanda, travel in the low season and book your car rental at least six months in advance. Booking six months in advance will give you room to bargain for a discount. Hiring a car in Rwanda for more than two weeks will also give you room to bargain for a good car rental offer.

Though there several other things to consider for you visit as a first time traveller to Rwanda, the above mentioned points are some of the most essential to ensure that you have an easy car rental experience in Rwanda. Contact us for more Car Hire Rwanda Tips.