Benefits of Renting a Car in Rwanda
Rwanda is a large safari destination blessed with an abundance of tourist attractions situated in all corners of the country, some within the city and other in remote areas inter connected by various tarmac and murram roads and this is where you definitely need to rent a car plus driver or go on a self-drive trip.
Opting for public transport may seem a much cheaper option but in the long run is more expensive than hiring a car , from the time uncertainties to the discomfort you get when ride with other unknown passengers, we recommend you go online or visit Rwanda car rental and reserve yourself a car for your holiday.
Below are the benefits of renting a car
Easy to travel with and well streamlined
If you are looking for convenience and organisation in the transport means, car hire Rwanda is the right choice. The vehicle picks you right from your home or airport to drive you to your preferred destination. You also do not have to sit with your luggage on the same seat as there is a trunk where the luggage is placed. They are also spacious and hence giving you a comfortable ride.
Stress free
Once you make a booking of the car hire services your job is done, the rest will be handled by the driver. The chauffeur will be the one to carry your luggage into the car and also to lead you to the destination you are might to go. It is a hassle free means of transport. For you as a traveller, you just have to sit at the back seat of the car and let it roll till you reach your destination.
Secure
The drivers hired with car hire services Rwanda are very well qualified and skilled. They always drive their clients in the safest manner possible. They adhere to the traffic rules and regulations and also drive at the recommendable speed. Also your luggage is always safe and secure when traveling with car hire Rwanda. The luggage is kept in the boot and also you are always alone in the car with your driver.
Fast Travel
Car hire services are very quick, they waste no time on the road. They always lead the passengers direct to their designated points without stopovers. They also use the shortest routes possible to reach your preferred destination as the drivers are well experience and know how to beat the traffic congestion in Rwanda.
Exclusive
The car hire services are only and only used by a certain client at that specified time booked. There is nothing like sharing a ride with a stranger. It gives the passenger that luxury of privacy and independence while traveling around Rwanda. Who on earth does not love privacy and independence while traveling? It gives you that peace of mind and hence having a wonderful travel experience.
Extra incentives
There are always extra complementary services given to the clients of Rwanda car hire services. The vehicle rental services in Rwanda normally offer GPS, extra baby seats and camping gears to their customers. These extra facilities given to travellers help them to have a very interesting and enjoyable experience since they enhance traveling in some way or the other.
Point-to-point Services
The car hire services in Rwanda always make an effort to bring the transport services right at your door step or any designated point of preference. This makes the traveller’s trip experience easy.
Affordable
When you going to have a long distance travel it means you will need some days out and hiring a car for many days is somehow cheaper where by some car rental agencies offer discounts on clients taking the car for many days and is charged a fixed price for the whole trip the thing which make it cheaper than a public transport where by further you travel the more expenses you incur. And there are some destinations in the country which cannot be accessed by public transport thus a need to use other means of transport like cyclists or taxicab to reach there. When you add up the whole amount you will find that public transport is a bit expensive for a long distance traveler than hiring a private car.
Car Options
You don’t have to be limited to one car during your road trip, a majority of companies offer a wide range of rental cars to choose from. Whether you want a small sedan or a mid-sized van that fits a small group/ family , you can get whatever you ask for just as long as you remember to book early most especially during the high season months. You can book online or visit the offices in person.
Self-Drive
Public transportation limits you to being driven by the owner or company employee which isn’t the case when you rent a car in Rwanda, you have a choice of getting behind the steering wheel which popularly known as self-drive. This option offers you all the privacy, freedom and flexibility to visit whichever destination you want, make stop-overs whenever you want ensuring you travel at your own pace and time.
Chauffeur / Driver
If you’re not well versed with the roads and traffic regulations in Rwanda, then you could always benefit more if you hire a chauffeur in Rwanda to guide and help you along the journey. You won’t be guaranteed a professional driver when you use public transportation which isn’t the case here, you can choose a driver or let the company reservations team get you the best one ensuring you travel in safe hands.
Avoid Transmitted diseases
Hiring a car in Rwanda would save you from contracting Covid-19 in this travelling period. One of the high covid-19 transmitting places is public means and stations because of the unavoidable contact made among people. It is even getting worse during this travelling season due to the high influx of people. Therefore, one of the ways to save you from catching covid-19 while travelling is by hiring a car.
Conclusion
Rwanda has lots of transport means to use while traveling around. The ball is always left on the traveller’s court to choose the best means to use. Nonetheless, many travellers end up choosing car hire services. The car hire services are very rewarding and convenient to travellers especially those traveling for a distinguished purpose and foreigner travellers.
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Best Time to Go Gorilla Trekking
Wondering about the best time to go for the gorilla trekking expedition? Many travelers will ask you this question. The good answer is that you can go anytime given that most destinations are found in the tropics and the climate conditions are favorable all year round. To others, they need more specific months for the best safari experience given the different known seasons.
When is the best time to go on a gorilla safari in Uganda and Rwanda? Which months should one try to avoid, which months are the best for gorilla trekking? These are some of the common questions that this section will labor to put to rest.
While trekking mountain gorillas can be done any time of the year in either countries where (mountain gorillas are found i.e Rwanda and Uganda), because of the relatively wetter/ rainy seasons in the mountain gorilla inhabited national parks, many tourists often prefer the months from June to September and then December, January and February.
In Rwanda, the first rains start coming in late February through March, April and May and so many tourists try to avoid these months for fear of getting muddy and all wet while tracking the gorillas deep in the forest. However, during these months, because of the rains there’s plenty of gorilla food down slope and it’s much colder on the upper slopes. So the mountain gorillas keep on the lower slopes where they find it warmer and get food easily. So if you track the gorillas during these months, most likely your trek won’t be a long one – many trackers find the gorillas after 2 hours hike and by 2PM they are back.
The same applies to Uganda although the rains there come in March, April and May. Of course this makes it rather harder to trek the steep terrains. Even then, the rain only comes for like 1-2 hours in like every 2-3 days and the sun comes out. We have noticed that even in the so-called drier months, the rain will often come in though this time it is not so heavy.
This seasonality of gorilla trackers can also be attributed to the weather seasons in the visitors’ home country and the nature of their jobs. When it is summer for example in Europe, numbers of gorilla trek visitors increase and the gorilla trackers numbers decrease when it’s winter.
However, there are other gorilla trekkers who often take advantage of the seasonal discounts on mountain gorilla tracking permits. For instance in Uganda, gorilla trekking permits in those rainy months(April-May and October-November). Several accommodation and lodging facilities in mountain gorilla inhabited areas will also make discounts on their rates during these same months.
Whatsoever the case and explanation may be, experience shows that mountain gorilla trekking can be done any time of the year and you will most likely get the same experience.
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Why Go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda is a small nation which is situated in East Africa. Similar to its neighbor Uganda, Rwanda has no seaport. It’s occasionally alluded to as a place where there is a’ thousand hills’ because of a lot of hills that occupy the country.
This little nation is blessed with a lot of breathtaking natural life which has made it to out-contend numerous other countries. The most known is the uncommon mountain gorillas which has made Rwanda extremely prominent in relation to tourism destinations; countless jet into this little nation to have a look on these amazing primates.
Mountain gorillas are considered as endangered species just found in three nations which are Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tracking/trekking these gorillas is exceptionally wonderful in all these three nations that possess these creatures since gorillas are habituated to human standards and they can be trekked safely in their natural habitats. In any case, as per confirmations given by trekkers who have the opportunity to track in both nations they give everything to Rwanda as the best gorilla safari destination on the planet. Numerous factors prove this among which incorporate;
Its immediacy favors many would prefer not to go for extend periods of time. From Kigali International Airport to volcanoes national park a protected park for these mountain gorillas is only a drive of around 2-3 hours to kinigi park central station. This implies even a one day Rwanda gorilla trek is possible. One who arranges a one day gorilla safari needs to leave Kigali city ahead of schedule no less than 3 hours before keeping in mind the end goal to land at kinigi park central station in time (7:00am) to get short briefings from the park officials about gorilla trekking furthermore to get you apportioned to the guide.
After gorilla tracking you will go back to Kigali/accommodation or meet your departure flight back home. So if you don’t prefer long drive choose gorilla tracking in Rwanda. So in the event that you don’t favor lengthy drives, pick gorilla tracking in Rwanda. To access Bwindi national park or Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, it needs you to drive for around 7-9 hours which is a lengthy drive for the individuals who don’t favor long excursions.
With regards to ease of gorilla viewing and photography, Rwanda takes it all if compared with the impenetrable forest of bwind national park and the Virunga national park of DRC. Mountain gorillas of Rwanda ordinarily feed on the bamboo trees and short grass which makes viewing and photography clear, so this component has made Rwanda to be positioned as the best gorilla safari destination to most particularly the individuals who don’t want to penetrate the thick forests of montane Bwindi.
Despite the fact that, you ought to note that it’s not a guarantee for easy viewing since they are wild creatures, the one you think simple to see may turn to be difficult and vice versa so you should be well prepared for the activity, tracking time is unpredictable it can go from 1-8 hours in the jungle while searching for them since meeting them depends on where they spent their last night from.
However much Rwanda gorilla permits are the most costly when compared to Uganda (US$700) and DRC (US$400), Rwanda is still the leading destination for luxury travel. A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs US$1500 for every individual for every trek. This has raised a considerable amount of income from travelers who visit the mountain gorillas.
Meeting these giant apes in their natural habitat deep in the forest is a life time moment that comes true. Rwanda is home to almost a third of the remaining population of mountain gorillas that live in the Volcanoes National Park. Everyday there is availability of 92 gorilla permits that travelers can purchase to visit gorillas on the regular schedule. Tourism is highly regulated and every gorilla family is visited by just eight individuals. Watching the mountain gorillas is also limited to only one hour. The one hour you’re permitted to stay with these gorillas can be used to observe, learn and even take photographs of the amazing great apes. For a gorilla safari to Rwanda, book with a reliable and responsible tour operator who is listed on this website.
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10 Interesting Facts About Rwanda
Like its counterpart Uganda, Rwanda is also a landlocked country and has no seaport, it neighbors countries like Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, Tanzania to the East, Uganda to the north, , and Burundi in the south. Rwanda occupy an area of about 26,338 sq km (10,169sqmiles), with a total population of about 13 million (UN estimates 2013 and it’s Africa’s most densely populated country. Rwanda is divided by great peaks of up to 3,000m (9,842ft) which run across the county from north to south. Rwanda is a very beautiful county with a moderate climate. The people of Rwanda majorly speak Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Kiswahili
Fact 1: Kigali is Rwanda’s Capital
Rwanda’s capital and its largest city is Kigali located within the heart of Rwanda, just about 7kms from Kanombe international airport. it’s a very attractive small city with a fantastic variety of flowering trees and plants from various points on the edge, there are outstanding views over the intensively cultivated and terraced countryside. The capital Kigali is a center to very many tourist attractions like the genocide memorial center, national museum, cultural sites, international business, market center. It’s really very difficult to come on a safari to Rwanda without going for a Kigali city tour. Rwanda’s national currency is the Rwandan franc (Rwf.)
Fact : Rwanda Got its Independence on July 1st
Rwanda obtained its independence on July, 1, 1962 from Belgium, It has a presidential system of government and Paul Kagame is currently the president of Rwanda
Fact 3: Rwanda has Good Climate
The climate of Rwanda is made up of two wet seasons and two dry seasons, the short wet season lasts from October to November, and the main rainy season lasting from mid-march to the end of May. The dry season last from December to mid-march and from June to end of August. Rwanda has deep valleys and steep mountains and sometimes Rwanda is referred to as a country of ‘’a thousand hills’’
Fact 4: Rwanda is the last Home of Remaining Mountain Gorillas
Rwanda is known as one of the three countries in the whole world that houses the few remaining endangered mountain gorillas, about 900 mountain gorillas that are left in the world. Rwanda hosts about 400 individuals and its known as the leading mountain gorilla safari destination in the world. Many visitors whole over the world come to this small African country to spend at least 1-2 hours with these endangered apes in their natural habitat. Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is regarded as the most done tourist activity done on earth, over 80% of travelers to Rwanda go gorilla tracking. Gorilla tracking is done in the volcanoes national park in Ruhengeri Musanze district 2-3 hours from the capital Kigali.
Fact 5: The Rwanda Genocide
Rwanda’s dreadful genocide which took place in 1994 has not been forgotten; over 1 million people were killed within 90 days. The memorial museum in Kigali is a “must-see”. This terrible war took place between two ethnic groups that live in Rwanda, the Hutus and the Tutsis and this happened after the murder of the Presidents of Burundi (Cyprien Ntaryamira) and Rwanda (Juvénal Habyarimana) in a plane crash caused by a rocket attack On 6 April 1994. The killings started immediately since the Hutu thought that the Tutsi where accountable for the tragic. The killings where herd in each and every town of Rwanda, people used pang, stick, stone and guns to kill each other. As a way of remembering the incidence, memorial sites were built, and there about 7 memorial genocide sites with in Rwanda these include Murambi Genocide Memorial Site, Gisozi Memorial site, Gisenyi, Bisesero, Nyamata, Ntarama Memorial sites. This day is celebrated every year. Many visitors can’t leave Rwanda without visiting one of these memorial sites; it’s a heartfelt to hear testimonies from the survivors of this horrific war about how they survived these marauding killers. You will see remains of the deceased like rosary, pocket money, swords, cloths among others still laid on the ground
Fact 6: Rwanda is a Catholic Country
Roman Catholics dominate other religions in Rwanda, Half the people are Roman Catholics while 26% are Protestants, 11% are Adventists and 4.6% are Muslims.
Fact 7: Rwanda is a Great Place to See Primates
Nyungwe Forest National Park is the only park not only in Rwanda but also in world hosting over 13 species of primates. Nyungwe has a huge montane forest and it’s located in the south western part of Rwanda just about 5-7 hours’ drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and largest city. For primate lovers the park is a home to the close relative of man the chimps which shares almost a half of the 98% of human genes, chimp tracking is the most done tourist activity at the park. Other primates include baboons, black and white colobus monkey, silver monkeys, civet monkeys, red tailed monkey to mention but a few. It is also a home to over 300 species of birds. It’s also a home to mammal species which include civets, leopards, several cats, and other animals.
Fact 8: Experience a Traditional Safari in Akagera
Akagera National Park is the only protected Rwanda national park where game drives are done to meet the big five species. Wildlife species expected to see includes elephants, hippos, lion, buffaloes, crocodiles, warthog, and antelopes among others.
Fact 9: Rwanda is Rich in Minerals
Rwanda’s natural resources are gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite, (tungsten ore) methane, hydropower and arable land. The industries include cement, agricultural products, soap, small-scale beverages, furniture, plastic goods, textiles, shoes and cigarettes, all these generates the country a lot of revenue that in turn used to improve people’s standards of living.
Fact 10: The Rwandan Volcanoes
Rwanda highest point is Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m and its lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m and Kagera River is the Longest River in Rwanda. Lake Kivu is Rwanda’s freshest water body and the sixth largest lake in Africa, Very good for relaxing and many activities can be carried out at the lake like swimming, beach volleyball, exploring the lake on the boat to the nearby island.
Your safari to Rwanda will be a memorable one as you are privileged to view all these Rwanda facts but interesting attraction, for more information about Rwanda and things to do, contact us we will get back to you swiftly.
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A Splendid Experience at the Rz Manna Café
Over the weekend an old friend introduced me to a place I didn’t know, the Rz Manna Café in Nyarutarama, which proved to be a pleasant experience.
When I entered the comfy Korean café, a waitress welcomed me, showed me to a table and brought the menu. Since my friend hadn’t arrived yet, I decided to order just some apple juice, which already gave me taste of things to come since it was pure juice, with no water added. They also make mango juice, avocado, passion fruit and pineapple juice.
As I waited for my friend, I was told that there was 4G-LTE Internet access, and I immediately used this fast connection to browse a bit on my phone to kill the time.
Later, I took a little stroll around the café to get to know it better. Both expatriates and Rwandans were enjoying their meal in the plush premises with a beautiful decor on the walls. I happened to run into the managing director of the cafe, Jeong Saesaem, and during a little chat she explained that Rz Manna is not just a café, but a social enterprise with the objective of creating employment for local people.
“We opened in August 2013, and our primary motive was to reduce poverty among the local people by creating employment. We have 30 workers who benefit from training at the café, and we also hope to groom a Rwandan managing director in a few years’ time,” Jeong said.
She also explained that Rz Manna café is a joint venture between Koica (the Korean International Co-operation Agency) and Handong Glove University.
By the time our chat was over, my friend had arrived, so we sat and ordered breakfast which consisted of waffles, espresso coffee (they also have mocha and latte) and mocha cake. The waiters and waitresses were brisk and cordial, so we did not wait long.
Jean Baptiste Tuyisabe, the master barrister who came to ask whether we were enjoying our meal, said that when the management at Rz Manna wants to assign an employee to a new task, they first arrange training so that the employee gets the adequate skills for the job.
“Before I got employed here, I was doing temporary jobs with Bralirwa. I was lucky to land a job at Rz Manna when they were just opening, and I have learnt a lot of things from them. I’m now able to make good coffee, cakes, stick pie, baguettes, and more. Some international restaurant reviewers like Willing-Time wrote an article praising my skills as one of the best barristers in Rwanda, and this helped me a lot, as the management promoted me to master barrister and head of service at the café,” Tuyisabe said proudly.
He added that other workers have benefitted from classes in baking and cake-decoration to hone their skills. As a result, Rz Manna offers mocha cake, which has a taste of coffee, butter-dom cake with vanilla, and Black Forest cake made with chocolate. They also do pastries and sandwiches, and among the drinks they also have smoothies.
Having finished our delicious breakfast, we fully agreed with the restaurant reviewers who rank Rz Manna among the top coffee parlours in Rwanda. Their wonderful food is certainly worth a penny.
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