5 interesting facts about Rwanda

There are different facts to know about Rwanda and they include the following;

1. Rwanda is part of East Africa

Rwanda is among the popular countries to visit during tours in East Africa and it is also known as the land of a thousand hills because of its hilly landscape.

When in Rwanda, there are different languages which the locals speak which include French and Kinyarwanda which are commonly spoken. However, Kiswahili and English are also used by the people in the country.

Rwanda is also a landlocked country and is also one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. The country is one of the smallest in East Africa and covers about 26, 3368 square kilometers with a population of about 13 million people and an annual growth rate of 2.3%.

The countries bordering Rwanda include Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The currency of Rwanda is Rwanda francs (RWF) and other currencies such as US dollars can also be used for transactions. Credit card payments are also allowed in the country.

There are many activities to doaround Rwanda during safari and they include gorilla trekking, hiking, mountain climbing, cultural tours, city tours, boat safaris, wildlife viewing, bird watching, shopping among others.

Rwanda is in time zone of GMT +2 and it observes Central Africa Time (CAT).

2. Rwanda has 3 national parks

During safaris in Rwanda, there are 3 national parks which tourists can visit and they include Volcanoes national park, Nyugwe forest national park and Akagera national park.

The most visited national park in Rwanda is Volcanoes national park which is located in the north western part of the country. The park is home to mountain gorillas and also golden monkeys which can be seen during tours in the forests. Many activities take place around the destination and they include gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, hiking, bird watching, cultural tours among others. 5 of the Virunga mountains are also found in the national park and they include Mount Bisoke at an altitude of 3696 meters,   Mount Karisimbi at an altitude of 4490 meters.

Another national park in Rwanda is Nyungwe forest national park which is located in the south western part of the country.  It is popular for primate tours including chimpanzee trekking and tourists visiting the destination can also take part in the canopy walk tour. The forest is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in Africa with many other primates which can be seen during safaris at the destination such as L’hoest monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys. There are also over 200 bird species found at the destination.

Akagera national park is another of Rwanda’s destinations to visit and it is located in the eastern part of the country. It is best known for wildlife viewing and is the savannah park found in the country which is home to a variety of wildlife species such as buffalos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos as well as over 490 bird species. Some of the activities to do around the park include game drives in the morning and afternoon and tourists can also engage in boat rides on Lake Ihema during their safaris.

Many other attractions are found in Rwanda and they include Lake Kivu which is one of the fresh water lakes in the country where visitors can enjoy boat rides and also engage in sport fishing, birding and visiting the different islands.

3. Kigali is the cleanest city in Africa

The city of Rwanda is Kigali which is considered to be the cleanest city in Africa and there are different laws put in place to keep it clean.

In Kigali, people who litter are charged a fine of about 10,000 RWF to 100,000 RWF and around the city, there are different areas for garbage disposal. Families and businesses are charged a fee for garbage collection in Rwanda which takes place every Tuesday.

Umuganda is a day during which every Rwandan comes together to help one another and it takes place every last Saturday of the month. During Umuganda, many activities take place including cleaning, planting of trees, helping the needy among others.

There are many activities which can be done when visiting Kigali such as city tours around places such as the Kigali genocide memorial, Kigali convention center, Inema arts center, Kimironko market, Kigali city market, Rwanda Art museum, Nyamata church among others.

The main airport of Rwanda which is Kigali international airport is also found in the city and offers domestic and international flights.

4. Use of plastic is banned in Rwanda

Rwanda is a country which is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and has implemented various green initiatives to protect its natural resources such as banning the use of plastic.

There are many other initiatives put in place in Rwanda to promote sustainability such as promoting tree planting initiatives, and investment in renewable energy projects, such as use of hydroelectric and solar power, to reduce the carbon footprint.

Every month in Rwanda, there is a car free day which takes place every first Sunday of the month and also on the 3^rd Sunday of the month. On the car free days, people engage in different outdoor sports and sports for healthy living such as running.

Prior to visiting Rwanda, it is important to find out more information about what to bring to Rwanda so as to avoid fines and difficulty at the different points of entry into the country.

5. Rwanda visa can be got on arrival

The entry visa is one of the travel requirements for people visiting Rwanda and a single entry visa costs 50 USD per person.

Other travel requirements for visiting Rwanda include a valid passport. There are also countries which are exempt from visa in Rwanda and they include nationals of the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Mauritius, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

Some of the points of entry into Rwanda include the Gatuna border, Cyanika border, Goma border.